For Sale By Owner

For Sale By Owner - For sale by owner (FSBO) means that the seller of a home is not enlisting the help of a real estate agent to help them sell their home. They take care of all of their own marketing, which may include creating flyers, putting an ad in the classifieds, listing their home at online websites, and putting up signs.

One thing to keep in mind on a For Sale By Owner is that often times bargin hunting buyers are attracted. They understand that you are not paying a Realtor's commission and what to use that fact to negotiate for a lower price. Remember that when you employ a Realtor to list your home you have a trained and experienced negotiator on your side.

Many of the people who contact you when you try to sell your home "For Sale By Owner" are individuals or companies that advertise "we pay cash for your home". You will prepare your home for the showing, walk them through while they thouroughly examine your home, then they will make you an offer that is 20% to 30% below market value for your home.

To price your home appropriately, find a real estate agent who is experienced and professional. Ask for a Comparative Market Analysis for your home. Inform him or her upfront that you intend to try to sell your home yourself. Make an unwritten agreement that if you cannot sell your home by yourself, you will hire him or her as your listing agent. Most real estate agents will glady perform a Comparative Market Analysis under those circumstances, because you have sincerely offered the possibility that you will employ them at a future date.
Call me for the name of an experienced reputable real estate agent.

Many FSBOs enlist the assistance of a mortgage broker to help advertise their property and screen any interested potential buyers. This allows the mortgage broker to pre-qualify any potential buyers so the homeowner does not have to waste time with buyers who cannot afford the property.

Well over half of the consumers who try to sell their home for sale by owner end up utilizing the services of a realtor. For Sale By Owner can be a very time consuming and daunting task. You must market your home, print up advertising flyers and/or brochures, make time for open houses, set up appointments for people to come look at your house, have all of the appropriate disclosures that are required by law, have a purchase agreement signed, arrange for title services and set up your closing with the title company among many other things. Therefore, be prepared to have to put some time into selling your home by yourself and realize there is more to it than just putting a for sale sign in your front yard.

If you are having difficulty selling your home yourself, but do not want pay the full commission to a realtor there are other options available to you. There are some realtors and agency's that offer many programs depending on what you want from your Realtor. For example you could have them only list the property on the MLS for you, or they could negotiate the sale while still allowing you to market the property however you want. If you are willing to do some of the work, and don't want to pay a full commission you may want to look into this type of agency.

It may be a good idea for a homeowner selling a home by himeself in a heated real estate market to save on commissions paid to real estate brokers. However, in a market with average demand for homes, For Sale By Owner properties do not receive the same level of exposure as would properties listed with real estate brokers. It usually ends up taking longer for a homeowner to sell at a lower price.

Selling your home with the help of a mortgage professional is not as difficult as it may seem. When you consider the possible savings of up to 6% it can definitely be worth the extra work.

Make sure any potential buyers are qualified. Request a copy of a "pre-qual" or "pre-approval" from a lender. Being cautious about which offer to accept will pay off in the long run.

Homes for sale by owner - A home for sale by owner (FSBO) does not require a great deal of explanation. It is simply a home that is being sold directly by the owner. There is usually no real estate agent being used in this type of home sale.

Usually neither the buyer nor the seller is very familiar with the mortgage process. Getting your mortgage professional involved as soon as possible is important. Although he or she cannot provide a realtor's service, he or she can assist with ordering title commitment, ordering an appraisal, and providing a general calendar when steps should be accomplished.

Some FSBO properties may be overpriced or under priced due to lack of knowledge about the market area. An overpriced property may cause problems when trying to secure financing.

Since there is no agent representation in an FSBO transaction you should be extra careful to make sure you are fully protected as a buyer. Always use the services of a licensed and professional property inspector to make sure the house you are buying is not full of defects.

