At closing, specify how long you will need to remove your belongings from the house. If necessary, have a rider or memo of understanding attached to the sale documents stating how many days you will need. And be sure the buyer initials it in agreement.

All closings in California are handled through an escrow account. You, as the seller, will place your home’s deed into escrow while the buyer place all funds needed to purchase the home into escrow. The escrow holder, usually a title company, will generate all the documents needed for closing, and once you and the buyer agree, will distribute all funds.

When the serious offer finally comes, let the agent do all the negotiating. Let him or her shuttle back and forth between you and the buyer with offers and counter-offers. Firmly establish a rock-bottom price that you won’t go below, but keep it to yourself. Don’t tell the agent your bottom price or that’s what you’ll end up getting as an offer.

If you’re only a few thousand dollars apart, ask the agent to discuss trade-offs with the buyer. For example, be willing to give the buyer an allowance for upgrading or decorating if they’ll pay a certain price. You can either lower your price to allow for that, or write a check at closing to cover the allowance amount.

One of your most important tasks will be to get your home prepared for viewing. You will have some significant work to do if your home needs freshening up. Much of it you can do yourself, but if professionals are needed, such as painters, plumbers, electricians and landscapers, be prepared to spend a tidy sum to bring your house up to spec.

You will also want to secure a seller’s insurance policy that covers replacement of any appliances, plumbing or electrical apparatus for a short period of time following the closing. Your agent can help you find the right policy.

Here's a list of tasks you may need to perform:

If an Open House is in your realtor’s game plans, be sure to set ground rules. Ask that they conduct agent tours, where realtors from other firms visit your home in large groups. This will spread awareness of your property more quickly than print advertising. Work with the agent on any printed materials to be used, and make sure all room measurements, descriptions and history of the home are correct.

1. Make sure kitchens and bathrooms are clean and well-organized. Clean stovetops and ovens, and especially built-in microwaves. Turn on all your lights.


2. You can always slip a roast in the oven just before leaving—the aroma will be intoxicating and dinner will be ready when you get home. Baked cookies have a similar effect, and so does heated vanilla extract. If you have dogs or cats, take them with you, and be sure to spray carpets and cloth furniture with pet odor reducers before you leave.

Once you’ve determined what you think your home’s value is, meet with at least three, and preferably six different realty firms. Let each company do their own analysis of your home. Keep in mind that they know the market and values, but do not accept their pricing and assessment of salability without a frank and open discussion. If they believe the price to be 20% less than your assessment, find out why and be prepared with the reasons supporting your pricing. Remember, they work for you, and the more they get for your house, the larger the commission they earn.

1. Contact the firms and insist that the agents you meet will be the agents who will do the actual work.

Selling your San Diego, CA home requires setting up a game plan. Since your realtor is your marketer, make sure he or she has a good product to promote. Your role will be to collect as much information about your home as possible and work with your realtor to develop a first-class marketing plan. You will also be responsible for keeping the property in presentable condition, a very important task.

Your first steps are simple. Start with a realistic assessment of the market and determine where your house fits in that market. Your realtor can help you determine the potential value of your house by comparing it with the sales of other houses in your neighborhood that are similar in square footage, bedrooms, bathrooms and lot size. Incrementally increase or decrease your home’s value based on differences, i.e., fireplaces, paved patios, decks, garages, swimming pools, landscaping and other amenities.