Getting Top Dollar

Say you've got two pickup trucks for sale. One's your baby, who you've put countless hours into keeping in top condition, and the other is an old rust bucket that's running on its last piston. Which do you think will fetch you a higher price? You may still be able to sell the rust bucket, but you'll be lucky to get a hundred bucks for it. When it comes to selling your house, the more time you spend keeping it in shape, the more you'll get for it on the market.

There are certainly things beyond your control that will effect how much your home sells for, like the neighborhood or fluctuating mortgage rates. However, if you concentrate on things you can control, such as home repairs, interior and exterior renovations, and landscape improvements, then you can bet your bottom dollar you'll see that money come right back to you.

Making sure that the structure of the house and all its inner workings are in order is a big first step. Better to repair the plumbing now than pull out the hydrovac during a showing and chase away potential buyers. A smart buyer will hire a home inspector to check your place out before making any offer so beat them to the punch and gain the upper hand in price negotiations.

Just like your pickup, the better she looks on the outside, the more you'll get for her. Take a copy of your house plans to an interior designer or contractor to see what changes you can make to set your place apart from the others on the market. Likewise, see what improvements you can make to the outside so that you can more easily draw in perspective buyers who pass by. Also consider making some changes to your front and backyard by adding new walkways, gardens, or things of that nature. You can decorate with words all you want in the real estate listings, but that little extra green touch can do all the talking for you.

There are a few tricks you can pull that don't involve dishing out tons of cash. Before showing your house, move out some of your furniture to a friend's place or a storage unit to make your place look more spacious. Anyone looking to set up the best home based business will be much more excited about wide open rooms than cluttered ones. It's also important to take the time to clean as thoroughly as possible to make your place shine, because it will give the impression that you've taken real good care of the place.

Of course, there are a lot of people out there looking for a fixer upper. There's no harm in taking the easy way and selling off your home as is, but just like that old clunker, it isn't going to fetch you nearly as much as the one you treat like gold.