When you sell your own home it has to look as neat and spacious as possible. If prospective buyers have the impression it's stuffed to the rafters with everything you have accumulated over the years, they react in a totally irrational manner.
Psychologically they decide there is no room for their belongings in the house. Common sense dictates that the clutter will walk out of the door when the present owners move, but the human brain doesn't work that way.
Removing clutter from closets, cupboards, shelves and drawers is imperative when you sell your own home. And don't forget the garage, basement and attic. Stuff you can live without, get rid of permanently. Hold a garage sale or yard sale and/or donate things to charitable organizations. And what nobody wants goes to the dump.
Those things that you simply can't part with, because you may someday use them again, pack in boxes. But get those boxes out of the house! Stash them in a friend's garage or rent temporary storage space.
Once you have thoroughly cleared out everything that's not essential, replace what's left in an orderly fashion. When you sell your own home, you want potential buyers to open a closet and find roomy shelves with only two boxes on them, one neatly marked "scarves" and the other "gloves".
Interested parties see space they can use and they also note that the homeowner is organized, tidy, and clean. They'll want to move in!
Having your home look better than you've seen it in years makes it not only more saleable, but it will also fetch top dollar.
Tips for selling yourself
If you're considering selling your home yourself, this information will help you to have your house sold quickly, while other, similar homes remain on the market for months. Do whatever it takes to make your house more attractive and better maintained than similar homes on the market.
When preparing to sell your house, try to see it not as your home, but as a product for sale. You can no longer be emotionally attached, even if you have been living there for all or most of your life. Detaching yourself isn't easy, but it's necessary in order to sell your home successfully.
Start by making a real effort to look at the house the way a prospective buyer would look at it. What impression does a first-time visitor have? Ask friends and neighbors for their honest opinion. What do they like and what should be made more appealing?
The three crucial factors for selling a house are Location, Price and Appearance You can't change the location, you've set a fair price; now concentrate on preparing your house for the market.
Since you are selling your home yourself, one of the best ways to prove to potential buyers that you are a responsible seller, is by showing that your home has been certified by a professional home inspector.
Preparing Your House for Showing:
First check the exterior. How do house, lawn and driveway look from the street? Is everything neat and tidy? What could be made to look better? If a potential buyer likes what he sees outside, he'll be more anxious to look inside.
Inside the house, inspect every room, checking to see if walls could use a fresh coat of paint. Are any floors or carpets in need of repair? Are the windows sparkling? Are all the lights working? Remove clutter, especially from closets.
This web site has lots of information on selling your home yourself. But if you want a detailed step-by-step guide, check out the FSBO How-To e-book. The author, Pat MacLean, shares her personal experiences selling homes, both with and without the aid of real estate agents. You’ll gain insights into the real estate system. Most importantly you'll learn the secrets to selling your home yourself; quickly, easily and with more money in your pocket than if you had used an agent.
When preparing to sell your house, try to see it not as your home, but as a product for sale. You can no longer be emotionally attached, even if you have been living there for all or most of your life. Detaching yourself isn't easy, but it's necessary in order to sell your home successfully.
Start by making a real effort to look at the house the way a prospective buyer would look at it. What impression does a first-time visitor have? Ask friends and neighbors for their honest opinion. What do they like and what should be made more appealing?
The three crucial factors for selling a house are Location, Price and Appearance You can't change the location, you've set a fair price; now concentrate on preparing your house for the market.
Since you are selling your home yourself, one of the best ways to prove to potential buyers that you are a responsible seller, is by showing that your home has been certified by a professional home inspector.
Preparing Your House for Showing:
First check the exterior. How do house, lawn and driveway look from the street? Is everything neat and tidy? What could be made to look better? If a potential buyer likes what he sees outside, he'll be more anxious to look inside.
Inside the house, inspect every room, checking to see if walls could use a fresh coat of paint. Are any floors or carpets in need of repair? Are the windows sparkling? Are all the lights working? Remove clutter, especially from closets.
This web site has lots of information on selling your home yourself. But if you want a detailed step-by-step guide, check out the FSBO How-To e-book. The author, Pat MacLean, shares her personal experiences selling homes, both with and without the aid of real estate agents. You’ll gain insights into the real estate system. Most importantly you'll learn the secrets to selling your home yourself; quickly, easily and with more money in your pocket than if you had used an agent.
