By Mary Fasnacht

Whether you are looking for a potential life partner or a buyer for your house, coming across as desperate lowers your perceived value.  So while in today's challenging market you may be feeling fairly desperate as a home seller yourself, you can take crucial steps to avoid appearing desperate and to ultimately set yourself up for the successful sale of your home.

First, you need to understand some things that can make a home seller look desperate:  

• Being listed on the market for a long time
• Having seasonally outdated MLS photos
• Offering huge buyer incentives
• Making a price reduction  

Here's some advice to avoid becoming that "desperate seller" :  

• Start the preparation process early ~ it usually takes some time to get your house ready to sell and to gain the knowledge you need to make wise listing decisions
• Find and hire a professional REALTOR® ~ choose a Realtor you feel comfortable working with and who you believe will do the best job marketing and selling your home  
• Do your homework before you list ~ understand the market in your area--who is your likely buyer, what are they looking for and what are they paying for houses similar to yours
• Price correctly from the start ~ you can do some research yourself and your Realtor will be an invaluable source of guidance on this decision
• Make any necessary repairs to your home first ~ now is the time to fix that leaky faucet and oil those squeaky hinges
• Stage your home to sell ~ the way we live in our home and the way we need to present our home to sell are quite different--a small investment in professional home staging advice and assistance will payoff huge returns in helping your house sell more quickly for a higher price

Taking these steps will help you avoid looking like a desperate seller and help you keep your negotiating strength when you sell your home.  Put in the time and effort needed to put your best foot forward when you hit the market and buyers will be attracted by your home's many wonderful attributes. 

So if your mom advised you not to look desperate, remember to thank her.  Follow this wise advice to prepare your home for listing, and instead of a desperate seller you will be a savvy, successful seller!  And Mom will be very proud.

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By Mary Fasnacht of Feels Like Home Interiors  - helping home sellers in Washington County, PA and the surrounding Pittsburgh area prepare their homes to make the best possible impression in today's challenging market, helping them to be successful sellers.  Please visit her website to find out more about how she can make a difference for your home or listings .