Jym Davis

Selling your home can seem like a daunting task when you think of the laws, the market, and trying to make sure you do not lose money overall. The number of people who are choosing to cut out the middle man, the real estate agent, is on the rise everyday. Many see the real estate agent as someone only after money and getting their share, so they choose to sell their home on their own.

If you are thinking about selling your home without an agent there are a few things that will help ensure a successful sale. Realize that selling your home yourself will take some time and dedication on your part.

Start by researching homes in your general area that are on the market. The closer they are, and the more comparable to your home the better. Try to find homes within a mile radius that have similar square feet, the same type of home by architecture, and same number of bedrooms/baths. Find out what they are selling for. This will give you a rough baseline to start your pricing.

After you have determined this, then look at the smaller details. Have you replaced the heating/air in recent years? Does your home have a fireplace, or fenced in yard? Do you have any high grade appliances, such as stainless steel, that come with the house? These are among the many things that can increase your asking price.

Give yourself negotiating room. Don’t start your asking price at the absolute lowest that you will or can accept.

Before you put your house on the market, and begin to actually sell your home, make sure it is “primed”. Clean out unnecessary clutter. Buyers will look for a clean, attractive, spacious home. If it is cluttered with furniture, books, clothes, etc., your home will appear smaller and dirtier.

When selling your home without an agent, it will be up to you to make your home sell itself. Most buyers will immediately be drawn to the kitchen and bathrooms. Spice up these areas with a well placed vase of flowers, or a bowl of fruit. If you do not have any idea what I mean by this, you may want to hire a home stager. They will come in and be able to make the most of every room in your house and increase the appeal it will have on potential buyers.

While all of this will greatly increase your odds of selling your home without an agent, the inside of your home is not all that likely needs attention. Something as simple as a creaky front door can immediately draw bad attention from your potential buyer. Walk through your home from the front door, and through every room. Ask a friend or co-worker to do this too; as you may be so accustomed to your home you may not notice some of the little things.

Outside, stand at the street or very edge of your property and simply look. What do you notice? Are there a lot of weeds along the walk way that could be cleared? Are tree branches blocking the view of your home? Are there toys everywhere? Ensure that your potential home buyers are not already having negative thoughts before they even get inside! Mow the lawn, trim the weeds and branches, remove clutter, and clean the windows.

Once you have done everything you can to make sure that your home is staged and ready to go, then you can begin your selling process. Do not become frustrated if it does not sell in a week. Sometimes it will be on the market for longer than what you expect it to be. If time passes and you absolutely have no idea why it is not selling, it would be a good idea to bring in the home stager. (If you didn’t already) They can often quickly identify things that may be turning your potential buyers away.

It is very possible to sell your home without an agent if you do your research and are willing to put in this time. Make sure you have an effective marketing strategy. Place ads on the internet, in newspapers, and with flyers. Hold an open house, and definitely have flyers there so people can take them when they leave, who knows they may come back the next day with an offer!

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