Here are my thoughts after taking 4 home buyers that were relocating to Michigan around last week..  Michigan Home sellers should:

• Have great photos on the Internet.  People judge your house by the photos.  They won't come in unless it looks inviting.
• Clean up the house.  The houses all of my buyers liked were uncluttered, and clean.  Pick up the dirty laundry.  Be prepared for showings.
• Get rid of the smells.  Don't even smoke in the garage.  Don't cook spicy foods or fish.  Those odors sometimes turn off people.  Get rid of the dirty diapers in the house.  We walked out of the houses quicker when they were smelly.
• Paint the walls and take down the wall paper.  It is a turnoff.  People want homes they can move right into.  My buyers did not have the time or knowledge of who to hire to do the work.  They need a home that requires little or no time to prepare for move in.
• Don't agree to an appointment and then turn away the prospective buyer at the door becaUse you had a late night.  WE AREN'T COMING BACK. THAT IS RUDE.  YOU DON'T WANT TO SELL THE HOUSE TOO BADLY.
• Remove some of the pictures on the walls.  We went into one home that had 4 paintings or photos on every wall.  My client said she could focus on the house.  Plus all the work to paint and fill the holes in the walls.  It was a beautiful house.  BUT! 
• Make sure the house is available for showings.  Is your agent's office responsive, does your agent return calls.  We missed several homes that the agent's offices never called us back or were closed over the weekend.  A lost opportunity for some homeowners.

The Michigan real estate market is slow.  So take advantage of opportunity to show your house and present it in the best possible light.  A Michigan relocation buyer needs a house usually immediately, has a short time to look at them, and wants the house to be move in ready.  These are great buyers.  They usually know what type of home they want, and are serious about buying.  You want to have your home ready for those buyers.  

For more home selling tips or Michigan relocation information go to my website www.RussRavary.com