How to Get Ready to Sell Your House

If you want to sell your house on your own, without a realtor, here is some helpful suggestions.

Difficulty: Moderate

Instructions

1. Decide on a price of your home by looking at your local newspaper for recent listings of homes for sale or pick up a for sale by owner or real estate books. You can also look online at yahoo real estate or check out the website of local real estate agencies in your town and the prices of home they have listed. It will give you some great information as to what your home will be go for.

2. Advertise your home and give it a lot of exposure- List it in your local newspaper, craigslist.com, for sale by owner book and websites. Yahoo lists your home for a small fee. Place a "For Sale" sign on your front lawn and attach sheets with basic information about your home, your times of showing and phone number. Host an open house one weekend. When

3. Decide what days and hours are best for you to show your home, include it in the ad or you can state shown by appointment only.

4. Maintain a clean organized home when showing the buyers. Clear away all dishes from the sink, vacuum and dust, don’t leave any clothes on the floor, keep bathrooms clean, if there are rooms that have too much items or furniture, move them, you want buyers to see the size of the rooms, Keep the outside of your home clean. keep your lawn well kept and maintained. When buyers see the condition of your lawn and outside of your home, it will either draw away or draw to viewing your home.

5. If you have a buyer interested in your home, make sure he/she qualifies for a mortgage loan to cover the price you are asking. If they offer $8,000- $10,000 less than your listing price, counter the offer they presented and tell them why. Continue to bring out the appealing features of your home, any major updates and repairs done.

6. When you do get a serious buyer that wants to buy the home and agrees on the price you are asking for, then you need a real estate lawyer to prepare the sales documents and any other necessary paperwork for the sale of your home. The buyer’s mortgage lender should order a title search, order an appraisal of your home and also a surveyor and then issue a commitment. A closing date must be agreed with the buyer and yourself.

[Kathymcbain]

on 1/10/2009 These are great tips for selling your home on your own.

[Ladybugblue]

on 1/9/2009 Thanks, good article!