How to Sell Your House

I am not a realtor, but because I have just sold and bought a house in one of the toughest markets in the country, I believe I've learned a thing or two. Some of my advice regarding selling your house seems like common sense, but after touring dozens of houses with "For Sale" signs in front of them apparently this is not so. We wanted to sell our house as fast as possible, without settling for an offer way below our expectations. So, we made a lot of immediate changes in the hopes that our house would sell quickly. It did. Here is what I know to be true that will help you sell your house:

1) See your house with new eyes and don't let your emotions get in the way.

Of course, you are used to the wallpaper falling down in the downstairs bathroom; in fact, it might be somewhat endearing to you. You are not bothered by the fact that you have to jiggle the toilet exactly 33 times to get it to flush. Or you might smile (now) when you see the old marker doodles on the hallway wall that your little boy did when he was two. But to sell your house you must force yourself to cut your emotional ties to this space. You must become objective, and if you can't, you must get someone else to help you. The truth is, no one is eager to buy a house when they know they are going to have to immediately repaint the hallway. Your fond memories are not theirs.

It is so hard, especially if you have lived in your house for a long period of time, but you have to do this. Your house is no longer a home; it is just a house. You have to see it this way if you want to sell it.

2) Remove family pictures and do everything you can to de-personalize.