Each Friday starting today, SeniorsForLiving.com welcomes guest blog posts from Boomerater.com, a free online resource helping Baby Boomers make informed life decisions.  Boomerater’s topic categories include everything from finding a financial advisor to searching for great vacation trips.  Seniors for Living contributes to Boomerater’s senior housing search.

This Week’s Topic: How to Sell a Home

Those of us who want to relocate or downsize will benefit from this advice, as will others who are helping parents sell their homes.

Boomerater Question:  “I’m looking for clever ways to help sell homes in this tough market. My mother has just moved into assisted living and I need to sell her home.”

•    You might want to check out zillow.com’s “Make Me Move” section. You can list your mother’s home for any price and hopefully someone will contact you to buy it.

•    Simple repairs should always be taken care of, and a fresh coat of paint can make a huge difference. Be critical when you consider the home’s curb appeal, get rid of dead or overgrown bushes and spruce up the yard. Also, eliminate all clutter so that the house looks bigger and the new owners can envision their belongings instead of being overwhelmed by yours. Put away anything that is not essential, including family photos, collections, toys, etc. And make sure you list the house at a realistic price that ensures a quick sale. The biggest mistake is pricing too high, especially in today’s market.

•    Trulia.com is another good real estate site where you can search message boards for info about available houses. Remember to give a detailed description of the house. It will help people find your listing through a search engine from the features you list. You can also list it on eBay or craigslist.

•    If you have trouble selling it, think about a lease-to-own deal or just renting it.  If the market turns around you’ll likely get more value out of the house if you hold on to it.   A good lease-to-own site is mtgprofessor.com

•    It depends on which market you are in – maybe for young families an extra bedroom could be changed in to a den or even home theater if it is an up-market area – also definitely painting and making it look presentable.

•    Make sure you use a realtor who posts videos on their website.  This is the new state of the art feature in real estate that really boosts your chances of getting the house sold.

To post your reply to this question on Boomerater, click into Clever Ways to Help Sell Homes.