Selling a house can be stressful for homeowners, but putting in a little bit of effort before the 'for sale' sign is even in the yard can make the process go a lot more smoothly. Having a plan in advance can help ensure that your home is attractive to potential buyers so you don't get stuck having to lower your asking price and losing money. Use the following tips if you plan to put your house on the market in the near future:

Take Your Time Hiring a Real Estate Agent

Working with the right real estate agent can make or break your home-selling experience. Before you agree to work with a real estate agent, it is worth your time to interview several candidates to ensure that you choose the right one. Try to find someone who specializes in serving as a seller's agent and is an expert in your neighborhood. A good seller's agent will be able to give you a comprehensive marketing outline and also provide a market analysis report so you can see what comparable homes in your area have recently sold for. 

Get a Home Inspection

When it comes to real estate, most people think of home inspections as something that buyers order after putting in an offer on a house. But more and more sellers are learning that getting a professional home inspection before listing a house is a very good idea. Your house may look fine, but a home inspector will carefully inspect your whole house to discover potential problems; when you get the report, you can choose to have repairs made or reflect the cost of repairs in your asking price. When you get an offer on your house, the buyers will have an inspection done, so it is much better for you to get one in advance so there are no surprises and you know what to expect. Contact a company like In Side Out Home Inspection Inc for more information on this.

Highlight the Best Features of Your Home

Getting a home ready to be on the market can be very time-consuming, so don't assume that you can list the property and then clean it up and get it looking good before the first showing. It is in your best interest to have your house looking like a model home before it is even listed. Take the time to remove all clutter and either throw stuff away or put it in storage. Give the walls a fresh coat of neutral-colored paint and remove family photos and personal keepsakes. Also make sure that each room is staged in order to highlight your home's best features so buyers are interested in making you an offer.