When buying a home that is being sold FSBO, For Sale By Owner, it is a good idea to have an attorney or at least your mortgage professional look over your sales contract before signing the agreement to purchase the home. A poorly written purchase agreement can cause unnecessary expenses on your behalf. Also, ask your mortgage professional if the value that the home is being sold for seems pretty consistent for the area you are looking to buy the home in. Too many times FSBO's try to sell their home for too much because they have no professional training in the area of home valuation. Many consumers think that because a home is being sold without a Realtor that the home will be priced correctly or under-priced, and they will be able to receive a great deal due to the Seller not having to pay any Realtor fees. While this may be the case sometimes, usually for sale by owner homes are listed to high and the homes will not appraise for the selling price.

If purchasing a FSBO home, realize that the seller is saving the real estate commission and may be willing to "share" that savings with you either in reduced price or payment of some closing costs, etc. Be sure to negotiate!

Because the property isn't listed through the MLS, it can be difficult to determine the amount of time the house has been for sale.
If a FSBO has been on the market for 6 or more months it may contain some material defects or may be over priced.

For Sale By Owner Tips - Tips for your Open House:

Clean up the inside of your home. Try and remove the clutter and make your home open and welcoming, people coming through will want to pen every closed and look behind every door. Turn on all the lights and replace any low watt bulbs with higher watt bulbs. You may want to consider a fresh coat of paint.
Bake some cookies or get a sweet smelling candle (they do have cookie scented candles). Have fresh flowers in your kitchen and/or dining room.
See if you can get some free flyers, recently sold properties in your area and the price, loan comparison forms based on your property and asking price. A mortgage broker can help you with some of these forms. Have your own flyers ready with your home’s information (look online at another home’s listing and make sure you covered all the bases). Check and see what your state required disclosures are and have them available, Home owners disclosure, lead based paint disclosure, property condition reports, etc.
Freshen up any landscaping; a fresh layer of mulch can make a huge improvement in appearance. Sweep up walk ways and your drive way, and remove any eye sores or clutter.
Put on your best. It is time for your best outfit, even if it is football Sunday sweat pants and your favorite team’s jersey is not appropriate. Put on your best smile and be friendly, pretend every person you meet just offered you 25% over your asking price as a cash offer.
Ask questions. Some people will want the grand tour and some people will just want to be left alone to poke around. Be accommodating and help those who want it.

An important For Sale By Owner tip is to work with a mortgage professional. The mortgage professional can provide lending for any potential buyer and facilitate a smooth and quick sale of your home.

Find out what is your true and fair market value is. You are saving 6% already by not listing your house with a realtor. Do not try to make more profit than it is. The higher the price, the longer it will stay on the market, which will eventually cost your money, time, and effort.

One creative way to draw attention to certain features of your home is to write a special feature(s) for each room down on an index card and post them in each area respectively. Make sure you post them where you are sure they are visible to each potential home buyer. This is a great way to focus on the positive characteristics of your home.

There can be a great win-win situation created for a FSBO and Mortgage Broker working together where the Broker is taking the phone calls for you. The Broker can determine rather quickly rather a potential buyer would be waste of time for the owner of the property by pulling credit and assessing their potential for obtaining a mortgage.

Check with a title company for a FSBO kit. Many of them will provide them at no cost to encourage the seller to use them to close the loan. The kit will have a purchase agreement and other helpful information.

You are attempting to sell your home yourself to avoid paying several thousand dollars in commissions. Be willing to spend some of that on advertising. Remember your home is competing for attention with those listed by real estate agents and they are putting ads in homes magazines, mailing out flyers, etc. A small 4 or 5 line ad once a week will most likely not get the job done. Establish a budget that will realistically promote the sale of your home.

Disqualifying prospective buyers on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, handicap, family status, or national origin is illegal. Discrimination can get you into a heap of legal trouble and can cost you big bucks. If in doubt, check with the Equal Housing Opportunity agency in your area.

One effective way to get a win-win is to help someone with no down payment money on a For Sale By Owner home. The seller is more likely to agree to seller concessions when they know they are saving the realtor commission.

If you find a 100% loan for the buyer and the seller will agree to 6% seller concessions, the broker can get a fair commission for playing real estate agent and directing the parties to a good title company or attorney to help with contracts and closing.