Open House
Here are open house ideas to help you make your For Sale by Owner Open House warm, friendly and bustling; unlike the cold and dreary affairs real estate agents organize.
Open houses held by agents always seem to have an atmosphere of solemn desperation. The agent sits where he can see the front door and looks bored. He can't be bothered to get up and greet the visitor; he won't volunteer any information or advice unless asked.
It is debatable whether or not you need an open house at all. But if you decide you want to start your selling-your-home-yourself experience with one, then these open house ideas will help to make it a success.
As visitors arrive at the door, let them know that you are pleased they came. Greet them as if they were your very special guests. Explain that you will walk them through first, answering questions as you go. After that they may spend as much time as they wish, on their own.
Once you have set a date for your open house, make copies of the feature sheet of your home, the home inspection report, the certificate of appraisal, and the lot plan (if available). Every visitor who seems seriously interested should leave with these papers.
But don't hand them out before you've given the tour. You don't want people to be distracted trying to read about room sizes and taxes while you are walking them through the house that you have so meticulously staged for this occasion.
These open house ideas were excerpted from chapter 10 of the FSBO How-To e-book, where you will find much more information, including a sample Feature Sheet, and Guest Register and Visitor Comment forms that you can make copies of.
Open houses held by agents always seem to have an atmosphere of solemn desperation. The agent sits where he can see the front door and looks bored. He can't be bothered to get up and greet the visitor; he won't volunteer any information or advice unless asked.
It is debatable whether or not you need an open house at all. But if you decide you want to start your selling-your-home-yourself experience with one, then these open house ideas will help to make it a success.
As visitors arrive at the door, let them know that you are pleased they came. Greet them as if they were your very special guests. Explain that you will walk them through first, answering questions as you go. After that they may spend as much time as they wish, on their own.
Once you have set a date for your open house, make copies of the feature sheet of your home, the home inspection report, the certificate of appraisal, and the lot plan (if available). Every visitor who seems seriously interested should leave with these papers.
But don't hand them out before you've given the tour. You don't want people to be distracted trying to read about room sizes and taxes while you are walking them through the house that you have so meticulously staged for this occasion.
These open house ideas were excerpted from chapter 10 of the FSBO How-To e-book, where you will find much more information, including a sample Feature Sheet, and Guest Register and Visitor Comment forms that you can make copies of.
phone answering
Before you tell the world that you are selling your own home, you should think about what telephone number to use in your advertising. Do you want to receive calls about the house at your current phone number at any time, day or night?
Consider that when a call comes in about your home there should not be any annoying background noise, (loud TV, crying children, barking dog, etc) so you can handle the conversation without distraction. Besides, when the phone rings, it may not be an opportune time for you to field the call.
A second phone line that is answered by voice mail can solve the problem. Use that dedicated number in all your Internet postings, ads and signs. Calls will be answered by a message where you describe the major features of your house and politely ask the caller to leave a name and number if he or she is interested in making an appointment to view your home.
Check your messages regularly during the day and evenings and return calls as soon as possible. When people leave a number, they expect to hear back promptly. Keep your recorded message to two minutes or less. When selling your own home, write out everything you like about your home, and then work the most appealing features into your message. You can say a lot in less than two minutes, without sounding like a chipmunk.
Having phone calls answered by a voice mail eliminates wasting your time with callers who realize from the recording that your home is not what they are looking for. As well, you will not be jarred from sleep by that thoughtless person who happened to see your Selling Your Own Home ad after he got home late at night.
Consider that when a call comes in about your home there should not be any annoying background noise, (loud TV, crying children, barking dog, etc) so you can handle the conversation without distraction. Besides, when the phone rings, it may not be an opportune time for you to field the call.
A second phone line that is answered by voice mail can solve the problem. Use that dedicated number in all your Internet postings, ads and signs. Calls will be answered by a message where you describe the major features of your house and politely ask the caller to leave a name and number if he or she is interested in making an appointment to view your home.
Check your messages regularly during the day and evenings and return calls as soon as possible. When people leave a number, they expect to hear back promptly. Keep your recorded message to two minutes or less. When selling your own home, write out everything you like about your home, and then work the most appealing features into your message. You can say a lot in less than two minutes, without sounding like a chipmunk.
