Seven-Point Stimulus Package for Home Sellers

1. Hire a Good Realtor. The national median home price dropped 15 percent in 2008 (National Association of Realtors) and the median days on the market increased to 100 days in January (Altos Research). A home seller needs to gain every advantage they can in today’s market, and finding a good Realtor that comes highly recommended is important when marketing a home.

2. Hire a Home Stager. A recent study by HomeGain showed that staging a home for a sale generates a return on investment of 343%. The average cost, depending on the market and needs, is $403 to $584 and can be as little as $150.

3. Clean and De-clutter. Cleaning a home isn't much fun, but a clean home is crucial to a fast sale. A recent EnergizedSeller.com survey found that Realtors around the country picked cleaning as the top task they wanted home sellers to focus on. Additionally, HomeGain found that an investment in cleaning and de-cluttering generates a staggering 578% return. Cost: $0 to $500.

4. Rent a Storage Unit. Savvy sellers remove extra furniture and household items to make their home seem larger. The return on investment is the perceived value of extra square footage. Cost: $100 to $500.

5. Hire a Handyman. Sellers who paint, repair, install and do whatever else is necessary to make their home move-in-ready will get a great return on their investment. Cost: $200 to $2,000.

6. Improve Curb Appeal. For the second year in a row the Remodeling Cost vs. Value Report (www.costvsvalue.com) showed that exterior remodeling projects return the most money as a percentage of cost. Cost: $200+

7. Utilize Free Home Selling Tips. There are a lot of free web sites with good home selling tips. For example, EnergizedSeller.com offers advice on more than 40 different topics related to Selling a House and Staging a Home. Sellers who implement as many of these suggestions as possible can get tremendous returns.