(WVLT) -- Spring is usually a good time for home sales, and with that in mind, it's important to know what it takes to sell your home.

Most homeowners start getting ready to sell months before putting their home on the market.

One of the first steps is to make sure you're psychologically ready to make the move.

Ask yourself if your home fits your lifestyle. Is the home too big, maybe too small, too expensive or in need of repair?

Maybe your home is no longer in the right location. In any case you need to be willing to sell and move on to something else.

Sellers whose only reason for selling is to maximize profit are prone to over-pricing. If later you decide you're serious about selling this can be a problem.

You may have to drastically reduce your price. You're better off waiting to put your house up for sale when you're truly motivated to sell at fair market value.

After you've made the decision to sell, the next step is to find the right real estate agent. He or she can provide information to determine the likely selling price range for your home.

Unless your home looks like a model home, you'll probably need to do some preparation to get your home in shape.

It's usually not a good idea to show your home to anyone except your real estate agent, until all improvements are made.