Looking to sell your home? Getting the best price for your home takes some preparation and strategy that may help you achieve a successful and speedy sale. Let’s explore some tricks of the trade to help you get more money and spend less time waiting for your home to sell.

• The number one rule is price. Put your home as close as possible to fair market value. If you choose to overvalue your home you may find yourself making cut after cut and adding days to the time your house sits on the market. Also, buyers tend to bargain more aggressively when a listing sits on the market.

• Your agent’s online marketing strategy plays a large part in the sale of your home. According to the National Association of Realtors, 92% of home buyers start the process online. If your online presence isn’t appealing, you won’t get buyers to your door. So make sure your agent makes your home shine online, this means good professional photos and a well-thought-out description.

• Modest upgrades to your home may be more valuable than paying thousands for a major renovation. According to an analysis by Zillow, a mid-range $3,000 bathroom update resulted in a $1.71 increase in home value for every $1 spent versus a $12,000 total remodel adding high-end elements which resulted in only a .87-cent increase in value per dollar.

• Curb appeal is still a must, so make sure you don’t turn away buyers before they get in the door. Spruce up your home’s exterior with inexpensive shrubs or colorful flowers; pressure wash walkways, clean the windows, and repaint the front door. The typical return on your home’s curb appeal is estimated to be 100 percent.

• De-clutter and De-personalize your home; this means removing your personal stuff. Buyers generally have a hard time seeing themselves living in a home filled with someone else’s personal stuff. This is a great way to prepare to move …give away what you can, discard what is no longer useful and pack the remaining items and get ready to move. This makes closets look bigger, rooms more spacious, and you now have half the work to do when the house sells.

Keep in mind today’s home buyers are savvy consumers, armed with digital technology and past housing recession memories. Buyers are looking for significant value when investing their hard-earned money. This makes the seller’s job important, so price and prepare thoroughly before listing your home.

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