Preparing to Sell Your Home

• Preparing to sell FSBO takes more than just getting the home ready; YOU need to get ready.
  
  
• Recognize that if you are to be successful, you should have a basic understand of the process and develop realistic expectations.
  
  

• Be unemotional about the sale.  Your home has meant a lot to you over the years but your buyer is not looking at the purchase through your eyes. Once you decide to sell your home, it simply becomes a business transaction and you must take the emotion out of it.

Here are a few of the "Must Do's" that have been suggested by many successful FSBO’s over the years.

1. Educate yourself on how long similar homes in your area are on the market before they sell.  You must be realistic or you can become prematurely disillusioned when you think your house should sell in a matter of days, when in fact the market dictates that it will take two to three months.  If you should sell sooner than expected, wonderful.
   
   
2. Price the home at or close to its true market value, not what you just think it’s worth.  Pricing should be based on market conditions (not emotion), and your level of motivation. Simply stated, the more you ask, the longer it will take and visa versa. 
   
   
3. Prepare to spend some money on advertising.  If Nike and Coca Cola still have to advertise, then so to must you!  You must let the market know your home is for sale.
   
   
4. Make yourself available for phone calls, setting appointments and showing the home.  However, as as FSBO, you (not an agent) are in control of your scheduling.  Your rewards are well worth it.
   
   
5. Be prepared to work with real estate agents if they have an interested buyer.  Anybody who can bring a qualified buyer is worth talking to - even if they come with a commission.  Commission is only one part of an offer and everything in real estate is negotiable.  Look at their offer, determine your "net", and then negotiate from there if needed.  

You must recognize that the successful sale
of your home depends on you.

All the marketing in the world can't sell an overpriced or ill-prepared house.  Anybody considering selling their own home should by all means attend one of our Home Selling Seminars.  The ideas covered in these informative sessions are proven methods to get homes sold!