Find an agent you work well with, and listen to their advice!

Good real estate agents know what buyers are looking for in a home and how homes similar to yours have fared on the market. They have an experienced understanding of how that busy street you live on, the popular restaurants within walking distance, your kitchen remodel, or the school district you live in can affect what your home is worth. Even more importantly, a strong agent will know how to deal with turbulent waters should they arise, so go into your listing contract with someone whose professional opinion you trust.

Know what repairs you are up against.

If you think you might want to sell your home in the next year, it is an excellent time to have a reputable inspector come take a look. Have a firm understanding of the state your home is in and start going down the repair list. Speak with your agent and ask what he/she suggests to be the priority to get the best price for your home. With their guidance, you can slowly make the repairs that are worth your time, money, and effort.

Start that spring cleaning early.

One of the first things an agent will tell you when you get closer to putting your home on the market is to get rid of the clutter. The earlier you start packing up, selling, or donating the smaller items in your home, the easier it will be to get your house clean for the homebuyers who will be opening cupboards and checking closet sizes.

And keep on cleaning.

It’s not possible to have your home too clean when you put it on the market. There is, of course, the huge added bonus of getting to enjoy your extra clean home until it sells, so the sooner your house his market ready clean, the sooner you can pour that glass of wine and enjoy it.

Find a way to stay organized and keep to it.

When selling your home, you will be flooded with information to keep track of. The honey-do list that needs done, the contact information for the painters, roof cleaners, and landscapers, forms to sign, forms to save, and the list goes on. Like the cleaning, try and find an organizational system that works for you and implement it early. Create folders in your email, save contacts to your phone, set up your electronic signature, whatever you need to do to eliminate a bit of stress in the future.

Get out of the house!

As silly and simple as it sounds, getting out the house responsible for the craziness in your life could be just what the doctor ordered. Take time to go hang out at the park, get some exercise, take extra long walks with your pet- anything to give yourself a breather and trigger those endorphins. Small breaks away from your home can go a long way in keeping your sanity throughout the selling process.

Have a safe haven to retreat to.

Depending on the showing criteria you set with your agent, there’s an excellent chance you will have to leave your home so buyers can view it. Have a place set for you to retreat to ahead of time, especially if you have kids or pets to coordinate. Do you have friends, relatives, or neighbors you can visit for a half hour here or there? Do you have a favorite park or cafe that’s close by? Having a ‘showings retreat’ planned out ahead of time will prevent you from scrambling before each potential buyer walks through.

Know that things will go wrong, and that’s okay.

Life isn’t perfect, so why should selling a home be? There is always the chance of unknown problems creeping up. Maybe the home inspection found that your septic needs replaced, or your home doesn’t sell as quickly as you hoped it would. Be prepared for the possibility of adjusting the price of your home, negotiating with buyers,  and having unexpected costs pop up. These things happen, so take a deep breath, dive into options with your agent, and know you will get through it!