You are relocating to a different city (surely not leaving San Diego?!?), your family has grown and your current house is not big enough or your preferences have simply changed. These and more could be some of the reasons you are required to sell real estate, i.e. your current home. When conversing with real estate agents, you will often find that when they talk to you about buying real estate, they will refer to your purchase as a "home." Yet if you are selling property, they will often refer to it as a "house." Buying real estate is often an emotional decision, but when selling real estate you need to remove emotion from the equation. You need to think of your house as a marketable commodity, a property, a piece of real estate. If you do not consciously make this decision, you can involuntarily create a situation where it takes longer to sell your property.

So the first step in getting your home ready to sell is to "de-personalize" it. Here are some tips that you can use as a checklist when you are selling a house.

Often sellers make the mistake of signing a contract to sell their houses before they know whether or not they were qualified to buy another. Many conditions may inhibit sellers from buying the type of replacement house they want – they may no longer qualify for a loan, their financial circumstances may change since their last purchase, or they are not able to sell at a price that can buy their dream replacement house. Hence, it is prudent to get pre-approved by a lender you trust and research the housing market in the area where you wish to live before you decide to sell your current house. This will give you a good idea how much it will take to buy a replacement and what limitations you might face.

2. Work with a real estate agent

By working with a qualified real estate professional, you can ensure that your property will receive the needed exposure to attract interested parties who are willing to make an offer. In addition, agents can guide you, do the paperwork, market your property, help decide the right pricing, etc. Call on real estate agents who are experienced as well as concerned and are willing to give your property the due time it deserves. Any agent who explains the process to you in less than 15 minutes is not worth talking to.

3. Price your house right

If you're planning on selling a house, you'll have to decide what price to ask for the home. Pricing homes is both an art and a science. It involves comparing similar properties, fine-tuning the differences among them, tracking market movements and taking stock of present inventory to come up with a range of value (not an exact price tag) that is an educated opinion. Some of the things to consider when choosing a how much to sell a home for are:

• Where is your home located? How valued is that neighborhood?
• What is the age & condition of your home? Does it need updating?
• What have similar homes in your area sold for?
• What is the real estate market condition? Have homes in your area been increasing or decreasing in value?
• What is the total inventory of homes in your neighborhood? Are there lots of homes or too few?
• What types of buyers buy in your neighborhood?

This is how an appraiser evaluates a home. Although no two property appraisals are exactly the same, they are usually close to one another. A real estate professional can help you determine the market value of your home and help you get the best deal for your property. However, uninformed sellers often choose the listing agent who suggests the highest list price, which is among the worst mistakes a seller can make. Homes sell at a price a buyer is willing to pay and a seller is willing to accept. If a home is priced under the competition, the seller receives multiple offers to drive up the price to the market value. So there is little danger in pricing a home too low. The danger lies in pricing it too high and selecting your agent solely on opinion of value.
 
4. Stage your house

Home staging is about creating moods and putting forth the very best product. Staging makes your house look bigger, brighter, neater, cozier, more pleasant and best of all, makes home buyers want to buy it. So much so that after staging, you yourself might drop the idea of selling it!

Remember that buyers aren't coming for a cursory look but a careful inspection. Follow some simple tips given below and you'll see what a difference it makes to your house:

• Keep the exterior neat by painting the trim, clipping the hedges, mowing and weeding the lawn. Work on your home's curb appeal. Make sure your landscape is pristine. Mow the grass, clean up any debris and weed the garden beds. Plant a few annual flowers near the entrance or in pots to be placed by the door.

• Inside, lighten up the darker corners, add some fresh paint if need be and put the clutter away to give the rooms an open feeling. Arrange sparse pieces of furniture in an appealing grouping known as a vignette; display a liberal usage of soft fabrics such as silk, wool or satin; exhibit atypical curios in units of 1, 3 or 5; clothe window coverings with simple lines; add unique elements to shelving, bookcases and fireplace mantels, which draw attention to predetermined areas, etc.

• Ensure that there are no stale odors in the house, especially in concealed areas such as basements or attics. On the day of your open house, you may want to bake some cookies or arrange some fresh aromatic flowers to add a pleasant scent to your home.

• Professional home stagers use accessories like mirrors, plants, silk flowers, floor & table lamps, rugs, small love seats, ottomans, Afghans, etc. to stage houses.

5. Market your house

Whether you are sellng the most expensive Rancho Santa Fe real estate or a small beach cottage home in Pacific Beach, buyers will not simply walk into your house on their own. They'll need to be informed, persuaded and maybe even reminded that a good property is on sale. To bring your home to the buyer, your real estate agent must put forth a successful marketing campaign. Your agent should make the best use of newspaper and magazine advertising, perhaps host television programs or interactive phone systems, upload information on his own website and advertisements on other sites, arrange open houses, etc. So do ensure that your agent is trained not only in the financial aspect of a real estate transaction, but also in the marketing aspect. He or She should be using as many options as available for generating real estate leads.

Leave comments on these tips or continue on to part 2 in our series of Tips for Selling Real Estate.