1. Pay close attention to the market! You will have a better encounter of selling home sale by owner at the price you are asking for if the current housing market is hot. Don’t forget, if you sell in a hot market, you will most in all likelihood be purchasing in the same type of market. Make sure you respond quickly to offers and be prepared to be aggressive in your search for your next home.   Also, be ready to receive telephone calls from real estate investors looking to low ball you.  Don’t be offended, that’s just what they do.

2. In a weak market don’t overprice! Your selling price is determined by the current market not by an appraisal, nor by what you have to get or want out of the sale. If your house is not priced competitively with the current market buyers will be looking at other properties, not yours. The longer your house stays on the market the bigger the danger of incurring extra expenses like carrying costs and maintenance.

3. You don’t want your listing to become stale! The longer your home is on the market the less likely you are to get your full asking price. If properties in your area are selling (especially by home sale by owner) and you are not acquiring any serious offers, make changes! Re-think your asking price, offer incentives, or make some improvements or repairs. Then make sure your changes are mentioned in your advertising.

4. If something needs to be fixed, fix it! Make sure you make all the essential repairs even the little ones. They are most likely the least expensive of the repairs to fix. Do not think potential buyers will not notice the little things, they do. Little repairs can add up to look like too many repairs and turn buyers off.

5. Before your house is on the market, make necessary repairs, especially large ones! – if it’s not conceivable, adjust your desired price consequently. You need to be honest and up-front with your buyer. If you try to hide large repairs you are going to get caught and lose the buyer and your time. In this business sector, time can for certain costs you money.