Besides the emotional upheaval of uprooting from your home, your property is most likely the biggest investment you have ever made, and its sale causes financial stress as well. You must protect your investment nest egg and secure your future.

Not only do you want the highest sales price, you want to make sure you don't pay too much in selling costs. If you feel comfortable showing your home and handling some details yourself, check out flat-fee real estate brokers who list homes on the MLS for a lower price than the usual six percent commission.

However, note that a great listing agent may be able to sell your home for more money and make sure that you don't pay more than your fair share of closing costs.

A friend of mine just sold her home. The first offer brought to her had her paying the seller's closing costs. Her listing agent didn't make this clear to her. This is why you must understand what the sales contact means to you, in detail. Her second offer--the one she signed--has the buyers paying their fair share of closing costs, plus they put up a $5,000 deposit and $140,000 down. This secure offer will pay her thousands more than the first offer.

Do some research and reading about the selling costs, real estate commissions, and sales price before you list your home.

Ask your agents to give you a net sheet. Look at all the costs to you. If you don't understand what an expense means, ask.

Don't just consider where you're moving to and how to unload your current house. Keep your emotions under control. Protect your equity. Selling your home and moving on can be a great financial boost to you when you pay attention to the bottom line.

Copyright (c) Jeanette J. Fisher. All rights reserved.

Jeanette Fisher is the author of real estate and interior design psychology books, including how to "Sell Your Home for Top Dollar--FAST" and "Home Staging for Top-Dollar Sales." For more articles on how to sell your home, see http://www.sellfast.info For Home Staging tips, see http://www.homestaging.us