With over 4000 potential homes currently available in The Windsor/Essex County market, the competition is tough. Whatcan you do to make your home stand out from 4000 others? What can you do to prepare for the initial meeting with yourREALTOR®?

Understand that the appearance and condition of your home the way that you live in it, is totally different than when youare selling it with others viewing it.

Follow these straightforward steps:

1. Make a "to do" list when selling - get your home in its best possible shape! Start with odors - house odors arenumber one on the home selling no-no list. Pets and cigarette smell take top rank, with mildew not far behind. Eradicate the odors so that you can present potential buyers with a clean, fresh atmosphere - not a house that's full of perfumes to cover them up so avoid having strong smelling air fresheners - it gives people the impressionthat you are trying to hide something.

2. When you contact your REALTOR® they will assist you with walking through the home and giving their professional opinion of what should be completed or dealt with, such as gutters that need cleaning; removing excess furniture from the home; paint or wall repair; and removing personal items (staging). A staging professional will help change your "living home" into a "marketed home for sale".

3. Remove all pets from the home until the house is sold, and if that is not possible, it is imperative they be removed during all showings and open houses.

4. Neatly trimmed lawn and trees give the potential buyers an impression of what to expect on the inside of the home. Ensure lawn is cut. Consider bright yellow flowers planted in pots near the entrance way - the color yellow is said to entice the buyer.

5. Ensure bathrooms and kitchens are spotless, windows sparkle and drapes are open to bring in the natural light. Fix what needs fixing, for example, bathroom grout, broken tiles, light fixtures etc. Ensure the inside of your cupboards and closets are in order and uncluttered.

6. Home Inspection (optional)

7. Energy Audit (optional) When listing your home, a good starting point is to ensure you provide your REALTOR® with: The Agreement of Purchase and Sale (when you purchased the house); survey of the property (if available); floor plan of home (builders); mortgage verification (current); copy of bills for hydro, water, gas, property taxes; copy of lease agreement of any leased item in the home, ie furnace, air conditioning, hot water tank; copy of invoices for any improvements on subject property, ie. roof, windows, doors, driveway, addition, furnace and/or central air units, flooring, appliances, landscaping, wiring etc.; FINTRAC - identification of sellers or principals that are on title of the property; if property is being sold under "Power ofAttorney", copy of power of attorney documents that gives the power to sell the property; copy of insurance policy, lawyers name and mortgage company; list of schools, banks, shopping centers, churches, mosques, and Synagogues, arenas, parks, bus stops, doctors etc.