What's the plan, stan?

Planning is more a natural stage in the listing process. You've already come to the understanding of your next step. Are you retiring, is your family growing, are you relocating? All of these tend to happen to us without control. That's ok.

To prepare your home to list on the MLS, you should first focus on making it as appealing as possible to potential buyers. This may include decluttering, depersonalizing, and doing some minor repairs or updates. Some specific things to consider include:

• Cleaning and decluttering every room, including closets and storage spaces, to make them appear as spacious as possible.
• Depersonalizing your home by removing family photos and personal items, so that buyers can envision themselves living there.
• Giving your home a fresh coat of paint, if necessary, to neutralize any bold or dated colors.
• Making any necessary repairs, such as fixing leaky faucets or broken tiles.
• Ensuring that all appliances and systems, such as heating and air conditioning, are in good working condition.
• Staging your home, which is the process of arranging furniture and decor to highlight the best features of your home and make it more attractive to potential buyers.

I mean, this is a pretty straightforward stage. I put it live in the MLS.

One thing to be ready for is showings. They'll start coming in, so you'll need to get your butts out so buyers feel free to roam, see, and experience your home.

I said above that the strategy of marketing your home is as unique as your home. Well, this is where we implement the strategy that we've created. I've already started things off in the prep stage, but this is when the fire starts burning.

I like to say that a deal happens when both parties feel they've won. However, I think the better way to see this is, both parties should feel they lost a little. If someone is comfortable, the other side is not. 

Remember, BOTH parties need to come together to make a deal happen. That is negotiation. Period.