Some people make my job so much easier, just by being themselves! One instance of this was when I listed a custom-built home in Niles. I was delighted to see that the house had been kept in excellent repair through preventative maintenance. I was positively ecstatic to find it was immaculately clean and uncluttered. Being extremely organized and thoughtful people, they had already packed away their nonessential items and deep cleaned the entire house before they ever called me.

I cannot overstate how helpful all this preparation was in the sale of the home! In most instances, there are plenty of opportunities for sellers to stress out during the sale: preparing for showings, waiting for inspection results, dealing with...