It can be difficult to sell a home under the simplest of circumstances. When you are selling one from a different state, it can be all the more difficult of a situation. This situation can arise when people need to relocate immediately for new jobs or they are trying to settle matters for a deceased relative. The costs of maintenance and the property itself can accumulate quickly on a home in which no one is living, and you probably want to avoid the need to purchase special vacant-home insurance. The overall goal is to get the best price for your property in a reasonable period of time. There are a few things that you can do in order to sell the property quickly and not have to carry the costs associated with it for an extended period of time.

1. Carefully choose your Realtor. 

A big part of the success of your sale is going to have to do with your realtor. As such, you should make sure to choose the right one. The realtor is going to be responsible for showing and marketing the property, hiring contractors to take care of any upgrades that need to be done, and checking on the home in general. You should interview multiple agents who come with good recommendations, and then decide which of these people you feel you can rely on for this situation. You should make sure that it is someone who is always available, especially if you will be calling from a different time zone. The realtor should also be responsive to potential buyers. It is a much better idea to rely on a professional to take care of this rather than a relative.

2. Choose the right Price. 

It may be tempting to put an expensive price on the home, but you want to keep in mind that you are trying to sell the property in a timely fashion. Price the home with accuracy, rather than putting a high price on it with the intention of possibly taking price cuts later on. You are most likely to get fair market value for your property when the listing is first published. If it stays on the market for too long, it is possible that people will begin to question why the house has been on the market for such a long time. You should come up with the highest and lowest prices you are willing to accept and talk to your agent about how to price it when taking other comparable home sales into consideration.

3. Tidy up the Place. 

Buyers are interested in homes that already look like homes. You want to make sure that the place is not cluttered and that it is clean. Make any home repairs that are necessary, and keep the cosmetic upgrades in mind as well. You should have the home professionally cleaned, have any major issues fixed, and repaint the home if a paint job is in order. If you have not yet left town, hiring an on-call handyman who takes online payments to deal with last-minute repairs might be a good idea.

4. Set the stage in your Home. 

You are most likely taking all of the items out of the home, so it it probably a good idea to hire a professional stager to help your home look like a home instead of a nice empty house. Staged homes that are priced appropriately usually sell more quickly than non-staged homes.

5. Have Professional Photos taken. 

Once everything is in place in the home, you can show it off using professional photos. A professional photographer will know how to take flattering pirctures of your home, which are particularly helpful in this day and age when people start the home buying process by looking at listings online.

Jodi Bakst, Broker-Owner of Real Estate Experts based in Chapel Hill, NC, is known for her internet marketing skills and bringing the best service and systems to her buyers and sellers