Having phone calls answered by a voice mail eliminates wasting your time with callers who realize from the recording that your home is not what they are looking for. As well, you will not be jarred from sleep by that thoughtless person who happened to see your Selling Your Own Home ad after he got home late at night.
Screening callers
When you sell your home yourself, you want to be careful whom you let in the door to show your house to. Gather as much information as you can when someone calls to make an appointment. That way, when the doorbell rings, you have a way of making certain that it is the person you are expecting.
Before you agree to show your home, make an effort to engage the caller in a friendly conversation. Try to find out whether this is a potential buyer or just a "tire kicker". If the caller is not planning to move within the next few months, there is no sense wasting your time with him or her.
Once a date and time to show your home has been set, ask the caller how many people are coming and what make and color car will they be coming in? When they arrive, a quick look in the driveway is a safety precaution.
In chapter 8 of the FSBO How-To ebook you will find Telephone Profile Form you can copy and use when people respond to your for sale by owner ads or signs. When you sell your home yourself, keep copies of this form by the phone; it is designed to help you gather information you should have handy when the caller comes to see your home.
The form helps organize your appointments. Read it quickly before the prospective buyer arrives to remind yourself about details of your conversation. By asking about something personal when you greet the visitor, you immediately create a friendly atmosphere.
While you were chatting on the phone, you might have written on the Telephone Profile Form that the caller said his family would like a pool. Dig out some photos showing how much fun your family and friends had around the pool. Every little effort helps when you sell your home yourself.
Before you agree to show your home, make an effort to engage the caller in a friendly conversation. Try to find out whether this is a potential buyer or just a "tire kicker". If the caller is not planning to move within the next few months, there is no sense wasting your time with him or her.
Once a date and time to show your home has been set, ask the caller how many people are coming and what make and color car will they be coming in? When they arrive, a quick look in the driveway is a safety precaution.
In chapter 8 of the FSBO How-To ebook you will find Telephone Profile Form you can copy and use when people respond to your for sale by owner ads or signs. When you sell your home yourself, keep copies of this form by the phone; it is designed to help you gather information you should have handy when the caller comes to see your home.
The form helps organize your appointments. Read it quickly before the prospective buyer arrives to remind yourself about details of your conversation. By asking about something personal when you greet the visitor, you immediately create a friendly atmosphere.
While you were chatting on the phone, you might have written on the Telephone Profile Form that the caller said his family would like a pool. Dig out some photos showing how much fun your family and friends had around the pool. Every little effort helps when you sell your home yourself.
Home Inspection
Presenting a home inspection report builds trust and establishes your integrity when selling your own home.
You've heard all the derogatory remarks about used car salesman. Well, many real estate people have the same kind of reputation.
When you sell your house by yourself you will be more successful in getting the price you want by proving to the potential buyer that you are a decent, upright person they can trust.
One of the many ways to do that is by showing that your home has recently been certified by a professional home inspector.
Showing a prospective purchaser a written home inspection report issued by a licensed, reputable home inspector carries a lot more weight than any verbal assurances.
The key words are unbiased, qualified and licensed. Be careful whom you hire to inspect your home. Calling your friend, the handyman or some small outfit with no reputation would be a mistake; your home inspection report would not have any credibility.
To find the right person for the job, ask a real estate lawyer and/or search www.nachi.org in the USA or www.cahi.ca in Canada.
Once you've found a suitable candidate, you'll want to be certain he does indeed have the right credentials. A list of 11 questions to ask is in Chapter 4 of the FSBO How-To e-book.
You've heard all the derogatory remarks about used car salesman. Well, many real estate people have the same kind of reputation.
When you sell your house by yourself you will be more successful in getting the price you want by proving to the potential buyer that you are a decent, upright person they can trust.
One of the many ways to do that is by showing that your home has recently been certified by a professional home inspector.
Showing a prospective purchaser a written home inspection report issued by a licensed, reputable home inspector carries a lot more weight than any verbal assurances.
The key words are unbiased, qualified and licensed. Be careful whom you hire to inspect your home. Calling your friend, the handyman or some small outfit with no reputation would be a mistake; your home inspection report would not have any credibility.
To find the right person for the job, ask a real estate lawyer and/or search www.nachi.org in the USA or www.cahi.ca in Canada.
Once you've found a suitable candidate, you'll want to be certain he does indeed have the right credentials. A list of 11 questions to ask is in Chapter 4 of the FSBO How-To e-book.
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