This is often considerably cheaper than FHA because FHA has the mandatory up front PMI of 1.5% although the interest rate may be a little higher than the FHA rate.

You might also ask your mortgage broker about companies that offer to have the PMI added to the interest rate where it is tax deductible, or have them do an 80/20 loan to avoid MI altogether.

Be sure and take a look at local and national FSBO companies. Many can get your home listed on the MLS system for a very small fee and provide you with the documents and information you need to do the job yourself. Plus you get the added bonus of also being featured on their website. You may also want to have open house attendee's sign a guest book with there contact information so you can follow up with them at a later date.

The National Association of REALTORS estimates that nationwide thirteen percent of real estate sales are done without any involvement from an agent or broker.

When selling your home for sale by owner, have open houses often. When you have open houses, invite friends, family, and neighbors over to check out your house. By doing this, it will inform them all that you are selling and they can assist by word of mouth to all of their friends and family. Many times they know of someone looking to buy a home or they may want to get someone they know into the neighborhood to live close to them. Talk to your mortgage broker for more ideas and tips on selling your home for sale by owner.

Some realtor groups estimate as much as 90% of all homes listed For Sale By Owner will eventually be listed for sale with a real estate agent. I don't want to discourage you from trying to sell your house yourself; I am simply trying to help you enter this endeavor realistically. Realize that buyers know you are saving a 6% realtor fee and expect you to at least split the difference. Spend some time learning how to "stage" your home. Let a mortgage professional provide financing information to potential buyers to relieve stress in this area. If you try yourself and decide it's not working, your mortgage professional can recommend a couple of real estate agents that are highly qualified to assist you.

Be cautious with whom you let in your home! A savvy criminal may target For Sale By Owners for many heinous reasons. Be stern in demanding that all prospective buyers are pre-qualified for a loan prior to allowing them into your home.

One of the primary concerns of the for sale by home owner is how much money it will cost them to sell their home, or how much they will be able to net after all is said and done. Realtors can take as much as 6% of the sale proceeds, and where the home owner does not have that kind of expendable equity in the home to be left over they may feel pressured to try and do it on their own. There are other ways however. Statistically, home owners often end up selling their home on their home at a higher price and still net the same when using real estate agents. There are many real estate agents who are willing to take a reduced commission or even a flat fee for their services. Talk to your mortgage broker about help regarding references of a reliable real estate agent that will assist you sell your home quickly without breaking you.

If you've developed a relationship with a loan officer, you might consider asking him for a stack of his business cards. You can then hand them out to home viewers, and the loan officer can then speak with them regarding financing options. You will then have the benefit of knowing whether these potential buyers are truly capable of obtaining the financing necessary to purchase your home.

Work with a qualified mortgage professional. It cost you nothing, yet they will help you tremendously. A mortgage professional working for the seller should prequalify anyone who shows an interest in your home - even those who say they are already pre-qualified.

This can save you countless hours of frustration dealing with people who are not qualified to purchase your home.

Remember less is more and that also means the furniture in your home, areas that have to much furniture will appear smaller in size than reality.

Remove too many personal items so potential buyers can see their own belongings fitting right in.

Burn a candle to make your home smell fresh and inviting.

Finding a mortgage professional to work with in your for sale by owner listing can help you a lot. They can make flyers for your home giving different payments and scenarios for potential buyers.

A mortgage professional can often times help you sell your home faster, by providing free marketing, and even potential qualified buyers.

Creative and clean landscaping is an excellent way to make a great first impression on potential homebuyers. Also, try baking some cookies before people come to see your home, you may be surprised how quickly your home may feel like someone elses home with some good home cooking happening.

When a Mortgage Broker/Correspondent Lender have an affiliated business agreement with a Title Company, the FSBO Seller has the expertise of the Mortgage Broker along with benefit of a Title Company to handle the Title work & closing all under the same umbrella while saving time and money at the same time.

Remember to be willing to show your home a lot. In the end its well worth it.

