How To Sell Your Home Yourself (For Sale By Owner Suggestions)

In 1997 my husband got a job offer which meant we would need to move four states away from our home of the last seven years.

We had added numerous plantings to our home, which really enhanced the grounds, plus we had added an in-ground pool and a large concrete deck area for entertaining. We also ordered a custom building with windows; it included a shingle roof, and window boxes for flowers. We used the building as a pool house and lawn mower storage, etc.

This whole area was a really nice addition to our already manicured home.

When it came time to sell the house, we were torn as to what we should do. Should we sell ourselves or entrust the selling of our home to a reliable real-estate agent.

We chose to let an agent or should I say agents list our home. We went with a couple, they were not married, just partners in realty. They came across as very aggressive and knowledgeable. They made us feel they could and would sell our home fairly quickly. We wanted quick seeing we had to spend time apart already. My husband had begun commuting back and forth there, working in the state we were moving to.

So of course we wanted to sell fast, but we also wanted to get a good price for the home, especially since we had done so much to improve on the home, inside and out.

It was actually our first home we had bought together, and it had some sentimental value too. But getting it sold at a fair price was what we had hoped for and the right couple, well that would be nice also.

Well we went with the agents mentioned above, and we gave them a six month contract, to get the home sold. They promised it would be priced according to the comps they pulled, and it would be a fair price for the home.

The price was set, we agreed to their list price and the sign went up. Well five months went by and still the home wasn’t sold, we didn’t have any good prospects looming and we were growing very tired of the same excuses we got from the realtors.

The first thing they felt we needed to do was lower the price. Even though other homes were selling really close by, ones nowhere near as nice as ours, they were selling at great prices, but yet ours was sitting.

Our home was clean, very appealing, the yard was immaculate, and it was decorated as if something out of a magazine. But it wasn’t selling. Our agents rarely showed the home, we had only one open house which we had to suggest. So we felt no showings no sales, right.

That night my husband and I sat down and talked it over, we had decided this team wasn’t getting the job done. So what do we do?

We called the agents and gave them the news, we were done with them. We parted ways with them and decided to attempt the selling of our own home. We had never sold a home before, but we felt if anybody could sell it, it would be the ones that knew it the best, us.

Well that (us) became me, because my husband was already living in the other state most of the time. We had shipped most of our furniture already to our new house. So our old house only had a few items left.

For the next two weeks I put all of my time into putting out a sign, not for sale by owner, but a generic sign, HOME FOR SALE, and next I had By Appointment Only and gave the number to call.

My parents lived only a few minutes away and so my mother decided to come over to help and be with me for support.  We began holding OPEN HOUSES each day for the next two weeks.

The agents had told us that open houses really didn’t sell homes, and that we were too high with our pricing.

I wasn’t going to lower my price especially since the home had not been shown and there was no concrete evidence from anyone saying, well if it wasn’t so high we would buy it.

I stuck to my guns, decided to raise the price, hoping to generate more traffic and a different caliber of lookers. I made sure the flowers in the yard were fresh and beautiful, and the mulch was kept neat as a pin and clean. I kept the porches swept, the yard mowed, and the pool area clean.

It was spotless, and it showed well, even with only partial furniture.

I also put fresh flowers on the counter in the kitchen, with a beautiful vase; balloons were hung on the sign outside when we decided to have an open house. I had a place on the sign designed where we could add or take away OPEN HOUSE TODAY….

It worked; we sold the home within two weeks after putting it on the market ourselves. Not only did we sell the house, we got more for it. Sometimes reverse psychology works, even in real-estate.

Now I was able to go and be with my husband and start my new

life in another state.

House story number 2……

Now it was time to sell again, we had bought a home, a patio home in the new state we had moved to. It was all brick and it was located on a golf course. We had only lived in the home for a little over two years. This time we had only done a few changes to this home, but again we had it beautifully decorated and it was clean and immaculate. It was really cute house and in a desirable neighborhood.

We had a chance to move back home and we decided to go for it, since missing family members real bad.

Again we chose to use a very aggressive and informative Realtor. She was very familiar with our neighborhood, having several listings in our neighborhood and numerous sales here too.

This area though was a tough market; it was a slow turn around. Houses were not moving very fast. We gave her the listing on the hopes she would get it sold quickly. We were flexible this time, we were ready to do anything to get sold and move on.

She put up her sign, and nothing happened. Months began to pass by, no activity on the house, even though she kept giving us excuses as to why nothing was happening. We had two showings over the last three months, that was unheard of, not to mention sad……. Right????

We called a meeting, asking for suggestions. And maybe some OPEN HOUSES…….. Again we heard, OPEN HOUSES don’t really work.

We said okay how about some showings; we’ll take any……

One month later we canceled the contract with her. It had been seven months and she produced no buyers.

We knew this was going to be a little harder this time… It was but, we at least got the job done once more.

My husband and I again bought a sign, HOME FOR SALE, By Appointment Only adding only the number to call.

We didn’t have it on MLS, we just began talking to neighbors and telling them that our home was for sale, and to pass it along to their friends. We did put a few ads in the newspaper stating our Open House and when they would take place, and the times.

We tied balloons on the sign when we had an open house……. It just draws attention.

