Selling On During the Off-Season

[http://content.contentthatworks.com/images/ realestate_20061017_selling_selling.jpg] Nice and neutral: A plain palette has universal appeal when it comes to showing your home. "You don't want to be known as the purple house," says one expert. Image courtesy Elliot Kaufman

Conventional wisdom used to be that you got top dollar when you put your house up for sale in the spring, ahead of the school year starting. These days that time frame still may bring forth the biggest number of new listings.

But if you went that route and your house didn't sell or if you're only now getting ready to list it, don't despair. Houses sell 12 months a year now, even in the dead of winter.

There's an important wrinkle today, which is spurring sellers to be savvier rather than just check their calendar. They know that buyers are smarter, too, says Nanci J. Rands, a practitioner and broker with SKBK Sotheby's International Realty in Birmingham, Mich. They've been waiting to pounce as the market has slowed and inventory has piled up so they could get the best prices.

This doesn't mean that sellers should get ready to give away their homes. They just have to be better prepared and work harder to have their houses stand out in a more crowded field. Here are 10 ways to do so: Know the competition

With inventories up, understand the competition, says Lauren Baier Kim, senior editor at RealEstateJournal.com, The Wall Street Journal's guide to property. The best way to do this, she says, is to study listings through sites like realtor.com, visit open houses, and look up recent sales online. Price It Right

The most critical step is pricing. Don't try to get the dollar figure you hope for or that your neighbors got six months ago. The market has changed. Instead, go for a fair price based on current conditions, says Baier Kim. It also means pricing your home right from the get-go since a house remains "fresh" only for the first three weeks, says Rands.

And, it means pricing it according to the current absorption rate, or how many months of inventory are available, explains Harley Rouda Jr., COO of Real Living Inc. in Columbus, Ohio. Some homeowners eager to sell are even pricing their houses below market rate. Throw in the kitchen sink

Homeowners may not add the kitchen sink, literally, but are offering clever incentives such as paying closing costs, funds to lower mortgage rates, some repairs, and gift certificates. Do a pre- inspection

Know what your potential buyers may want corrected, before they know by having an inspection done before you list, suggests Jill Heineck, a practitioner with Heineck & Company at Keller Williams Realty First Atlanta. Make the most vital repairs such as your home's insulation and heating system, since buyers are concerned about energy costs, says architect William Caligari from Great Barrington, Mass. Also, tackle key decorating and remodeling changes. To get tasks done, give yourself at least four weeks before you list, says Heineck. Make Your House Look Its Best

Know the mindset of buyers. Many, especially busy two-career couples, want to move into finished houses, but weigh carefully how much work you do. Advice varies.

Rouda prefers to see sellers drop their price rather than tackle big remodelings and hope to recover their costs. Lou Manfredini, a Chicago contractor, suggests starting with exterior fix-ups that focus on curb appeal, then fixing up important interior problems. Kim also suggests sellers first manage small problems rather than put a lot of money into big repairs they may not recoup.

Others think that if you have the time and funds and don't mind dealing with workmen go ahead and do the work. But bear in mind three caveats. Put your funds into the most sought-after projects, such as kitchens and bathrooms rather than swimming pools. Make changes in a neutral palette for universal appeal. "You don't want to be known as the purple house," says Kathryn Falls of The Flood Company, Hudso, Ohio, which manufactures specialty coatings and paint additive solutions. Don't expect to get every dollar out; paybacks can never be guaranteed. Provide helpful information

If you don't want to do major work, hire an architect or designer to suggest changes through drawings and have them estimate costs. Caligari was asked by a real estate representative to show how a kitchen and master bathroom might be redesigned. He designed two kitchen plans and one bathroom solution. The cost of plans themselves will vary depending on the work's complexity and whom you hire, says Caligari. Augment your agent's efforts

Do some marketing, suggests Lloyd Princeton, a business consultant in Los Angeles. Host a party for neighbors to increase buzz, do a direct mailing, hire a stager, encourage your practitioner to use professional photography, he says. Heineck suggests setting up a Web site for your house. Remember the season

Think fall and winter colors and flowers rather than springtime pastels and bouquets when you accessorize, says Manfredini. When it comes to holiday decor, keep decorations "lite" to avoid too much personalizing, says Rands. Remain flexible