Lots of Mortgage Brokers have a call capture number that comes along with an attention getting sign like 100 Percent Financing. Call for 24 hour Recorded Message that they can lend you to help manage and up the traffic on calls. They automatically capture the number of the caller like caller ID and can have it sent real time by email and text message to the seller and broker for quick prequalification.

It is often helpful to have a loan officer help you with the open house. The loan officer can actually sit with you and talk to prospective buyers about financing options. Some people are more open with a loan officer than they would be with you, the home seller. It's a potentially good partnership for both parties.

Probably the most critical component to the success or failure of a For Sale By Owner is the asking price. It must be high enough so the seller doesn't do all the work for nothing, yet pricing too high will make it hard to generate interest in the property. Many Realtors will perform a Comparative Market Analysis even though they are not going to be listing the home for sale. They do this because they feel the seller may let the Realtor represent them on the purchase of the seller's next home. The CMA can prove very valuable in helping the seller determine a proper asking price.

The kitchen is the single most important room that sells the house. Create a spacious feeling in the kitchen by putting away small appliances, such as microwave oven, toaster, and blender. Also be sure the kitchen counter is free of personal mails, magazines and newspapers.

Always answer any questions honestly. If there is an ugly patch of carpet where your dog chewed up an ink pen, let the prospective buyers know. If the roof leaks in the spring, but it's now summer and you've painted over the stain, tell the prospect. Anything you misrepresent can and probably will be used against you. And of course, you would want the same honesty when you purchase.

One way to prevent potential litigation for a problem you were unaware of is to hire an inspector to go through your home before you list it. That way, there will be no nasty surprises years later when the new owners discover something that began while you owned it--but didn't disclose.

You don't necessarily need to fix the problems, but you do have to disclose their existence.

Most important...make sure your house is CLEAN! Potential buyers don't want to see an inch of dust on the baseboards. If your house looks dirty, who's to say the upkeep and necessary maintenance have been done.

selling a home without a realtor - In todays ever changing real estate market many home owners are choosing to sell their homes on their own with out a realtor. This method has many advantages and dis advantages to it. Both the positives and negatives need to be compared to determine if selling a home without a realtor is for you.

The main advantage of selling your home by yourself is eliminating the hefty realtor fee. Selling your home by yourself is referred to as a FSBO, or For Sale By Owner. Consult your personal mortgage broker to see if he/she is capable of helping you with your sale. Many mortgage brokers have access to flyers, documents, call capture systems, and other marketing literature and ideas that should help with selling your home. Your mortgage broker will also be able to help you get approved for a new mortgage loan on your new home.

Many buyers of For Sale By Owner properties expect a discounted purchase price in lieu of the assistance of a Realtor.
This is often applied as a seller credit to help with the buyer's closing costs.

There are also specialized real estate companies that, for a relatively low fixed fee, will list your home on MLS and provide you with some homeselling tools like flyers, signs, websites, etc.

Your local title company will be able to assist you with all of the legal forms that you may need, such as the Offer to Purchase. Many title companies offer these services for free, in hopes that you will order title from them!

If you decide not to use a Real Estate agent, you may want to get some advice or consultation from your lawyer. Filling out a sales contract or reviewing one a buyer submitted can be a daunting task on your own. A Lawyer will be able to review it and explain anything out of the ordinary

If you find selling your home difficult or unmanagable, locating a discount listing service might help you with the process.

When selling your home without a realtor, you should still have a realtor do a Comparative Market Analysis.
First, you want to make sure your home is priced correctly, so it has the best chance of selling quickly.
Second, most people who try to sell their homes themselves eventually hire a realtor to sell it for them. Find a realtor who will be your backup plan in case you decide to hire a professional. When asking for a Comparative Market Analysis, tell the realtor that if you decide you can't go it alone, you will hire them. Most will gladly do the CMA under those conditions.

If you are still unsure about selling your home on you own but are also concerned about the high realtor commissions try negotiating with the realtor. Many realtors can reduce their commissions and will do so to compete for business. In order to secure a reduced listing fee you can also agree to use the realtor that lists your house to be your buyers agent.

