Planning to sell your home? Here are 8 tips to help you sell it faster and for more!

Here are a few tips we compiled after speaking with some home sellers and doing a little research on our own. These should help you sell your house faster and get you a little more money than the others who are selling in the same neighbourhood!

1) Ensure visual appeal: There could be many houses selling in your area and some could be much better deals money wise. The more s*** the home seller is in, the cheaper it generally sells for. But visual appeal is so important for the buyer. Have the house repainted from outside, have the windows and doors cleaned and painted. Change any scratched or broken glass panes. Anything that makes the buyer feel good and urges him to walk inside the door!

2) Clear the interiors and make it spacious: When you live inside the home, it is alright to have papers, CDs and crazy furniture all over the place. Same with all kinds of posters and family pictures on the walls. But when you are planning to sell, make sure that everything is clean. There is no clutter and the areas feel spacious. Keep minimal furniture around. The buyer needs to feel at home, you know.

3) Fix the big problems: Is the flooring too old and broken? Is there a damp spot on the wall? Check for things that could be a hurdle for the buyer. You will know that best. Go ahead and get these repairs done pronto if its not too expensive. If it is a very expensive repair, ensure to inform the prospective buyer about the fault.

4) Touch up the small glitches: Walk around the house and make a list of the things that bother you. Be sure that these will be noticed by the buyer too. Negative marks for you here. A bad gash on the wall or a chipped bathroom tile or flaking paint on the doors could take away buyer satisfaction. Get these little points taken care of and your sale could be a breeze!

5) Offer incentives to your agent or the buyer: How about a special fee to the first agent who brings you the full price? Or a year's maintenance paid to the association as a generous token of appreciation from your end? Such incentives work wonders. Especially when the economy is slow and buyers are hard to come by!

6) Web and personal networks: Use internet power to list your house on local real estate classifieds. This may get you more calls and site visits from prospective buyers than just relying on your broker. Try Facebook, Twitter and your friends. Sometimes, a lead through a personal connection works out best.

7) When buyers come to see your house, keep it clean and don't be there: The last thing the buyer would want while inspecting the house would be to have the owner around. So please stay away from the inspection process. Give the buyer time and space. Also, keep the house spic and span while showing it to buyers. You would love to buy a house that looks neat and clean and taken care of well, wouldn't you? The same goes for your buyer too!

8) Price it right: This is the most important bit. Especially in an economic recession or an economic slowdown, make sure you price the house absolutely right. Ask multiple agents for a price estimate and also check for recent deals that have happened in the immediate vicinity. That should give you a fair idea. Do not use the old Indian trick of over pricing it, knowing that the buyer would love to bargain. We say, price it right and be firm about it with buyer. It may work better for you. And, do not get emotionally attached to a certain price. Be real :)

These tips should help you sell your home in no time and for the right price. Remember, the effort you put in will get you results. Have a file made with photocopies of all the property documents neatly arranged. This would ensure super fast closure! Sign up, get the money and move on. To a bigger and better house. Godspeed!