How To Sell A House - Lessons Learned

We have had our house on the market since October of 2009. Here are some things that I have learned.

1. 12 years after the initial construction, it is a good idea to spruce up the house and update major features for selling.
2. Carpet, paint and new floor tiling is a wonderful selling point.
3. Before the new carpet, paint and floor tiling has been installed; you average around 5 showings every week.
4. Once the new carpet, paint and floor tiling has been installed, not one person will look at your house for the next 3 months.
5. 2 children and one dog can ruin the whole look of new carpet in about 3 weeks.
6. The new paint will hold up about one week past the carpet.
7. Although you had initially packed up most of your knick-knacks; they will slowly find their way back into the house after it hasn't shown for 3 months.
8. Once the carpet looks worn, there are scuffs on the paint and the house generally looks like it threw up; you will get 5-6 showings a week again.
9. Around this time the season of Spring has shown up.
10. Before you put your house on the market, you could mow the grass every 10 days to keep it looking nice.
11. A Realtor sign contains some kind of fertilizer. Once planted in your yard, the grass needs to be mowed every 2 days to keep it from being as tall as the trees.
12. On the day the laundry is to be finished and there are 6 baskets of dirty clothes sitting around, you will get a call that the house is showing in an hour.
13. You can stuff 3 loads of laundry in the dryer and the other 3 loads will fit in the car.
14. A loaf of fresh bread takes around an hour to cook.
15. While you are kneading the raw dough, you will get a call that the house is showing in an hour.
16. Go ahead and finish your bread, it seems that Realtors and potential home buyers enjoy having fresh bread while touring your house.
17. Have an exit plan similar to that of a fire escape and drill the children every day.
18. You will get a call that the house is showing in one hour, when the kids are muddy, need a nap, have Legos strewn across the floor or are in a uncooperative mood.
19. Those three laundry baskets will come in handy that you put in the car. Throw a child, toys and dog in one and carry it to the car too.