It's not easy for most people to do, but the moment you decide to sell your home, it becomes something else -- it becomes a product, to be sold like any other product. It can be a sobering thought, but it's a necessary mental step to take if you're going to sell your home quickly, and for as much money as possible.

The first step in that process is to look at your home with a new set of eyes: the eyes of a buyer. They don't have the emotional attachment to all of your knickknacks and family photos that you do. To them, a shelf filled with various trinkets and souvenirs is merely a collection of clutter; something that prevents them from seeing the real house underneath all your stuff.

In order to attract a buyer in today's marketplace, you'll need to increase its attractiveness as a product. That can involve adding a new coat of paint, getting rid of excess furniture and other clutter, and clearing the kitchen countertops of a variety of items that aren't used on a day-to-day basis.

You don't have to do any expensive remodeling. You simply have to show off your home to its best advantage. After all, it needs to look good on the shelf, to attract a buyer's attention, then it needs to interest them enough to take a closer look, and finally, it has to fill their needs to the point where they want to purchase your product.

Of course, price is important to homebuyers, just as it is to anyone who is looking to make any major purchase in their lives. But buyers can generally find several houses that are similarly priced, so your product must have an advantage over the competition if you're to get a sale. And that begins with market research.

You can do your research by simply walking around and through your house, looking at it as if you were a buyer, seeing it for the first time. You may be surprised at what you discover, but it's a necessary process, and shouldn't be overlooked. Often a few minor repairs and touch-ups can make a huge difference--both in time of sale and in the price paid by the buyer.

Make your home as warm and inviting as possible, because more than most major purchases, people buy homes according to their emotions. That process begins by making your home feel homey without feeling cluttered. It's a fine line, but important to your overall success. If you have a wall filled with family photos, take them down. They may be your ancestors, but to buyers, they represent clutter. Whenever you can't decide whether something should stay out or not, it's best to take it out of a room. Buyers can imagine their own furnishing in rooms that aren't filled to the brim with your stuff.

So, in order to sell your home faster and for a higher price, start thinking of it as a product you want to sell to a willing buyer. It will help your get the home ready for sale, and it may even help you detach your emotions, making it easier to move once a sale has been made.

Copyright 2006 Jeanette J. Fisher