Selling your home with a real estate agent! - There are several factors that may play into affect when you decide to sell your home. You will need to decide if you want to sell it on your own (For Sale By Owner) or if you would like to use a real estate professional.

Personal safety is also an important issue. With a real estate agent, they will know something about their buyers and they will be prequalfied to view your home. This way, it's not some complete stranger going through your home that may or may not be qualified to buy it.

Your mortgage broker can help to recommend a realtor to help you sell your home. It is also smart to look at some of the discount realtors and the services they provide.

A real estate agent will help you negotiate your transaction and help you remove emotional issues from the transaction. It is very easy to get caught up emotionally when shopping for a home.

Buying or selling a home is the biggest financial decision many people make in their lives. Selling your with a real estate agent is important to ensure that the transactions proceeds smoothly at a fair price.

The real estate professional often times will be able to sell your home faster than what you would be able to do on your own. The agent will have access to MLS, as well as customized marketing tools for your property. Also, the agent will do the open houses, which will free up more time for you.

The real estate agent will take care of all the paperwork that needs to be done when you sell your home. They will write the offer to purchase, any counteroffers or amendments to the offer, and order the title. Basically, they will walk you through each step to selling your home.

The real estate agent that will sell your home is called a listing agent. They will "list" that your home is for sale, and do everything that they can to find you a buyer.

If you are thinking of purchasing a home right away as well, you may want to contact a mortgage professional to get pre-approved before your home goes up for sale. Besides pre-approving you, your mortgage broker can give you a list of trusted real estate agents that can you help you.

A key benefit to having a listing agent is marketing of your home. When selling your home, the only way to get people to consider your home is through the effective marketing of your homes qualities. A listing agent will provide all the marketing of your home which will drive potential buyers who are looking for houses with the qualities of the home you are selling.

Another benefit to have a listing agent sell your home for you is the legal aspect. It is the agent's responsibility to protect you the seller such as in the event that a buyer backs out or defaults on the contract, who will pay for things such as title, if it is in your best interest to accept or deny an offer & to let you know who should pay for repairs if there are any.

There are a lot of discount brokers that will sell your house for less then the standard 6% commission. You should be able to find one local to your area and benefit from their cheaper services.

The fact remains that when you list your home with a quality real estate agent your home will be exposed to the maximum number of other realtors. Since the realtors really control the buyer pools this means your home will in turn be exposed to the maximum potential qualified buyers. This usually serves to get your home sold the quickest and for the best price.

Some agents specialize in listing properties and have great success. It is important to ask a listing agent what their specific marketing plan is for your property. Ask what the plans are for open houses and how frequently. Ask what advertising they will provide to market your home as well.

Nine out of ten home buyers use a real estate agent in the search process. 77% of the buyers also used the internet to search for a home. Realtors have invested a lot of time and money in building information technology, and because of these efforts, more consumers are using the internet in their home search. Realtor.com was the most popular internet resource, used by 54% of buyers, followed by MLS websites and real estate company websites. The most important factor in choosing an agent was reputation, according to 41% of home buyers. In terms of desired qualities in an agent, three categories were rated as very important by more than nine out of ten buyers: Knowledge of the purchase process, responsiveness and knowledge of the market. Satisfaction with real estate agents is very high, with 85% of buyers saying they were likely to use the agent again.

While many home owners chose to go the route of For Sale By Owner, more than half of these seller end up signing with a Realtor after finding out the work that is involved in the process.

Real estate agents have no incentive to show sell homes that are not listed, because they only get commissions from sellers of listed home. Since most home buyers use real estate agents to find homes, those who do not hire an agent to sell may have a difficult time finding qualified buyers in a cooled-off real estate market.

When you sell your home with the help of an agent you gain the benefit protection. The agent is there to protect you. They protect you from wasting your time. They protect you from homeowners who don't qualify. This of course has a cost.

You may want to try and sell your home By Owner First to test the market. Advertising in the local paper with a good ad is the best way. Try a 5 line ad with some appealing content. From there, you can pick the agent you want to work with because they will be calling you. Easy!

