Selling the House

Selling the House  -- Part I
    1. After thinking about it and thinking about it, finally make the decision to sell.
    2. Find a realtor that you know or that seems to have the same mind set as you do.
          A. Talk to others who have experience with the person.
          B.  Interview several realtors.  You do not have to hire the first one you interview.
    3.  The realtor will offer advice and knowledge on how to prepare the property for sale.
         A.  Make necessary repairs.
         B.  Paint and clean walls, carpets, patios, decks, yard, etc.
         C.  Declutter the house.
              1)  Clean closets, garage, attic, basement to remove excess items.
                   A) Garage sales
                   B) Goodwill, Salvation Army, etc.
                   C) Recycle
               2)  "Stage" your rooms.
                    A)  Remove personal items, family pictures, diplomas, etc.
                          1]  Neater appearance
                          2]  The idea is to get the buyer to imagine their pictures on the walls.
                     B)  Less furniture makes the rooms appear larger, less cluttered.
                     C)  Less items on shelf units has the same effect.
                3)  Pack excess items in boxes out of site (usually in the garage or storage unit.
        4. When house is ready to sell, meet with realtor to start the process.
            A. Decide on the selling price. 
                 1)  Realtor's experience.
                 2)  Look at comparable sales in your area ("Comps")
            B.  Sign the paperwork to begin the process.
         5. The sign will be pounded into the yard.
         6.  The realtor will take pictures of the inside and outside of your property.
         7.  The realtor will return to the office and enter information into the computer and within 24 hours your house will be on the Internet with all the information, pictures, and price for all of the world to see.

That is the process in a nutshell.  It is not difficult.  The realtor does all the paperwork, atl least until the sale is made.  But it is a lot of work to get the property ready to be shown to prospective buyers.