Find yourself an experienced Realtor

A Realtor, or seller's agent, is legally responsible for representing the seller’s interest in a real estate transaction. You must find a Realtor that you trust – the recommendations of others are very important here, so talk to relatives and friends that have recently bought properties, and see who they have used.  You can use organizations like the California Association of Realtors (CAR) to help you find a suitable agent – see our links page for more suggestions.  Generally, you will pay your Realtor a percentage of the sale price, usually around three percent, at the time of the sale, so be wary of anyone looking to charge you a fee for their services up front.

Price your home correctly

Ideally you will choose an experienced Realtor who can help you price your home right – from the start.  If you get your initial price too high, you’re likely to spend several months chasing the market down – if prices are slipping incrementally each month, you’ll net less money in three months time than you would if you price the property to sell in one month or less.  The Multiple Listing Service (MLS) archives show that if you overprice your home, you’ll eventually sell for less than you could have done if you’d priced it correctly at the beginning.

Get a quick sale

If you want to be that group of properties that sell very quickly – the top five percent of homes – you can increase your chances by:

• Set your price slightly below than the last comparable property to sell in your area.
• Have Aston Property Inspection perform a Pre-listing Check (follow link for more details).
• Make sure all your repairs have been completed before you list your property.
• Stage the property – if necessary, hire a profession staging company.
• Have a lockbox, with no advance notice needed to show the property.
• Hold a well-advertised open day(s).

Making the exterior of your property more attractive

Start by tidying up the yard and garden areas.  If you don’t want to do this yourself, hire a professional to make you property as neat an tidy on the outside as possible.  Potential buyers will often not bother viewing properties where the outside areas are in poor condition

Making the interior of your property more attractive

Start by disconnecting your emotions – your goal is to make you home look anonymous.  The first step is to remove as much clutter as possible.  You want to remove small items that personalize the property, while rearranging the larger furniture – for example, it is a good idea to put a bed in every bedroom, even if you usually use the room for something else.
The most important room in the house…is the bathroom(s).  If possible, redecorate all your bathrooms.  If this is not possible, make sure the bathrooms are clean and polished and laid out like they would be in a hotel – nothing helps sell a home more than a nice bathroom.