Buying a house is probably the biggest financial investment most people make. So when they decide to sell their house, it’s only natural that they’d want to get the highest possible returns from the investment. This is why some homeowners have opted to sell their homes without involving an agent or realtor. This is a method referred to as the ‘For Sale By Owner’ or FSBO.
An FSBO can potentially save you a significant amount of money considering that agents charge about 6 or 7% of the sale value in commission fees. This means that you would ideally exempt yourself from paying an agent over $15,000 for a house you’ve sold for $300,000.
If you’re going to pull this off successfully, here are 5 tips that will help you sell your house by yourself.
1. Make Your House ‘Sale-Ready’
Before listing your house for sale, you should make sure it’s well prepared for potential buyers to come and have a look. Make sure that the place has been cleaned and repainted if possible.
If there are any refurbishments to be made, get them done before having a buyer come in just to see a half-made house. No one wants to spend hundreds of thousands on a house just to move in and pay for renovations.
2. Hold an Open House
Planning an open house is a great way for potential buyers to get a deeper look into the house. Doing so on a weekend’s late morning when people are free will ensure you get high traffic to your house. Remember to act professionally because you’re giving people the first impressions of your house.
3. Set a Competitive Price
The sentimental value you hold for your house should not prompt you to make the mistake of pricing your house higher than the average market price. If you’re not sure how to price your house, just go online and look up home pricing calculators.
They’ll give you an accurate estimate based on the location of your house, the square footage it sits on, and the number of bedrooms and bathrooms available.
4. Market Your Property
Make sure that you advertise your house across the appropriate mediums such as the internet on Zillow and Get Report as well as the MLS (Multiple Listing Service). The MLS has the most comprehensive list of real estate properties for sale across the United States and a lot of buyers use it to scout potential properties.
5. Make Sure You Comply With Housing Laws
If you’re going to sell your house on your own, then you should understand there are real estate laws that you need to adhere to. For instance, the Fair Housing Act states that house sellers cannot discriminate against buyers because of their race, sexual preference, or religion.
Consult a Professional If You Feel You’re Out of Your Depth
The first thing that comes to mind once you’ve decided to sell your property is looking for a real estate agent and rightfully so. Agents do provide a lot of potential benefits such as price negotiations and the large networks of potential buyers they have.
If you’re one of those people who simply don’t have the time and are always like ‘I want to sell my house, and I want to sell my house fast, York, PA, has incredible agents who could help you with that.