For Sale by Owner (FSBO): 5 Easy Steps

Linda Marotto
Linda Marotto
Published on December 26, 2020
Alexas_Fotos / Pixabay

Selling a house for sale by owner isn’t easy. If you find that the prep work, listing process, marketing, advertising, showings, contracts, negotiations, legalities and closing process are all too much to handle alone, it’s never too late to bring on an agent.

1. Price

Researching the homes right in your neighborhood that have SOLD within the last 3-6 months, is the MOST up to date and reliable information to have when pricing your home.

You probably knew the prices of homes that were for sale as they were on the market. However, it is the SOLD price that really counts, in the eyes of a buyer and their lender.

The big-ticket items buyers are concerned about is, age of roof and age of Air Conditioner. You will need to know this information on the homes that just SOLD in your neighborhood, to be a comparable, so, adjust your purchase price accordingly.

Find Out How Much Your Home Is Worth

2. List Your Home

You will need to create a professional quality listing, meaning, you will need to put your “buyer’s glasses on”! View your home as if you were a buyer interested in purchasing your home. What would impress YOU to purchase, as you walk through the front door? LET’S GET STARTED

3. Market Your Home

Besides telling yours friends that you are selling For Sale by Owner, you will need to share your listing on social media. Along with your professional-like home For Sale by Owner listing, you will need to make your home stand out in all the right places.

For this, you can create quality online flyers and videos to get in front of home buyers that are ready to purchase. MARKET LIKE A PRO

4. Show Your Home

To attract the BEST offers when you are ready to list your home For Sale, leave a printed list of big-ticket items such as, age of roof, air conditioner, hot water heater, and appliances. Also, list the year you did updating, if any.

 Then, make sure all rooms are DEEP cleaned and smell GOOD, being sure there are NO FOOD smells or other odors lingering. Put the lights on in all the rooms.

Be sure to open all blinds to let the light shine into the home. Home buyers LOVE to walk in and see how light and open a home makes them feel! This is one of the quickest ways to getting the highest offers.

Most of all, take the pets with you, when you LEAVE the home for a showing. YES! Walk a few houses down the street. DO NOT ask the buyers if it is ok if we just sit in the other room.

Please just leave. It will be MOST beneficial to give the home buyers all the time and space they need to feel this home as being theirs. Show Like A Pro

5. Sell Your Home

Whether you are selling your first home or your fifth, when selling For Sale by Owner, get everything you need to sell your home with confidence. Be sure to have all the necessary paperwork already on hand. Familiarize yourself with these most important documents.

You may need to negotiate the buyer’s offer and terms. Ask the buyer for their pre-approval from their lender if they are not paying cash for this sale. Call their lender to make sure they can really afford to purchase your home. Find out how long it will take the lender to finalize the loan and be ready to close on this sale. You will need to put a closing date on the Purchase Contract.    

By following these, For Sale by Owner 5 simple steps, you will be creating a professional, quality listing For Sale. You will be on the TOP of buyer’s list as they are looking for their new home!

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