Planning to sell your home soon? If you are, then you want to take every step to insure you get top dollar. Luckily, there are some pretty simple steps that will produce improved results. Here are the top five:

Tip #1: Improve Its Condition

First of all, make a good first impression on buyers by making it look great from the curb. Paint is cheap, compared to most home improvements. So, I always recommend exterior trim paint or even painting the whole house. Certainly get the exterior doors painted, including the garage door. Then, plant flosers and trim bushes and trees. Make the yard look clean and healthy.

Tip #2: Get Good Exposure for your Home

Let’s face it – no one is ever going to buy your property if they don’t know it is on the market. To that same end, you will not be able to enjoy top dollar for your home unless you reach the right potential buyers. The simple truth is that, the more people who see your home, the greater the chances will be of getting the price you are after. Therefore, it is important to develop a solid marketing plan that includes ample local and national advertising.

Tip #3: Pick the Right Time to Sell

Of course it’s best to wait for a seller’s market. But, that’s not likely these days. Still, you can maximize your profits by selling at the most active time of the year. That’s always in the spring and summer months as well as early in the fall. You’ll want to stay informed about mortgage interest rates and terms in order to be on the market when conditions are best for your potential buyers. Just a small drop in rates can increase the number of buyers in your price range significantly.

Tip #4: Don’t Stay on the Market Too Long

Price and market the home to sell quickly. It’s the only smart strategy in a declining market. In fact, agents and buyers view homes that linger on the market longer than average as “stale”. That is, they immediately wonder why others have not purchased the home and they often do not even tour. If you do “miss the mark” on price or advertising, and the home remains on the market longer than average, you may want to take it off the market for a time and start over with a fresh price and marketing effort.

Tip #5: Price it to Sell

Resist the temptation to overprice. It’s a winning strategy in an expanding market but it’s the kiss of death in a declining or flat one. First of all, you will not get the number of viewers online and live tours that you want. Internet auto-searches are entered by price-range and you’ll simply miss out on contacting some appropriate buyers if you price it higher than is reasonable.

Getting the top dollar on your home sale is within reach. It’s not a secret formula and it’s certainly not just luck. These Five Steps will help you succeed.

About the Author: John Allen represents buyers and sellers of fine Sarasota real estate, including condos. Also, special thanks to Yorba Linda Homes for Sale.