The Greater Capital Association of Realtors most recent monthly statistics indicate that the 393 closed sales in the six county region in February was a 17% increase compared to the same month in 2009.  It did however reflect a 17.5% decrease compared to February of 2008.

Following the same trend, the first two months of this year were up 7.5% from 2009 with 784 closed sales, yet still lagged about 22% behind 2008. In addition the region experienced a 16.7% surge in new listings at 1290. Pending sales were up 13.5% to 615 and there was a 7% increase in the median sales price of homes to $187,000.

James Ader, the association’s chief executive officer commented that “It has been some time since so many indicators were positive at the same time.“  Ader and other experts agree that the up to $8000 tax credit for homebuyers helped attribute to the significant increases in the Albany real estate sales.

Both he and the association’s president, Laurene Curtin feel that despite the fact that the credit will expire in April, the real estate market will continue to improve. Though she doesn’t see consistent across the board improvements every month and not at the levels of last month, she does expect the market to slowly start rebuilding itself.

Putting your home on the market involves some work. There may be repairs to make, cleaning to do, and perhaps some painting. But one of the first and most important things you can do before putting your home on the market is to de-clutter it as much as possible.

The objective is to make the home appear open and inviting when you are welcoming prospective buyers. The reality is a clutter-free home looks more spacious. Think less is more!

The first step is to decide what items are essential for everyday living. Once you’ve established that, you can begin to sort through the rest of your things. It helps to organize items into three categories, one to keep, one to sell and one to donate.

Having a garage sale is a great way to begin your de-cluttering process. After the sale, you may wish to donate any items that didn’t sell.

Once you have decided which of the items you are keeping, it is best to pack up and store off-site your personal items like collections and photos. This allows the buyer to visualize the space being their own, and prevents them from being overwhelmed and distracted by your stuff.

De-cluttering your home can be quite a process, so make sure you give yourself plenty of time to get the job done right.

If you have a lot of things to get rid of it may be wise to consider a junk removal service. These companies specialize in residential cleanup and will remove unwanted items – from small items to old furniture, appliances, etc. – from your home. They do all of the loading and cleanup for one predetermined price.

If you are overwhelmed by the process, or have accumulated a vast inventory of items over the course of many years, you may want to check out The STACKS Organizational System. It is a step-by-step method for dealing with de-cluttering and organizing your home.

Whether you decide to tackle it on your own or with the help of a professional, begin the process as soon as you make the decision to sell your house and keep chipping away until you get the results you want. Not only will you be getting your house in perfect “show” condition, you will also be preparing to make your packing and moving experience a much lighter, organized and easier one.