Selling a house is never easy, but you can shift the odds in your favor to make everyone happy.

Ready to sell your home? You probably have a few ideas about how to do it right. But sometimes the best intentions aren't what a home needs to make it more marketable. While you're emotionally invested in the sale of your home, what really matters is what prospective buyers think.

Now is the time to let go of your ideals, and focus on those on the current home buying market. You'll get a lot more attention, and appeal to more people. And that's what selling a home is all about.

#1: Get the Pricing Right, Right off the Bat

Pricing a home is one of the most difficult parts of selling it. Price it too low, and buyers will wonder what's wrong with it. Too high, and you'll turn buyers off. Even if you're confident about what your home is worth, it's always a good idea to get a professional opinion. That way, you'll be armed with the right information, right when you need it most.

Setting the price correctly at the time of the sale is critical. If it's wrong, you could go weeks or longer without even a nibble. And that's when sellers are forced into a decision between reducing the price or pulling the house off the market for a while. So do yourself a favor and work with a knowledgable real estate agent who knows the current market. He'll help you price the home right.






#2: Go All Out on Lighting

Location is important, but according to HGTV, good lighting can make a world of difference. And it makes sense. A dimly lit home looks dull, and not very inviting. Using great lighting cheers up the space, and it can help is look cleaner, too.

Open the curtains, clean the lampshades, and invest in daylight temperature light bulbs. Bulbs are available in many different color temperatures, from very warm with a gold cast to sterile-looking blue tones. Check the box, and choose ones that are listed between 4600K - 6500K. That's close to daylight, says Westinghouse, and it makes your home look friendlier.


Fido will probably enjoy a day with a pet sitter.

#3: Take Pets to a Sitter

You love your pets. That's understandable, since they are part of the family. But not every buyer shares your feelings. A home where pets live can turn off a lot of buyers, so do yourself a favor and take them to a sitter when people view your home.

Beyond sending Fido off for a day trip, think about the way that your home looks and smells. You'll probably need to ask a friend for the smell test, since pet lovers usually grow accustomed to the way that animals smell. Eradicate all traced of doggie or cat box odor, and think about putting away dog beds and other evidence that pets live there. It might not seem like the nice thing to do, but some buyers don't want a home where pet dander might cause an allergy flare.

#4: Lighten up Your Closets

There's never enough closet space, is there? But even if your closets are a little on the skinny side, you can make them look more spacious with a simple little trick: clean them out and whittle your belongings by about half.

Removing half of what's inside your closets can make them look larger, says HGTV. More than that, this trick instantly removes all ideas about cramped space. Where clothing is stuffed together, prospective buyers see cramped quarters. But where clothes have room to breathe, the impression is that there's more space.

Selling a house doesn't mean resorting to trickery, but every little bit helps. You know how great your home is. And it's your job to help that feeling translate effectively for your buyers. You don't have to cover up defects or try to pull a fast one. But you can and should make the very most of every selling point that you've got while removing the spotlight from some of the less-than-perfect areas.

If you're looking for more information and inspiration about selling your home, eppraisal is the right place. Check out our home valuation articles to learn more about getting the most out of your home sale.