Real estate agents have experience and training in several areas that most individuals selling their homes "For Sale By Owner" do not. These include negotiation, understanding and reading contracts, understanding titles, appraisals, surveys and inspection reports, presenting or "staging" a home for showings, marketing, valuation and sales trends, prequalifying prospects and more.

Ask your real estate agent if he or she works with one or more mortgage professionals on a regular basis. Problems with a potential buyer obtaining financing are the biggest reason for real estate purchase offers not closing. Or, if you have a mortgage professional first, have him or her recommend a highly qualified and skilled real estate agent.

When talking to a real estate agent, you must realize that they are conduits to the Multiple Listing Service or MLS. The vast majority of homes are sold using this service.

It is important to ask your Mortgage Consultant who they think would be a good choice to be your buyer's agent.

If you are an avid investor, it is important to note that many States set limits on the number of real estate transactions a person can do without the aid of a real estate agent.

Although commissions paid to a Real Estate agent may be an initial turnoff, sometimes they can get you more on the sale to not only cover that cost, but make more profit for you as well.

Why is my House not Selling? - Do you feel your house been on the market for too long? Whether you are a fsbo or you are working with a realtor if your house is not recieving any offers you should research the houses in your area that are.

The most common reason that your home may not be selling is the fact that it may be overpriced. Even if your home is the nicest home in the area, has more features and much more to offer than every other home and it truly is worth more, it will be hard to get much higher of a value for your home than the highest sale in your area. Banks want to see on paper that your home is worth what you are selling it for (as long as the buyer is obtaining bank financing). This means they utilize the most comparable homes in the area and use these as a basis for an appraisal's final value.

You also need to look at the average time on market for similar properties. This should give you a good idea of the time required to sell a home in your area. If you are using a realtor ask them to prensent you with a numerous options in order to make your home sell faster.

Researching other home sales in the area is key. If your home is overpriced, realtors may be using your home as an example to sell others homes.

If your house is overpriced potential buyers may feel embarassed to submit an offer since it will be significantly lower than what you are asking.

Your house may not be selling because there are too many homes for sale. For example, if there are 4,000 homes for sale in your city and 1,000 sold last month, there is 4 months worth of inventory. In other words, at the current rate of sales, it would take 4 months to sell all of the homes in your city.
In that scenario, on avereage it should take your home 2 months to sell. And that is also assuming that all of the homes are priced correctly.

Your home may not have the same curb appeal as some of the other similar homes in your neighborhood do. It may help sell your home faster, if you get an exterior paint job done or do some more landscaping. The costs of doing these things will be offset by the fact that it may help to sell your home faster.

If you are getting traffic but no interest, consider "prepping" your home for sale visually. Ensure that there is NO clutter and that everything is absolutely spotless. Rent a storage unit if you just have too much stuff in your home. Repaint any soiled or worn areas. Clean the carpets, dust the blinds, etc. Be sure the exterior is clean and bright, landscaping is trimmed and healthy, etc.

If your home has been listed for longer than usual, consider offering potential buyers an incentive. A proven way is to offer to pay for all or part of the settlement costs the buyer incurs.

Paying for all or part of the buyer's settlement costs is called a sellers concession. Basically the way it works is that you the seller agree to a purchase price with the buyer. The buyer (with the help of a mortgage professional) must then have the appraisal come in for a bit higher to cover the costs your are paying for. This becomes the purchase price on the sales contract. At the closing, you walk away with the exact price you agreed to originally and the overage goes towards the buyers closing costs. No money ever comes out of your pocket directly.

If you've had offers, only to learn that the borrowers couldn't secure financing, you may want to consider financing part of the purchase price yourself. This is called a seller held second mortgage. You will get a major part of the purchase price at settlement and then receive monthly payments on the second mortgage that you hold.

Contact Marty Searing at 414-303-1215 or msearing@mayfairmortgage.com for more information.

