There are really two phases when it comes to preparing your home. The first phase is getting it ready for the market , so take as much time as necessary but as little money as possible to maximize appeal. The best way to do this is to walk around your entire home with a notepad paying careful attention to everything; check the walls for chips, holes or uneven paint. Fix all leaky faucets and make sure they shine- and consider replacing them if they don't. Now on to the second phase - Once your home is officially "For Sale", you need to make your home look good. Be sure to concentrate on your kitchen and bathrooms. It's a good idea to box up any items that haven't been used for a while. By boxing up your possessions you will add visual square footage to your home thus increasing its perceived value. Ask a friend or relative to help you out with this or even consider renting a storage space to keep your belongings until you sell. Now might be a good time for a garage sale. If you were going to get rid of anything before your move anyway, do it now before the house is even shown.

Buyers need to be qualified in the following terms: financial ability, buyer wants and buyer needs. This is not something you will be responsible for - it will be up to the mortgage lenders and the buyer's REALTORŪ. Meanwhile, we need to be on top of every detail for your sake. Anytime there is a call or contact, many details need to be discovered. Has their loan commitment come through? What conditions are on it? Has the appraisal been done? Are there any repairs needed?, etc.

Today's technology offers many new ways of marketing to give your home exposure to more potential buyers than ever. The following resources may be used: open houses, flyers, newspaper, magazine, e-mail, and the Internet .