There are few things nowadays that are as difficult as selling a house. The market is so saturated with so many different kinds of offerings that finding a way to sell your house has become an art and a science. All those people who spent many thousands of dollars on a property a decade ago are now sorry that they did so because now those same properties are selling for a dime on the dollar. Truly these are the worst economic times in recent history for real estate. This writer believes that we have not hit bottom yet; foreclosures will increase, real estate prices (and values) will plummet further, and there will be fewer buyers in the near future. Smart buyers are starting to gather up properties now. So confident are many buyers that they are deliberately offering lower prices on the houses available for sale. This trend may continue for a while; the result being that the industry will see more devalued land and houses. Dismal as this picture may be, there are several things that a person can do to increase their chances for a house sale.

Clean sells. When you go to a store and you see two identical items for sale, one neat and clean and the other sloppy or dirty, if the price is the same, which one would you buy? Neat and clean works for any item. Most (if not all) people would rather have something that is well cared for and presented in a positive manner. Houses are no exception. If you are trying to sell your house, keep the grass cut, the edging straight, and the lawn free from all clutter. Realtors have a saying that works well for sellers: "curb appeal". This means that when a buyer sees the house for the first time it is usually the view from the front of the house. This is where the initial impression is made about the property. It is well known that there is only one "first impression" and it is this impression that sticks in a person’s mind. When a potential buyer pulls up to your property for the first time, make sure you are making the best first impression possible.

Ragged kills. Did you ever see a house from the road that had gutters hanging down? How about peeling paint? Broken windows? Did you ever think to buy that house? A ragged looking house is going to kill the sale for you. No one wants to buy other people’s garbage or problems. If the place needs a coat of paint, then paint it. Fix all of the items on the house to showroom condition as much as possible. Never make excuses for broken items or a slovenly appearance. Get the property looking so good that you stand back and want to buy it yourself. If you would want the house, then others may want it too.

Standards sell. Very few buyers want to buy your creative innovations. Most folks want three bedrooms, two full bathrooms, an eat in kitchen, dining room, and a living room. A garage is nice but not essential. If your house has been redecorated by Rube Goldberg, making two bedrooms out of one, having to go through the kitchen to get to a back bedroom, or conversion of the garage to a spare bedroom, then you hurt your chances of selling your property. Think back to when you were shopping for your first house. What were you hoping to find? Chances are that you wanted a standard house in a standard neighborhood with all the appliances. As you walked into each room you expected to see certain items, a toilet in the bathroom, a stove in the kitchen, and closets in the bedrooms. If you didn’t find these things you would have moved on to other houses. A good rule of thumb is to assume that whatever you would look for in a house, others will also.

There are many other ways to help sell your property. Future articles will address more ideas and suggestions in this high profile subject. For the time being, get out that lawn mower and paint brush and start to put your house in showroom condition. If the house has been altered in ways that are not standard, think about making the house more like what buyers would expect to see.