For those of you who are planning to sell your house, you may be confused as to whether or not you should take in the services of a realtor. There are pros and cons with each option, so the choice is all up to your personal preference and needs. However, if you want to save as much money as you can from your sale then it is best for you to go without a realtor.
That being said, here are tips and tricks to guide you when trying to sell your house without a real estate agent:
- Have your home valued or assessed.
One of the most basic points that you should start with is to have your home valued or assessed. It is from this valuation that you can create a basis as to how much you are going to price your home. You need to price your home correctly if you want to be attractive to potential buyers.
Here’s where you can have your home estimated, valued or assessed:
- Ask your neighbors if they have any idea as to the price of their home.
- Check online for homes around your area, with a size identical to yours, for you to see how much the current rate is.
- Ask your friends who are realtors if they can give you friendly advice as to the current price of your house without any commitment.
- Check online valuators for a free assessment.
- Visit the local assessor’s office of your city, town or district.
- Remove some of your belongings that you no longer need to use.
Early on when deciding to sell your home, you should also take the time to remove the belongings that you will no longer need to use. You have three options with what to do with these things: sell, keep, or donate. For things that you have to keep, refrain from keeping these in your home.
Remember that you are trying to market your home. When potential buyers walk in your room, you need to give them enough space to imagine how the house will be like with their own personal belongings in it and how much storage space they can have. All these cannot be answered if you also have many things still scattered around the house. The best recourse for you to do is to start packing up these things and store them in a nearby storage facility while you wait to move into your new home.
- Advertise your property.
With advancements in technology, advertising products and services for sale should no longer be as difficult. There are many avenues on the Internet that you can use to your advantage, most of which are even for free. For example, you can use your social media accounts for the time being to post pictures and details of your house. With this, your current network of friends are made aware that you are selling your home, and can also spread the word and share this to their network as well.
Other means of advertising that you can use include:
- Sending emails to your friends, family, and colleagues about the sale of your home.
- Posting photos and details of your house on free websites that advertise houses for sale, such as Nexus Homebuyers.
- Posting physical photos of your house on conspicuous and public areas where the posting of bills and other posters are allowed.
Although having to do all these by yourself would mean more hard work on your part, the savings that you can gain after not hiring a realtor also makes every drop of effort worth it.
- Deep clean your home before visitors come in, and before taking photos.
Every time there is a scheduled visit to your home by potential buyers, do take time to first deep clean your house. This step is especially crucial if, while waiting for your house to be sold, you are also still residing in this home. You wouldn’t want potential buyers to see your house dirty or in a negative condition lest this can drive them away from making a purchase. Buyers always want to see homes that are in perfect and pristine condition.
Apart from cleaning, there are other physical preparations that you will have to do as well:
- Fix and repair any broken or old areas
- Fix the lighting to make the rooms look more inviting, such as having warm hues
- Repaint any areas that are in dire need of a fresh coat of paint
- Obtain Your Energy Performance Certificate.
Before anyone can successfully sell their home, one of the most important documents that you should also obtain is the Energy Performance Certificate. This document is issued by your local assessor and is used to measure the current energy standing of your home. Most of the prudent buyers also look for this document, as it serves as one of their starting comparisons between your home and other possible houses they are looking at.
- Schedule an Open House.
After you have already posted your home for sale on the Internet for a considerable amount of time, you should now go one step further by scheduling an Open House. It is during this Open House that potential buyers will come in, go around, and have a look at your home. During your Open House, your house should be in a perfect and homey condition.
Additionally, because you do not have a realtor, you also have to be your best self on that day. Imagine yourself welcoming guests into your house for a party and being hospitable to them. This same principle should apply now that you are hosting potential buyers in your home. To make the day as light for you as possible, if you have friends to help you out, ask for their assistance, too. They can help welcome guests, tour them around the house, and even go one step further by serving drinks and refreshments. It doesn’t have to be expensive-even a simple glass of water on a hot day can already keep your potential buyers happy.
Conclusion
Before coming across this article, perhaps your feelings were mostly that of anxiety and being daunted by the thought of selling your house without a realtor. Admittedly, hiring one can be costly, and if you want to maximize the amount you are getting from selling your home, then you should try selling without a real estate agent. Now that you have these tips to guide you, you should be able to come to terms with the things that you must do to sell without a realtor.
