Only a few years ago, you could have put a "For Sale" sign in the front of a house and inside a number of days a line of buyers would form, each vying to offer the best bid. Those days are long gone now.

Today there is a record list of houses on the market. When a possible buyer arrives to see your home, you have to realize they have possibly already have looked at dozens of homes just like yours. How does your home look in contrast to the competition? Why should they buy your house instead of the competitions? You will always think yout home is better than everyone elses, but is it really?

When you inhabit a home day by day, we usually overlook the faults. It is always a good idea to obtain an honest evaluation of how your home appears to possible buyers, it always helps to get a a set of fresh eyes have a to look at it. One way to learn how your home compares to your competition is to ask a real estate agent to take a look at your house.

Have a few agents to come by and ask them what they would suggest you do to fix your home up ready for selling. You will not be required to sign a listing contract with an agent to get them to evaluate the condition of your home. Most estate agents are going to be happy to assist you because they are hoping to get your listing when you're ready to sell. Ask the agent to be very brutally honest, saving your feelings now is not going to get you the fastest sale and best price for your house. There is one more item you will want to look at before putting your house up for sale, and that's curb appeal.

Does your home have Curb Appeal?

When a potential buyer comes up the road, what will be their first feeling they get of your home? When you are renovating your home, you should start with what a possible buyer will see first. If a purchaser is keeping your house under consideration, they will drive by several times without their agent at different times of the day and without coming inside.

What is the condition of the sidewalk and driveway? When an agent pulls up with a possible buyer, what will they step out onto? Is the sidewalk or driveway cracked or dirty? Is it covered with dirt from run-off after the recent rainfall?

There are chemicals available which will remove stains from concrete. If the driveway is asphalt, you can get crack filler and coating to make the asphalt look new. If the public footpath in front of your home is cracked, you can work with the local council to get it fixed. You may need to have a new driveway or sidewalk poured. It is costly, but you may want to pay the cash in order to get that all-important curb appeal.

What is the condition of the lawn? Assuming that you do not have desert like landscaping, is your lawn as green as it could be, or are there many brown spots. If your lawn is less than perfect, you should do something about it. Fertilize and replant dead grass and water more frequently.

If the trees and bushes in front of your house look partially dead or are overgrown, you will need to trim them. Add some colour to the front landscaping by planting a few flowers along the pathway leading to the front door. If you cannot do the landscape work yourself, you may want to hire a landscaper. Remove any rubbish from the back and front of your house.

If you don't have the time to do this sort of work yourelf then use RightTrader to locate the right people who will be capable of doing the work that you don't have the time to do yourself.