Are you thinking of moving?  Then you will appreciate this news!

As our children head back to the classrooms they gleefully abandoned at the beginning of summer it seemed like a great time to share some good news for those who are thinking about moving soon.

In a recent poll conducted by CNNMoney.com 30% of people choose the place they will live based on the school rankings. In another poll 21% want to buy a home near plenty of activities they can participate in and best news of all, a May 2015 U.S. News & World Education Report reports that California is the state with the most gold medal school districts in the nation.

While this is all great news for those considering selling a home, moving is ranked as the #3 most stressful time in life!

How to lower those stress factors and increase your satisfaction with the sales process itself?

1. Be Prepared

Start your preparation by changing your mindset about this place you’ve called home.  Letting go emotionally will do more to lower the stress factors involved in selling than almost any other action you can take.  When you separate the home you’ve lived in from the house you are selling you will find the entire process less stressful and more rewarding.

As a product, you understand that it won’t appeal to everyone but there are things you can do to make the product as appealing as possible to as wide a population as possible.

Clean products in good repair sell best.  With your agents helpful suggestions, prepare your product for sale:

1. Pack away those priceless heirlooms and personal pictures.  You are moving, so early preparation now will mean less stress later.
2. Remove excess pieces of furniture so the rooms look roomier. Planning to donate some items?  Call and have them picked up now.  Less furniture let’s a larger looking room shine to potential buyers.
3. Make any necessary repairs. It will be cheaper in the long run to do it now rather than hope a buyer will overlook these items, or pay a premium price to get them done in time for a closing date.
4. Clean the product. It should look and smell appealing.  Yard sale statistics prove that a clean item always sells faster and for more money.

2. Understand The Contracts

Going over the paperwork carefully and getting answers to your questions helps you prepare for what to expect when offers are received.  You are ready to negotiate your best counter offer when necessary.  Your decisions are based on facts and realities, not emotional knee jerk reactions, because you are prepared and your product is prepared.

3. Bend The Odds To Your Favor

When step 1 and step 2 have been completed, step 3 falls naturally into place.  You are prepared, calm and stress free.

Your product is prepared, clean and in good repair.

You’ve chosen the agent committed to representing your product well and focused on assisting you in realizing your real estate transaction goal.