How do i sell a home on my own

Selling your own home can be a challenge if you are not sure how to proceed. FSBO (For Sale By Owner) without an agent is not very difficult if the market is growing and inventory is being sold as soon as it becomes available. Sometimes the market will slowdown or speeds up you need to be prepared for both occasions and not let them affect you. Even with a slow economy there are growing families that need homes, couple starting their lives together or couples that are down-sizing. Homes will always be needed, you just have to figure out how to get the word out about your house and who you are trying to sell to.

Preparing Your Home - Before you start to prep, take a step back and look at your house from a stranger’s viewpoint. If this is difficult, ask a friend whom will not have the emotional attachment to it you do. Think about spending a little to make improvements, making repairs, and fixing things that don’t fix. Touch up paint where needed, fix molding that is falling off, fix plumbing leaks, and anything else that needs fixing that you are able to do on your own. If you are not well skilled in home repairs, ask a bunch of friends to come over and make a party out of fixing up the house. No one ever said working had to be all dull and boring. This will increase the value of the home and will be more appealing to those that are looking to buy. Don’t forget that the people that are looking for a house don’t always want a fixer-upper, but mostly want something that they can move into quickly and make it their own home.

Marketing Your House - Use all the money you will be saving from not hiring an agent by spending it on advertising. Consider your target audience and how you will get the message to them. Plan out how you want to do the photographs, direct mail, e-flyers to housing tours, and print advertising. Now the footwork begins. Place a For Sale sign in your front yard with a place of flyers to sit in it. Post For Sale signs at busy intersections in the neighborhood. Place signs on telephone poles, school bulletin boards, church bulletin boards and the like. If you feel daunted by all of the passing and posting of flyers, ask some friends to pass out or post some for you. They may have access to an audience that you never thought of. All your efforts should be going towards increasing traffic and making your phone ring. Make your home accessible, open, and welcoming.

Negotiating FSBO - Once someone expresses that they want to buy your house the negotiation starts. Negotiating can be a bit nerve wracking, but don’t let it intimidate you. Remember you are the one that they want to buy from and are coming to you. If you are not sure on the starting price, research other homes in similar neighborhoods with the same sq footage and rooms. The internet can be your best friend in this since so many realtors and other FSBO's are posting their houses there too. Being a FSBO gives you the unique opportunity to negotiate directly with your buyer, as long as you are not paying a buyer’s agent fee. If you are going through an agent that represents a buyer, you will then be negotiating the offer contract with that agent.

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