If you are thinking about selling your home, you’ll have a big descion to make. Should you hire a real estate agent who will work hard to bring potential buyers to you but will take a good sized commission from the sale, or should you handle the sale yourself and keep all of the profits? While having a dedicated agent working may seem like the way to go, in today’s world, many homeowners are finding that selling their home themselves not only saves them a great deal of money, but is much easier than they first thought.
One of the main reasons that FSBO (for sale by owner) works out so well for the seller is because in today’s world the Internet is so widely used for those who are house hunting. Potential buyers simply log on at home, search through available houses and then decide which they would like to see in person. There is no reason why you need to have an agent for this very crucial step. Another reason to handle this by yourself is that FSBO homes are appealing to the buyers. They know that you will not be handing over a big commission check to an agent; therefore they expect the pricing to be lower. You can sell your home yourself and keep all of the profit by following some simple guidelines.
Let’s talk about how to handle the process of making your home appealing and inviting to potential buyers, giving you the same advice that an agent would do. First, you need to make your home appealing to a wide range of potential buyers and not just those with your particular taste. You will want the outside of your home to draw people in and for the inside of your home to allow potential buyers to picture themselves living there.
Sprucing up the outside is known as curb appeal. You only have one chance to make a first impression, and this is done by creating a welcoming environment around your house. Remove any clutter, put those garbage cans away and have the lawn trimmed. If your home needs the shutters painted or a new handle on the garage door, now is the time to do it. You will also want to leave your driveway clear. Why? Because your goal is to make potential buyers picture your home being their home. When they come to look at your house, they should be able to pull up into your driveway and park there, just as they would if they purchased the property.
In regard to the inside of your home, you will want a clean slate. When a potential buyer walks into the house, your goal will be that they will easily be able to imagine how their furniture and possessions will look in each room. Therefore, you will want to remove personal photographs of family members, any knickknack collections and have all rooms clean as a whistle. If you have bold color schemes you may find that spending a bit on repainting your rooms in neutral shades will go a long way in your success of selling quickly. If your bedspread is a leopard print, consider switching it out for monotone beige. Keep children’s toys tucked away in containers and put away those photo albums. If a room seems too cluttered with furniture, remove any unnecessary pieces. Once you believe that you have created a welcoming and neutral environment, have a walk through and ask friends and family members for feedback to make sure that you have reached your goals.