We continue to ride the wave of a robust seller's housing market. The median price of listed homes in Hummelstown Borough rose from $149,500 in January to $200,000 in April. Palmyra Borough's March listing volume hit a 10-month high of $2,369,700 — a good sign that inventory shortages would lessen — but then dropped to $1,693,700 in April, meaning home buyers will still compete for very few listings.

Even in this strong marketplace, occasionally homes languish for months on the market. A few key actions taken by sellers will help them ride this economically beneficial wave with confidence and avoid the riptide of relisting. Below are three steps to help you, as sellers, make the most of the current local surge.

Correct Price

First, determine the correct price at which to list your home. This is a most crucial factor. Statistics show that buyers are quicker to make an offer on a home if priced correctly. A home offered at fair market value will attract 58 percent more buyers than a home listed only 10 percent over market value. The longer a home is on the market, the less likely it is to sell at full market price; overpricing simply helps you sell your competitor's home that has been priced correctly.

When listing your home, ask your real estate professional for a competitive market analysis (CMA), which will include all active listings, recently pending and recently settled properties in your neighborhood and price range. Review the contents together. Realistically compare your home to the others and set a price.

Declutter

French poet Antione de Sainte-Exupery said, "A designer knows when he has reached perfection not when there is nothing left to add but when there is nothing left to take away."

Asking you to declutter is not an affront to you or your things; it's a necessary step in the sale process. Too many pieces in a room obstruct the view. A designer told me many years ago, "The more floorboard you can see from the room's entry point, the larger the room will appear." Your home should be so decluttered and void of furniture that it's almost uncomfortable to live in. Don't worry; this will be short-lived. And well worth it.

"Before we listed our home," said Kelly Watkins of Derry Township, "we sold or gave away at least half of our furniture. We worked like crazy for a couple of weeks decluttering, removing furniture and painting to get ready for professional pictures and for showings. It was a ton of work but we are so glad we did."

Decorate

Small do-it-yourself projects can go a long way in showcasing your home.

Megan White from Elizabethtown created distinct looks in all three bedrooms of their two-story townhome before putting it on the market — in one room, a rustic headboard to give texture to the wall; in another, chevron stripes to elongate the walls; in the third bedroom, interior paneling.

"We decided our little girl's room would be flowers and flamingos," Megan said. "We took on a faux board and batten project. We painted the wood white and the other walls 'Flamingo Feather.' It became my favorite room in the house!"

These homeowners determined correct price, decluttered and decorated. Both sold their homes at top price in several days. They chose high-end surfboards verses homemade rafts.

Eventually, this wave will succumb to a more mellow, buyer-favored swell. But by following these action steps, you'll be poised to succeed in any market.

For more tips to selling your home efficiently, send an email to eileenvoyles@gmail.com or give me a call at 717- 508-4610.

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