A fast sell is hard to come by in real estate. Typically, price reduction will sell your home the fastest. However, there are tricks to keep you from having to reduce the sale price of your house and still sell quickly. To prepare your home for sale, you may need to perform some maintenance to get it into top shape. Here is a list of things you can do before your home goes on the market that will really make a difference:

* Replace cracked windows and torn screens.
* Fix or replace broken stairs or handrails.
* Fix plumbing fixtures, leaking faucets, and so on.
* Replace exterior lock sets and garage door openers if damaged.
* Repair worn or damaged flooring.
* Replace broken or leaking gutters and downspouts.
* Remove any soil or landscape mulch from contact with wood.
* Clean, repair, or replace the roof.
* Repair or replace worn boards on decks or porches.
* Have your heater and air conditioning units serviced and filters replaced.

Some sellers may hesitate to tackle these matters because of the cost, but money spent on repairs can make a difference in the final sale price. Moreover, some of these deferred maintenance items are safety hazards and others may be required by the buyer or lender before closing.

Buyers tend to overestimate the cost of performing repairs and thus reduce their offer by an amount higher than necessary to compensate. If the lender requires the repairs to be performed before closing, the seller can, in effect, end up paying for repairs twice: first in a lower sale price and second in the out-of-pocket cost of the repairs themselves.

A better strategy is to perform the repairs before putting your house on the market. By comparing estimates from several contractors, you can be sure to get a competitive price. And you'll eliminate potential reasons a prospective buyer might use to justify a lower price offer.

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