If you were thinking of selling in the year 2000, would it be too soon to start planning now? Not for one of my readers, who recently called me for advice.

Although approaching the process now may seem premature, it is not. Preparing early will reduce stress later. Assuming you want to maximize your selling price by showing your property in its best light, there are many details to handle. Some of these items include:

Roof work. Buyers generally discount the price if the roof is not in good condition. Unless your roof is relatively new, it is wise to get it inspected before selling. The best time to call a roofer is in the dry season.

Right now, many roofers are booked up with jobs they could not do when it was raining. Advance planning will give you sufficient time for an inspection and competitive bids on the work, if necessary.

Painting. Like roof repairs or replacement, outside painting can only be done when it is not raining. Many painters do not take jobs for inside painting in good weather. Scheduling your painting in advance will make your life much easier.

Floors/carpets. Refinishing wood flooring is messy and burdensome. Removing and replacing carpeting also creates major inconvenience. Having time to plan means you can shop for the best prices and schedule the work to minimize disruption.

Updating/remodeling. A remodeled kitchen can elicit higher bids and result in a faster sale. Updated bathrooms are also a big positive to buyers. Should you go to all the trouble and expense of doing major remodeling prior to selling?

The answer depends on many factors. It is clear, nonetheless, that having extra time before you put your home on the market will allow you to carefully evaluate the pros and cons. If you decide on extensive upgrading well in advance of selling, you get the benefit of enjoying the changes for awhile.

Landscaping. Even if you do not have a backyard or level garden, with time and imagination, you can inexpensively beautify the grounds around your home. It could be with flowers, bushes, groundcover, mulch, potted plants or whatever works. For lack of time, landscaping is commonly ignored by sellers, much to their detriment.

Indoor landscaping is equally important. Strategically placed plants of various sizes can add enormous appeal.

Furnace/water heater. Many homeowners do not get their furnaces serviced regularly. When representing buyers, I am often involved in transactions where, to the seller's surprise, the furnace needs replacement. Prior to putting a home up for sale, it may be a good idea to have a licensed heating contractor check out the furnace and hot water heater.

If a new furnace is needed, there will be time to shop for bids. Sometimes, furnace replacement also involves removal of asbestos. This must be done by licensed asbestos abatement professionals before the new furnace can be installed.

Pest control. Agents and their buyers expect the seller to provide a structural pest control inspection report. Having this done in advance will allow you to get bids in the event the repair cost is high.

Remember, however, that if a licensed pest control company does the work and issues a certification, it is only good for six months. If that time has elapsed when the house is on the market, the buyer may request a new report.

In that event, if it has been less than a year since the original inspection, it is prudent to have the same firm that provided the certification do the re-inspection. If anything expensive comes up, it could have been something missed by the company in their original inspection, and you can ask them to correct it without cost.

Note that, although it is a good idea to get a pest control inspection before marketing, it may not be necessary or appropriate to have the work done at that time.

Pre-sale home inspection. Hiring a professional home inspector to thoroughly look over your property before sale is referred to as a seller's pre-sale inspection. I strongly recommend this to my sellers.

It prevents nasty, expensive surprises and allows the seller to carefully research and evaluate any serious problems identified by the inspector. I advise this to be done not sooner than one year before marketing. If you have this general home inspection, it will determine whether you need separate roof, furnace or other inspections.

De-clutter. The most universally useful advice I can give to sellers is to get rid of most of your "stuff". Almost everybody, including my wife and myself, have altogether too much stuff. It makes large rooms look smaller, and tiny rooms appear microscopic.

Store it, sell it, give it away, but get it out! Just doing that will help your home sell. I tell sellers about comedian George Carlin's classic routine on stuff. Liberally paraphrasing, he says people think their stuff is special. Everyone else's is another word.

It took your whole life to accumulate all this stuff. Make sure to allow enough time before selling to get it out of the house.

Coordinating the move. Whether you will be moving nearby, out of state, or to a retirement community, it takes planning and analysis. Few things happen as easily or quickly as we would like. Allow time for the unexpected.

Final thoughts

Homes are sold every day, but not necessarily in a way that is best for the seller. Selling involves the coordination of a myriad of details. It can be stressful, even in the best scenarios. Give yourself sufficient time to plan and implement the steps to a successful sale.

Related Articles: Not Just Termites, Part 1 and Part 2; Seller's Do's & Don'ts, Part 1 and Part 2; Rain, Roofs and Gutters; Pre-Sale Inspections.