Home Selling Tips - What are some quick things that you can do to your house to get it ready to sell while trying to maximize its value is a common question many people ask. The most obvious tip is to make sure your home is clean when you are getting ready to sell. Clean the house to get it to look its very best and so that is sparkles and shines. If the walls are dingy or dreary looking, give them a fresh coat of paint to brighten up the room. Clean stains out of your carpet. Rent a steam cleaner or have a carpet cleaner come over to clean your carpets. Clean your tubs, showers, toilets and sinks so that you can almost see your reflection in them. Dust everything and clean all glass, windows, and mirrors. When a potential buyer walks into a house that is not clean it lowers their expectations and excitement for the house. Dont forget when looking to sell your home to consult a mortgage broker to get approved for your next home.

Remember that the outside of your house is the first impression people get when they see your home. Be sure to cut the grass, and get rid of any clutter that you may have in your yard. If your house needs a paint job on the outside, it might be a good idea to go ahead and get one done. A new exterior paint job adds a nice touch to any home, and makes it look newer and more clean. In some cases it can add a few thousand dollars to your home's price.

Make sure all shrubs are trimmed and flower beds free of weeds and the lawn is cut. If you are trying to sell in winter make sure the walkway to your house is free of snow and ice. Not only will this bring more curb apppeal to your home it will also eliminate the danger of someone slipping on the ice.

Do not be at home when your house is being shown! This can make the potential buyer nervous, possibly costing you the sale of the house.

Get a head start on packing by packing away knickknacks and other items that aren't needed. You will eliminate clutter and this will make your rooms appear larger and more appealing.

As you reduce your clutter, make sure to increase your lights! Upgrade your bulbs to 100 watt bulbs and let your home shine! Also there seems to be a connection between the smell of fresh paint and a sense of cleanliness. Throwing on a fresh coat of paint will definitely help!

Odors can form stronger memories than any other sensory input. At the same time, repeated exposure to an odor makes a person less able to detect it. This means that smells you can't even detect may have a huge impact on potential buyers.
Assume everyone viewing your home is overly sensitive and prepare accordingly.
Try to minimize the area pets have access to and use carpet deodorizer frequently in those areas.
After walls are cleaned, avoid frying garlic, onions or strong smelling meats like bacon.
Open bowls of vinegar are good at absorbing odors. Many commercial deodorizers are also very good.
Lightly scented candles or fresh baked bread give viewers a very favorable impression of your home.

Consider moving some items out of your home into a storage facility or to a friend or family members house when trying to sell your home. This will truly give the rooms a much larger feeling. The rooms will appear much larger to the eye and will look more appealing to a potential buyer. Some items to consider moving could possibly be a loveseat, recliner, desk, end tables, and other medium to large items.

Two great ideas when selling your home are to wet the walkways and driveways about an hour before you expect potential buyers to tour your home, as well as to bake some chocolate chip cookies. People will leave with more favorable thoughts.

Garages, basements and other storage areas must be organized and not over packed with items. Several months before you put your house up for sale, go through your storage. Throw out or donate items that you do not use, if there is still an excess of stuff, consider renting storage and moving items into it.

Put your pets up outside. Some people may feel a house lived in by pets is not as well maintained as a home with no pets.

If you are selling your home yourself (for sale by owner), you may want to request that all of your potential buyers have a pre-approval letter from a qualified mortgage lender before signing an agreement. This ensures that your buyer is actually qualified for a loan to buy your home. Should the buyer "fall out" down the road due to inability to obtain financing, you will have to start again from square one, with a new buyer. Knowing that the buyer can obtain financing helps to prevent you from wasting time with people who aren't even able to buy your home.

Remove all personal photos from walls, mantels,shelving,etc. Personal photos only distract the buyer from looking at the house. You want the buyer not only to see all the features of your home but to also have them envision themselves living in the home.

Open blinds or curtains and make sure windows are clean inside and out. Also clean the window sills.
Bright rooms appear larger than dark rooms.
And clean windows and sills are signs of good cleaning nad maintenance that give viewers a favorable impression of your home.