Selling your home can seem like an overwhelming prospect–what do you need to do to prepare? How can you get the best price? You probably have a million questions floating around in your mind at any given moment, so we wanted to help answer some of those questions and get you focused on having an incredible home selling experience.

Here are our 7 pieces of advice top selling agents have for those looking or preparing to sell their home:

Keep a Level Head About Pricing

Pricing is always the number one concern when selling your home–and it should be! But you need to keep a level head about what you can expect to get for your home in the current market. Depending on how active buyers are in your area, you may get more or less than you were expecting. Be sure to listen to your listing agent and take their recommendations about listing price and listen to their opinions on how appropriate offers are when they come in.

Appraisals Aren’t “The End All Be All”

Appraisals are an important step in any home buying/selling process. It let’s mortgage companies know the true market value of your home and can be a negotiating tool during the offering process. But, it’s important to keep in mind that an appraisal is not an offering floor. Especially if any real time elapses between the two, it’s possible that the market could have slowed down (or sped up), which would impact the types of offers you receive.

The Importance of Marketing Your Home

Be sure to talk to your selling agent about how your home is being marketed to buyers. Marketing is a huge part of selling any home and can ensure that a variety of buyers will look at your property as a viable option. Talk to your selling agent about the language being used to describe your home in ads and where they’re being placed.

Open Your Home For Viewings

Viewings are essential to selling your home quickly and for more money. Most individuals, especially first time home buyers, are not willing to make an offer on a property without seeing it in person first. That’s why it’s important to make your home available for viewings. While an open house is a good start, be sure to work closely with your selling agent to set up recurring times you can show your home for those who may be unable to make it to an open house. The more viewings you have, the more likely you’ll get an offer (or two or three).

Stage Your Home Simply

Staging your home may seem like an afterthought, but it’s really something you should consider when selling your home. Staging does not have to be an expensive or arduous task. Staging can be as simple as decluttering your home and removing more taste-specific pieces of furniture and decor. This way, potential buyers can more easily envision themselves and their stuff in your home. Making these personal connections easier through staging is a great way to generate more interest from viewings.

Consider Surface Level Upgrades If Possible

While it may be impossible to make large or expensive upgrades to your home before selling it, smaller, cosmetic upgrades are an easier way to get top dollar for your home. Small tasks like sealing wall cracks, covering chipping paint, or re-caulking bathrooms and windows can go a long way in making your home look nicer and well-cared for. This kind of pride of ownership will often resonate with buyers and make them feel more comfortable–especially if you know you have other projects new buyers will need to contend with.

Kitchens & Bathrooms Sell Homes

If you do decide to pursue some cosmetic upgrades in your home, make sure you focus them in the kitchen and the bathrooms! It’s well-known among selling agents that kitchens and bathrooms sell homes! Consider how your appliances look. Should you upgrade them before showing? What about updating those older kitchen cabinets? Think about restaining them instead. These kinds of small upgrades will go a long way with potential buyers.

We want to make your home selling experience as easy and stress-free as possible. By following these 7 suggestions from top selling agents, you’re more likely to have a pleasant selling experience and be able to work more effectively with your agent to get a great offer. Keep your expectations manageable and be sure to ask your selling agent questions when you have them. Information is power in the housing market, so don’t get left in the dark.