If you are selling your home, you will need to have a plan of action. The following list is a brief outline of steps you will need to take in order to help ensure that your experience goes as smoothly as possible.

• Analyze why you are selling your home. If you understand what your motives are, you will be better able to negotiate and to get what you want, whether it be a quick sale, high price or a balance between the two.

• Prepare your home for the buyer. Maximize the strengths of your property and fix up its weaknesses. You want the buyer to walk away from your home with a lasting good impression.

• Find a good real estate agent that understands your needs. Make sure that your agent is loyal to you and can negotiate on your behalf in order to help you achieve your goals. In addition, the agent should be assertive and honest with both you and your buyer.

• Be prepared for negotiation. Learn and understand your buyer's situation; what are their motives? Can you demand a big deposit from them? Try to lock in the buyer so that the deal goes through. The best contracts and the ones with the least amount of problems are the ones that are win-win for both parties.

• Negotiate for the best price and the best terms. Learn how to counteroffer to get a higher price.

• Make sure the contract is complete. Be honest with your disclosures; you do not want to lose the deal because you were hiding or diminishing your home's defects. Insist that the buyers get a professional inspection. This will protect both you and the buyer.