Selling your house, especially in today's market, can be a trying experience. I personally know several people who have had their houses on the market for close to two years and have little to show for it except some wasted weekends showing the house and leads that amounted to nothing. The advice that they're gotten from realtors is to lower the price drastically and the house will sell much faster. The problem is, the price point is artificially depressed right now, and to sell at such a discount in today's housing market would mean quite a loss when things decide to turn around.

There's no disputing that the market is less than optimal right now for sellers, but there are always things that you can do to give you the best chance out of the throngs of sellers who are trying to unload their house just like you. Let's take a look at a few of them.

It's Not Your House Anymore
Take the attitude that you don't live in the house anymore. More accurately, think of yourself and your family as a guest in the house, and every time you leave it you clean like crazy because you don't want the owners to be upset. It sounds like a silly game, but it's absolutely true: a house that looks used and lived in will not sell as fast as a house that looks to be in like-new condition. That means a fresh coat of paint on any walls that are dinged up. It means getting your carpet cleaned and any spots or stains that stick out need to be removed. It means everything needs to be dusted, swept, vacuumed, and cleaned all the time. Your windows should be so clean you have to reach out and touch them to know they're there (and make sure to clean up the finger print afterwards).

Open Houses Will Not Sell Your House
If your realtor wants to use your home for an Open House, tell him or her to forget it. A very low percentage of sales come from having an Open House, but it does benefit the realtor by giving them a springboard for other properties and a chance to network with new people who drop in to see the house. There's very little benefit to you, the homeowner, from hosting an Open House, so why go through the trouble? You will be better off with a realtor who is spending their time and energy advertising and actively bringing potential buyers to your house rather than hanging a welcome sign in your yard and hoping for the best.