Maurice Gilmore - SECRETS FOR SELLING YOUR HOME ALONE

It is clear that the owner knows their house best, making it easy for them to focus on promoting the good aspects of the house and downplaying the bad. With this, however, comes the challenge of cleaning and preparing the house for a viewing. Cleaning and preparing means that the house needs to be thoroughly cleaned inside and out, and emptied of personal objects and unnecessary furniture in order to make the house look as cozy and comfortable as possible, while simultaneously making the space seem neutral and adaptable. The seller must not only be able to present the house in an appealing, professional way, but must also help the buyer imagine himself living there—all while negotiating the best possible price. As for decision-making, FSBO does indeed grant the owner the authority to make all the decisions involved in the sale without having them brokered by an agent. That brings a definite plus as far as individual privacy goes, considering that the owner can schedule any and all viewings according to their own availability and preferences. The final price negotiation will also take place between the owner and the buyer, without an extra person in between. That sounds nice enough in theory, but in practice, it has its downsides. Making all the decisions and negotiating the final price yourself entail a huge amount of responsibility. That responsibility is particularly hard to bear for those with no real estate experience and/or no extensive house market pricing knowledge, and is a major contributing factor to just how many FSBO sellers end up agreeing to sell their house for less than the listed market value.

#2—THE UNEXPECTED CONS OF FSBO

The debate over real estate agent vs. FSBO sales has been getting more and more heated over the past several years. However, even

4

Powered by