Buyers market, sellers market, whenever it is time to sell your home it seems that the house you loved takes on a personality you never saw before. The endearing marks of family life become wear and tear. Your favorite reproduction wallpaper and collection of ceramic turkeys turn into clutter over night. The natural landscaping in the front yard suddenly looks more unkempt than easy care. Chances are that just as you begin to plan your punch list of fix-it tasks, both the dishwasher and the garbage disposal will die horrible deaths. Take a breath. Relax. You can do this. As a rule, you should spend more time and energy than you spend money.

If you havent talked to a realtor yet, this is the time. Call someone you trust, someone who is successfully selling homes in your area. A savvy realtor knows what sells in your market. The first advice you will hear is to stop thinking of your house as your home and to start thinking of it as a product in the market place. According to Joseph Truini, the DIY Guy from Popular Mechanics, The three most important factors in selling any home are location, condition and price. The trick to selling a house in any market is to have the right property at the right price and to make a buyer fall in love with it.

Start at the street. What does your house look like? What is the first thing you see when you drive up? Grandma always told you that you never get a second chance to make a first impression. Neither does your house. Is the grass mowed? Are the weeds held at bay? Do the shrubs need a trim? There is no need to redesign the landscape in the front yard. That isnt even a good idea. But making the entry to your house as attractive as possible, sweeping the walk, tidying the garden, touching up the woodwork all help create an inviting impression. Does the front door need a new coat of paint? Or do you just need to wash the fingerprints from around the knob? Be sure that the entry way looks like you are expecting very important companybecause you are. If your home is really run-down, consider taking out a credit line or second mortgage to finance the home improvements.

What do you see when you come in the front door? What do you smell? A buyer should not be able to tell you have a cat or dog or that you love garlic and onions. If all of your hobbies are apparent at a glance, its time to put almost everything away. Buyers want to envision their furniture, family, and interests in their new home. Remember, for you, this house is a product on the market. Clean out the personal stuff. Put it away. In model houses there may be a few family-type photos. There may be a few artistically placed artifacts. The staging helps buyers see themselves living in the home. Rooms are never crammed full of furniture. Your realtor can help you decide which pieces need to move out to make more of a room.

The key word in getting your house ready to sell is clean. Everything should sparkle. Clean the carpets and floors and keep them shining until the house sells. Pack and store items that you will not need until after you move. If there are four sets of china in your kitchen cupboards, pack three of them away. Clear off the kitchen counters. Put the things you cant live without in bins or baskets that fit easily into cupboards or closets. Leave the cupboards and closets as neat and as empty as possible. Overfilled closets look like there isnt enough storage space. Empty closets say, Look lots of room. Wash all the windows and de-junk the garage.

When you are ready to show your house, youll probably wonder why you want to move.