A little paint here and there, shampoo on the carpets, some spackle and voilà! Your house is ready to go on the market, right?

Even if you've kept your home in mint condition over the years, a little extra thought can mean thousands more in your sales price. It can also mean the difference between a week and a couple of months on the market.

Here are some projects to take care of before your home goes on the market.
Deep cleaning of the bathrooms and kitchen, which includes replacing old toilet seats and other worn-out fixtures;

Locate and replace rotted wood; clear overgrowth in the yard;

Clean windows and replace carpeting, if necessary;

If a roof is in obvious need of help, such as leaks or visible damage, make necessary repairs.

By postponing roof, wood rot or other necessary repairs, a seller can lose twice - first in a lower sales price and later when a lender requires repairs for closing.

Mistake #1 -- Pricing Your Property Too High

Every seller obviously wants to get the most money for his or her product. Ironically, the best way to do this is NOT to list your product at an excessively high price! A high listing price will cause some prospective buyers to lose interest before even seeing your property. Also, it may lead other buyers to expect more than what you have to offer. As a result, overpriced properties tend to take an unusually long time to sell, and they end up being sold at a lower price.

Mistake #2 -- Mistaking Re-finance Appraisals for the Market Value

Unfortunately, a re-finance appraisal may have been stated at an untruthfully high price. Often, lenders estimate the value of your property to be higher than it actually is in order to encourage re-financing. The market value of your home could actually be lower. Your best bet is to ask your Real Estate Professional for the most recent information regarding property sales in your community. This will give you an up-to-date and factually accurate estimate of your property value.

Mistake #3 -- Forgetting to "Showcase Your Home"

In spite of how frequently this mistake is addressed and how simple it is to avoid, its prevalence is still widespread. When attempting to sell your home to prospective buyers, do not forget to make your home look as pleasant as possible. Make necessary repairs. Clean. Make sure everything functions and looks presentable. A poorly kept home in need of repairs will surely lower the selling price of your property and will even turn away some buyers.

Mistake #4 -- Trying to "Hard Sell" While Showing

Buying a house is always an emotional and difficult decision. As a result, you should try to allow prospective buyers to comfortably examine your property. Don't try haggling or forcefully selling. Instead, be friendly and hospitable. A good idea would be to point out any subtle amenities and be receptive to questions.

Mistake #5 -- Trying to Sell to "Looky-Loos"

A prospective buyer who shows interest because of a "for sale" sign he saw may not really be interested in your property.

Making a good first impression is as important when selling your home as when meeting a business associate. We call it "curb appeal." And it's what draws a potential buyer out of their car and into your home.

Begin by taking an objective look at your home. When you drive up, what's the first thing you see? Is it an inviting setting that encourages buyers to stop and take notice? Or is the first thing you see your brother-in-law's old boat, children's toys strewn around the yard, or overgrown landscaping? Here are some tips for ensuring your home makes a good first impression:

Nice landscaping: Prune overgrown trees and bushes. Pull weeds and dead or diseased plants. Fertilize and mow your lawn to make it look green and healthy. Consider planting flowers along walkways or in pots along the sidewalk to bring eye-catching color to your landscaping. Spread mulch or beauty bark around trees, shrubs and flowers to give your front yard a clean, well-kept look.

This type of strategy works best in a normal to hot seller's market. Rejecting the first offer might cost you the deal but in the long run you could end up coming out ahead. Use this information as more of guideline than a rule.

In a cold market, depending on the number of offers, rejecting the first offer may not be the wisest choice. For example, the market prices are depressed. You have your first bite in six months. It is safe to assume that this may be your only offer and you should accept it.

Why should you reject the first offer?

A buyer's first offer does not always reflect the buyer's highest bid for your property. From the buyer's perspective, there are three goals in making the offer:

Buyer's Goals in Making an Offer
1. To get the property for the lowest possible price.
2. To get the best possible terms.
3. To "feel out" the seller to see how "motivated" he or she is.

All of these goals speak toward making a low initial offer. Why offer $300,000 to a seller that might accept $270,000? Always offer the lower amount first. If the seller doesn't accept it, you can always offer a higher bid.

When the Market's Super Hot

In some areas of the country and at different times, there is such a high demand for property but a shortage of land. Multiple Offers come in as soon as the property is listed (sometimes before the listing is even published!). In this situation, desperate buyers make their highest and best offer first. The seller has a choice again to reject the first offer. After all, someone else is likely standing in line to offer more!

Will the buyer Offer More?

In a normal market, the answer is "maybe." If the buyer low-balled the first offer, then indeed they will offer more. Even if the buyers offered what they considered their best, they might stretch and still offer more if they really want to buy your house.

The market is fluid and stands still for no one. You never know what a buyer's thinking, or what other properties a buyer is considering. In the time since the first offer was made, the buyers may have reconsidered. They may have decided that they really don't want to buy into another house. Perhaps they'll rent for a time. Maybe they've seen another house that they like better.

This is the risk you take when you reject any offer. You may not get another offer from this buyer. You may not even get this buyer to come back and honor the original offer. The consequences do sound scary but if you want the most for your house then this is the tactic to consider.

When you decide to sell your home, you want the highest possible return from its sale. Determining price is the most critical step in preparing your home for sale.

Obviously, pricing your property too low won't provide the best return. You are apt to be deluged with lookers and may get many offers, but you could lose thousands of dollars on your family's largest investment.

Likewise, pricing a property too high is risky. Homes priced too high miss their target market. Qualified buyers who might find the home just right for their needs won't see your home, or make an offer on it, because it is out of their price range. If they are shown an overpriced home during its early marketing stages and do not buy because it isn't a good value, they are unlikely to revisit your home once the price is lowered. Real estate agents will hesitate to show an overpriced home, unless it will make a competing property look like a better value.

Many home sellers make a mistake by implementing the 'let's try it and see' pricing attitude. But testing the market can be dangerous. A property receives its best exposure during the first three to five weeks on the market.

If your home is priced right from the outset, you maximize your opportunity of reaching the most qualified buyers. Buyers who have seen most available homes in their price range are waiting for the right house to come on the market.