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For Sale by Owner Mistakes and Misconceptions

Updated: Jul 24, 2020

Selling your home by yourself doesn’t have to be a daunting process. However, several homeowners make it seem like this. In many situations, the main reason for that is the common mistakes and misconceptions associated with for sale by owner (FSBO).

By avoiding those mistakes and clearing those misconceptions, a homeowner can sell his property in a stress-free and in an efficient way.


Here are common mistakes and misconceptions associated with FSBO.


Selling The Home When it’s Not Ready

One of the most common mistakes homeowners make is putting them to sale when they are not in a salable condition. It’s critical to have a look at the overall condition of the house and perform any renovations and repairs before you put on sale.

Your house may need minor repairs, repaints, and complete cleaning to make it presentable for potential buyers and get a decent deal on it. Make sure you don’t make this common mistake when you are selling your home.


Pricing Your Home And Gradually Lowering if it Doesn’t Sell

Many homeowners have a misconception that pricing their house high can give them an extra room for negotiations. It has the opposite effect. Most buyers can determine the real worth of a property and can easily find yours overpriced. Hence, they won’t be interested to negotiate a deal with you and your property can sit idle on the market.


List your house for a sale at a realistic price, this will allow to get the attention of serious buyers and get it sold quickly.


Being Dishonest With Potential Buyers

Another mistake home sellers make is being dishonest with potential buyers.

When you are selling a home directly, make sure you disclose everything to the interested buyer. Disclosing any defects that you have in your home will help you make a fair deal, while it will promote trust. Also, it will keep you out of trouble with potential lawsuits in the future.


Not Hiring A Real Estate Agent

You might think you are better off selling your home on your own and save money on the commission you would pay to a real estate agent. This may sound good in theory, but practically you might fail to sell your property without taking help from a real estate agent.

You may not know but only 10% of homes are sold as FSBO. This primarily because estate agents have the all skills and experience to attract potential buyers and sell properties at a realistic price.


Keeping Unrealistic Expectations

Another popular mistake home sellers make is keeping unrealistic expectations of the home selling process. Although every home seller wants their property to get sold quickly and at their anticipated prices, however, that’s not always the case.


Remember, each home sale is unique in its way and might take more time from the usual. Keeping unrealistic expectations can quickly disappoint and frustrate anyone who has not been able to sell their house at the expected time. Hence, there is a chance they will get into the wrong deal.

 
 
 

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