• Cleaning an old house makes it easier to sell.old house image by Josef F Stuefer from Fotolia.com
  
  Old houses need not be a burden. If you hold the title to an old house, clean it up and sell it. You'll be rid of an ongoing headache, and may get some cash out of it. Be sure to give a fair and accurate representation of the house so that a potential buyer's expectations match the reality of your property. You may have to put some money into the process, but in most cases this investment will pay larger returns.
  
  

Claim Wanted Items

• Claim any valuable pieces of furniture.Louis Seize Sessel image by ernstboese from Fotolia.com
  
  Look through the house and the property for items that you want to keep, re-purpose, sell or give to a loved one. Such items could include furniture, light fixtures or perennial plants. Remove anything you want. Once a potential buyer sees the property, it is more difficult to state "after the fact" that something she saw is not included in the sale. Find storage space and rent a truck or hire movers to help re-locate large pieces.
  
  

Remove Unwanted Items

• Remove clutter.old junk image by Daria Miroshnikova from Fotolia.com
  
  If the house contains items you do not want, but which could be useful to someone else, donate them to a local charitable organization. Many charities, such as the Salvation Army, will send trucks to pick up items that can be re-sold. When you donate items to accredited groups, you will get a receipt to use for a credit when you file your income taxes.
  
  After you have removed the useful items, there will probably still be trash and clutter in the house. Rent a dumpster if necessary, or hire someone who removes "junk" for a fee.
  
  

Perform an Inspection

• Inspect the house for necessary repairs.construction, woman, quality image by Greg Pickens from Fotolia.com
  
  Determine whether the house can be sold in its current condition. If there are serious safety issues, such as mold, asbestos or fire hazards, get a licensed and insured professional to perform the repairs. Many other repairs can be left undone, if you need to sell quickly and don't mind selling the house for a lower price. Consider hiring a home inspector to do a complete assessment of the house, from roof to foundation. He will identify the tasks that are essential, and separate other repairs that would simply be desirable.
  
  

Sell the House

• Even an old house will attract buyers.Sold Home For Sale Sign on Burst image by Andy Dean from Fotolia.com
  
  A professional real estate agent can tell you the fair market value of the house in its current condition; this information will help you decide whether to invest money into further repairs and improvements. She can also tell you some of the most valuable features of the house. If the house is in very poor condition, the land it is on may still be of value to a buyer.
  
  To sell a property quickly, list it in a widely-used system such as the Multiple Listing Service (MLS). If you do not intend to make any more repairs, state up front in all advertisements that the home is being sold "as-is." If you know of an investor who buys homes and renovates them, you may be able to sell it directly to him without hiring a real estate agent. Use a title company for all of the paperwork and to ensure that the title passes to the buyer free and clear.