Have you heard the expression, "Location, location, location."?  When it comes to the fair market value of a home location ranks up there at the top of the list. 

If you are trying to sell your home, the last thing you can change is your home’s location.  So what is there for a home seller to do?

"Price, price, price" should be a home seller’s central focus.  Pricing your home too high will hurt your chances of selling quickly and for the best price.  Buyers are smart shoppers these days.  They will be looking at your home and a number of other similar "competing" homes.  Your price will need to compare favorably to all the other homes the potential buyers have looked at.  I won’t spend much time on price today.  To determine the best price to sell your home, you should have a REALTOR prepare a Competitive Market Analysis for you.  Most real estate agents will prepare one for no cost. 

So, you can’t change the location.  And, you have selected the best price for your home. 

What else can you do? Here’s four tips.

1. Make the First Impression Count!  Buyers will develop an opinion of your property in the first 15 seconds.  For tips on how to make the best first impression Coldwell Banker has put together a quick and easy checklist.
2. Consider having a home inspection done upfront.  Here’s how this will help.  When you know the repairs your home will need, you can get estimates of the cost.  When you negotiate an offer, you will be in a more informed position on how much you can come off your asking price and what repairs will need to be done.  For more information on home inspections, the Texas Association of Real Estate Inspectors provides great information.
3. Consider taking out a home warranty with Seller’s coverage.  American Home Shield has a warranty program for just under $400 that will cover any repairs to the heating systems, AC systems, Ductwork, Plumbing Stoppages, and more.  Almost every buyer asks for a home warranty as part of the purchase agreement these days.  For just a few dollars more a seller can take out coverage for themselves while the home is listed.  *As an added bonus, if you find repairs that need to be taken care of prior to closing, a home warranty may pay for some or most of the repairs.
4. Exposure is crucial.  About 80% of home buyers start their search on-line these days.  You will want to make sure the company you list your home with will place your home on the major Internet search sites.  REALTOR.com and Coldwell Banker.com are two of the most widely used sites with millions of hits per month.

Don’t worry about the things you can’t change when it comes to selling your home.  You can’t change your location. You can’t control the market but you can do several things to give your home an advantage over the competition.  Take these four tips and watch how fast you can sell your home.