5 Ways to Speed Up Your Sale

•  Price it right. Set a price at the lower end of your property's realistic price range.

•  Get your house market-ready for at least two weeks before you begin showing it.

•  Be flexible about showings. It's often disruptive to have a house ready to show on the spur of the moment, but the more often someone can see your home, the sooner you'll find a seller.

•  Be ready for the offers. Decide in advance what price and terms you'll find acceptable.

•  Don't refuse to drop the price. If your home has been on the market for more than 30 days without an offer, be prepared to lower your asking price.

    Tips on How to Price Your Home

• Consider comparables . What have other homes in your neighborhood sold for recently? How do they compare to yours in terms of size, upkeep, and amenities?

• Consider competition . How many other houses are for sale in your area? Are you competing against new homes?

• Consider your contingencies . Do you have special concerns that would affect the price you'll receive? For example, do you want to be able to move in four months?

• Get an appraisal . For a few hundred dollars, a qualified appraiser can give you an estimate of your home's value. Be sure to ask for a market-value appraisal. To locate appraisers in your area, contact The Appraisal Institute ( www.AppraisalInstitute.org ) or ask a REALTOR Ò for some recommendations.

• Ask a lender . Since most buyers will need a mortgage, it's important that a home's sale price be in line with a lender's estimate of its value.

• Be accurate . Studies show that homes priced higher than 3 percent over the correct price take longer to sell.

• Know what you'll accept . It's critical to know what price you'll accept before beginning a negotiation with a buyer

10 Ways to Make Your House More Salable

•  Get rid of clutter. Throw out or file stacks of newspapers and magazines. Pack away most of your small decorative items. Store out-of-season clothing to make closets seem roomier. Clean out the garage.

•  Wash your windows and screens to let more light into the interior.

•  Keep everything extra clean. Wash fingerprints from light switch plates. Mop and wax floors. Clean the stove and refrigerator. A clean house makes a better first impression and convinces buyers that the home has been well cared for.

• Get rid of smells. Clean carpeting and drapes to eliminate cooking odors, smoke, and pet smells. Open the windows.

•  Put higher wattage bulbs in light sockets to make rooms seem brighter, especially basements and other dark rooms. Replace any burnt-out bulbs.

•  Make minor repairs that can create a bad impression. Small problems, such as sticky doors, torn screens, cracked caulking, or a dripping faucet, may seem trivial, but they'll give buyers the impression that the house isn't well maintained.

•  Tidy your yard. Cut the grass, rake the leaves, trim the bushes, and edge the walks. Put a pot or two of bright flowers near the entryway.

•  Patch holes in your driveway and reapply sealant, if applicable.

•  Clean your gutters.

•  Polish your front doorknob and door numbers.

5 Things to Do Before You Sell

•  Get estimates from a reliable repairperson on items that need to be replaced soon, such as a roof or worn carpeting, for example. In this way, buyers will have a better sense of how much these needed repairs will affect their costs.

•  Have a termite inspection to prove to buyers that the property is not infested.

•  Get a pre-sale home inspection so you'll be able to make repairs before buyers become concerned and cancel a contract.

•  Gather together warranties and guarantees on the furnace, appliances, and other items that will remain with the house.

•  Fill out a disclosure form provided by your sales associate. Take the time to be sure that you don't forget problems, however minor, that might create liability for you after the sale.

Does Moving Up Make Sense? 

Answer these questions to help you decide whether moving up makes sense.

•  How much equity do you have in your home? Look at your annual mortgage statement or call your lender to find out. Usually, you don't build up much equity in the first few years of paying a mortgage, but if you've owned your home for a number of years, you may have significant unrealized gains.

•  Has your income increased enough to cover the extra mortgage costs and the costs of moving?

•  Does your neighborhood still meet your needs? For example, if you've had children, the quality of the schools may be more of a concern now than when you first purchased.

•  Can you add on or remodel? If you have a large yard, there might be room to expand your home. If not, your options may be limited. Also, do you want to undertake the headaches of remodeling?

•  How is the home market? If it's good, you may get top dollar for your home.

•  How are interest rates? A low rate not only helps you buy more home, but also makes it easier to find a buyer.