Sell a Home, Not a House

One of the great ironies of selling your house is that you must get it in such great condition that you may ask yourself why you would even want to move out. Your focus right now may be on your own dream home, but consider your current house as someone else’s dream home, and start preparing it for them. Putting a little work into it now makes the entire process of selling your house much more profitable for you in the long run.

Who Else Do You Need On Your Team?

While a great real estate agent is key to selling your home, you will actually be employing a team of specialists to get you through the process. Your real estate agent is well-connected and in many cases they will be able to recommend people who will handle all the services that go with fixing-up and selling your home, including: lenders, pest control specialists, home warranty companies, inspection companies, contractors, and plumbers.

Timing It Right

When you are selling your home and buying a new one at the same time, the ability to juggle the responsibilities of both can protect you from headaches. Avoid having to handle two giant chores at once by starting early. Make a list of whom you need to notify about your change of address, including utility companies and credit card companies. Start packing the knick-knacks and off-season items you won’t be needing before the move. If you can start doing repairs around the home as early as possible -- even a full year prior to the sale of your home -- you will be able to avoid a huge bill right before the sale.

Lighten The Load

As you begin packing to move to your new home, the realization will probably hit you like a ton of bricks: You have a ton of stuff. Rather than packing it all and lugging it to your new house just to stuff it into the garage and closets, lighten your load and make your move easier. A garage sale is a great way to unload lots of your little-used items and make a little extra cash to spend on decorating your new home. You can also sell some of your rarer possessions on auction sites such as Ebay. You may get a pretty penny for old toys and books which might have sold for a lesser price at your garage sale. Also consider donating furniture and clothing to charity. You’ll be doing something good for yourself and for others.