Sometimes you have to move in a hurry.  A job promotion or new position requires you to be in a new city within weeks.  Sometimes it makes sense for one spouse to move earlier when required and have the other take care of selling the house.

If that's not possible, there are a number of things you should do to ensure your house remains secure, retains its curb appeal and sells as quickly as possible, including:

·  Stay in close contact with your real estate agent. If you're selling long distance you'll have to rely on your agent or Realtor more than if you still lived in the house. Stay updated on how many people are viewing the house and see what feedback your agent is getting.

·  If possible, try to leave some of your furnishings in the house. A furnished house is much more attractive than an empty one. You could even contact a special staging company in which you could rent furniture to fill out the rooms.

·  If your house will be vacant, consider leaving some photos behind of the furnished rooms so those looking at your house have an idea of how much better it looks when furnished. Large prints -- like 8x11 inches -- assembled in an album would be better than a hodgepodge of snapshots.

·  Make sure the curb appeal lasts. That means you'll need to hire someone to mow your lawn, rake the leaves, or shovel the snow.

·  If you are leaving the house empty, go through the house and touch up the paint where necessary. Moving furniture out often leaves scuff marks and scratches -- blemishes that potential home buyers will notice instantly.

·  Freshen up with neutral-colored paint. If the house is empty, the walls are going to stand out. If you have bold-colored walls, you may want to consider painting them a neutral color.

·  Get your carpets professionally cleaned. This is especially important if the house will be vacant. After all, with nothing in the house, all would-be buyers have to look at are the floors and walls.

·  Don't set your deserted house up for potential break-ins. You may want to invest in exterior sensor lights that automatically turn on when it gets dark and turn off at sunrise. Make sure you cancel your newspaper subscription.

·  Be sure you review the provisions of your homeowners insurance. Many companies have a cap on how long coverage will last while your house is vacant.

For complete information about the El Dorado Hills, CA real estate market including current homes for sale, property values, and more please visit the most complete website online dedicated to everything El Dorado Hills Real Estate at http://www.livingineldoradohills.com. Please feel free to contact me with any of your real estate or mortgage related questions and I will be more than happy to answer them!

Call me at 916-502-4420 or email me at anaiman@connectrealty.com.