If you are interested in selling your home, why waste time and money on realtors who may or may not have your best interest at heart? Using these techniques, try selling it on your own!
First of all, as soon as you decide to sell your home, start thinking of it and referring to it as “that old house I have to get rid of so I can move into my real home.” This will help keep emotions out of the sale-don’t allow your emotions to make you unable to be objective about your sale.
You need to know just how much your property is worth on the open market. You can easily get this information about real estate prices in your area by entering your zip code information in an online database, or you can choose to hire a property appraiser.
Don’t forget, location is not the only key to successful real estate dealings. If you can choose when you go on the market then you are going to want to start the selling process when the demand for homes in your area is high.
That will assure you a better price on your home. You also want to strike when economy is booming because people will pay more for the home than in a bad economy.
Presentation is everything in real estate sales. Home buyers are attracted to clean, spacious, and attractive houses, so you are going to want to brighten-up the house and remove all of the clutter from counter tops, tables, and rooms.
You can list your home for free on various websites to provide you with Internet exposure. You should also place some ads in classifieds and penny savers in your areas as well.
Tell everyone you meet that your home is for sale. Ask the bank teller, the supermarket clerk, the dry cleaner, the barber, the person handing out bulletins at your church: “Do you know of anyone who’s looking for a home?
Partner with a bank, title company, or mortgage broker who can provide a 24 hour hot-line for your home, or one that has a website. A for sale by owner hot-line or web site will feed leads to whomever provided you with the hot-line.
In return, you won’t have to answer the phone during dinner, won’t ever forget a “selling feature” of the home, won’t ever miss a call, and should receive an email with each inquiry so you can follow up whenever it is convenient for you. The recording encourages “looky loos” to inquire without wasting your time.
Selling a home is a numbers game, so the more people that know all the great qualities of your home, the better chance of them telling a friend or family member that your home is for sale and is a great buy. Make certain that you can get a list of all the callers in case you want to adjust the price or add a new feature.
Most sellers assume that the buyer has been through the process and know the stages of buying a home. The fact is, that this is one of the many valuable services that a Realtor would normally provide, but now it is left to you, the seller, to walk them through choosing a mortgage broker to getting to the closing table.
By aligning yourself with a local mortgage company first, you are giving the loan officer leads in return for assisting you with the transaction, a virtual win-win. Mortgage brokers often have clients that are approved but have yet to find a home; this is a great way to tap into their client list to find a qualified buyer.
When it is time to close on an offer that a buyer had made, take the offer to your lawyer and have a deal made. If you don’t like the buyer’s offer, don’t just say no.
Always make a counter offer. If you can’t come down in price at all, offer to leave all the area rugs or the washer/dryer.
You might just make a sale. Better to buy a new washer/dryer than pay 2 or 4 or 6 more months of mortgage payments on a house you don’t want to live in anymore.
As you can see, selling your own home can be very complicated, but with the right help and advice, can save you money. Make sure that you are thorough, and don’t miss any steps, and you will be well on your way to making a good deal!
Jack R. Landry has worked in real estate since 1988 as an expert on home buying and construction. He has written hundreds of articles on real estate and recommends (http://www.alwaysaffordablehomes.com) for new construction.
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