1. Clean up the yard! If you want to sell your property, make sure that buyers will feel at home while they are previewing it.

* Mow, rake and weed the yard before showing. Plant some inexpensive flowers. Make sure that trash and clutter is removed or organized; make a run to the dump if necessary. Most home purchasers do not want to think about all the yard work they will have to do if they buy your home.
* Consider painting the exterior of the home if it's needed. This can be done relatively inexpensively (if you do it yourself) and can add a great deal to the property's value. You could also offer a "Paint Reduction" in the sale price if you do not want to take on the work yourself.
* Check out your home's "Curb Side Appeal." Make sure it looks its best before inviting buyers to preview it.

2. Clean the house up before showing it to buyers!

* Clean up the kitchen, bathrooms, bedrooms, living room, etc. Put away unnecessary items that give the house a cluttered look. Make the beds and have the kids pick up their toys. Don't have dirty dishes, laundry or linens lying around. Clean the house from top to bottom with "Spotless" as your goal. A little bit of elbow grease could net you a higher price!
* Organize all of your closets and storage areas. If your home is smaller (under 1,200 square feet) and bursting at the seams with clutter, a buyer is likely to feel cramped and uncomfortable. Make room! Make sure the home feels as spacious as possible.
* Consider painting the interior walls if they need it. Like the exterior of the home, the interior walls should be clean and fresh looking. Stick to neutral colors such as white or off-white.
* Clean or replace carpets as necessary. Try to get any noticable stains out. You may want to hire a professional to give it that "New" look.
* If you can't paint or carpet and the home really needs it, consider allowing a cash-back allowance for these as part of your sale price.

3. Consider your selling price, seller options and buyer incentives before you advertise your home for sale.

* It is highly recommended that you find out what your home is currently worth. Hire a realtor or qualified appraiser to do a property evaluation. Pricing your home too high will practically guarantee that you will not sell it anytime soon. Conversely, pricing your home too low will cause you to miss out on receiving your maximum equity gains.
* You may want to contact a real estate agent to do a Fair Market Evaluation for you. Some real estate agents will do this for you at no charge in order to procure your listing, but watch out for over-pricing. You should be honest and tell them that you are going to try to sell the property yourself, but that you will consider using them as your agent if you are unsuccessful.
* You may want to consider selling your property on an "Owner Contract" or "Lease to Purchase" if you are in a position to do so. This option is especially viable when you want to get your full asking price. You will want to select a buyer carefully and make sure that all the contracts and documentation are handled by an attorney or qualified professional. If you do not feel comfortable selling on an Owner Contract, then don't. Many things can go wrong if not handled carefully.
* Consider a cash-back incentive. Since you are selling your home yourself, you will not have to pay for a real estate company to represent you and you will be saving, in most cases, a great deal of money. Offer some of it back to a qualified buyer in the form of Cash at Closing. This can be especially effective when there are certain things that need to be done to the home (painting, carpeting, appliances, etc.) that you can't do prior to selling. You can also offer to pay closing costs as an additional buyer incentive.

4. Hold regular open houses so buyers can preview your home.

* Make sure you're ready by following the directions listed above. Don't have an open house if your home is not in its best condition, unless you're selling it "As Is" or as a "Fixer-upper." If your home is in need of repairs or updates, be willing to negotiage!
* Mow and rake the lawn and hose off all concrete on the day of the open house. Put away anything that looks like "Yard Clutter."
* Place "Open House" signs where motorists can easily see them. You may wish to purchase several to place in several locations. (Open House signs are usually under $5.00 each at the store, or they can be easily made at home for practically nothing.)
* Open the windows and air out the house, if weather permits; consider using a few subtle air fresheners placed strategically throughout the home. Put out a vase or two of fresh flowers.
* Vacuum the carpets and mop the floors; if the carpets are new, have people remove their shoes at the door.
* Turn on all the lights and open all the drapes or blinds, unless there's a good reason not to. Let the light in!
* Make sure that all bathroom fixtures are clean and operational.
* Offer refreshments, such as home-made baked goods and juice or coffee. (Don't have refreshments in any room where an "accident" would cause damage.)
* Send the kids to play at a friend's or relative's home during the open house. You will want to be able to give your full attention to the buyers who are previewing your home.
* Be sure you are well-prepared to answer any questions regarding the property. (Common questions are: How old is the home? Who built the home? How old is the electrical or plumbing? How old is the roof? Are there any additions and how old are they? How many square feet are there in the house? How big is the lot? How old are the appliances, air conditioner and furnace? How much are the taxes? How much is the average heating bill? What are the local schools? Is the neighborhood nice? Are the neighbors nice? Etc.)
* Prepare an informational flyer for each prospective buyer to take with them. Make sure you include the address, your phone number(s) and the price.

5. Advertise effectively and continuously while you're home is for sale.

* Run small, specific advertisements in the newspaper of your choice (especially on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays) making sure to include the www.wallawallarealestate.net address so that buyers can preview the details of your home on the internet, including color photo(s).
* Remember that Walla Walla Real Estate.Net ads are very inexpensive and available to anyone on the internet at any time. It's your best marketing value by far!
* Be sure to let Walla Walla Real Estate.Net know when you are doing open houses, so we can include that information on our site.