Again we kept the house clean, clutter free, we had traffic finally, and we knew it would be only a matter of time before we had a buyer. We planted fresh flowers, yellow ones work well, people don’t forget homes with yellows flowers, and it’s been proven. So we always had yellow flowers planted, or use them in a desirable pot at the front entrance.

We knew this time we would probably not make any money. Having only lived in the home a short time. But we didn’t mind, we just wanted to sell.

A young couple came by; they saw our ad in the newspaper drove out and fell in love with the home. It was exactly what they had hoped for. The yard was small but she loved how I added a few boulders to the yard, and the inviting flowers planted in front of them. They both loved the decorating and how clean and tidy the home was kept.

Fortunately they loved the home, and we were please with that. They wanted it really bad, but their credit didn’t allow them an interest rate they could afford. So we had to do something I wouldn’t suggest unless you really want/need to sell, and we did.

We had to do a buy down rate for this couple, so they would qualify for buying our home.

Again we stepped up to the bat and did something a little different this time, but we sold the home and we got to move back to our hometown and be with family.

HOUSE story #3

We built our third house… I took house plans we liked, it was a ranch style…….. I sat down with an architect to redesign it and make it the home we could live in for a very long time.

We added lots of bells and whistles, beautiful arches, see through fireplaces, custom mantels, and gorgeous maple floors we had lightly stained for a soft and warm feeling. Again the yard was absolutely perfect with lots of plantings, and this time we didn’t have to add boulders, the front yard was full of rocks, and they really made the perfect setting for this home.

We lived in the home about three years when once again my husband got a job transfer. We were moving away once more, and so we put this house on the market with a Realtor. She was local and had a lot of knowledge of our neighborhood, plus she had sold numerous houses in the area. She had even sold two recent ones, one in our neighborhood, and one across from us in the neighbor just across the street.

We felt she would get the job done. Plus she stated it would sell quick being such a beautiful and neat home, decorated dramatically, she felt it would show well.

She did a Realtor showing first, bringing through all the Realtors in her office. They all had great things to say about our home and they all said it would sell quickly they felt.

As much as I didn’t want to move again, I also didn’t want to spend months selling. I wanted it to sell fast, so we could move on, before I changed my mind to stay... I loved this home and the area, plus family was so close by.

Months went by, no activity at all. We again asked what the problem was; she suggested we lower the price. I was so upset especially since we had about two showings in all, and she had the listing for three months now. We asked about open houses, she said she didn’t believe in OPEN HOUSES…….. I told her the story about the last two homes I had sold myself, she was a little upset with my suggestions, and she felt I hadn’t given her enough time to get the job done… The price she kept telling me was wrong and that the house was overpriced for the area. I felt she was on the wrong track and that the house only needed traffic, people have to see it to get it sold…….. And that is what I told her……….

She held two open houses, no one showed up…….. I don’t know where she advertised, but it wasn’t working.

We parted ways and we began regrouping. We tried selling it ourselves, but we too had no luck. But at least we did get more traffic.

Then after a year had gone by my husband’s company let him continue to commute because they knew we were having trouble selling our home. Finally we took it off the market.

Three months later we go with a different Realtor, she puts it back on the market. She was the best talker, very convincing and her track record was impressive.

One month, no shows, two months, one person had previewed our home, three months, nothing. Once more we parted ways.

This Realtor put up her sign and we didn’t see her again. She didn’t even come back to get her signs after calling her numerous times.

Now we needed to do something, we needed to get creative we thought.

But good news came our way. My husband got another job. He could live anywhere he chose to live; same company just a different job.

We didn’t have to move after all.

We decided we wanted to sell even though we didn’t have to move, we decided we would sell again ourselves. I had a couple realtors to look at the house and give their honest opinion as to where we should have the home priced.

I had already done a little research myself on recent home sales in the area, and homes that were comparable to ours. So I kind of knew where we should be, but I still felt I should get a professional opinion.

We paid a Realtor a flat fee to list our home on MLS, we didn’t use a lock-box, we chose to show the home ourselves, and we had a custom sign made again, it matched the house. Little things like that really make a big impact, the house was a pale gray, with black shutters, so we made the sign match the colors and style of the home, it looked really nice.

I was working out of the home and so was my husband most of the time, so we held open houses ourselves since we were right there anyway.

We had the home clean all the time, we had the yard immaculate again, flowers everywhere. We priced the home a little higher this time, since we didn’t have to sell anyway, but we just wanted to sell.

A few months went by, we did get some traffic. Many people loved it but we got low offers we didn’t like. One lady came twice, she loved it, she went on and on about how it was just right for her, but she had a home to sell.

We took the home off the market, we decided we loved the home too and decided we shouldn’t sell.

But several months later we got a call, one Realtor that brought the lady by twice was now looking again, she had sold her home and was ready to buy. She wanted our house. We didn’t need to sell but we were willing to see what she had to offer us for our home.

She loved the decorating of the home, she said even though it wasn’t her taste, the way she would decorate, it was breathtaking to her. She loved the sign, she felt it was just icing on the cake… It made the home look custom she stated.

Now I know some may think a sign doesn’t matter, but when selling your home everything you choose to do, matters.

Each time she previewed our home she said it was so clean, it made her feel it would be a home easy to keep up. It gave the impression that it would be a low maintenance home, and that is important especially to most families this day and time, because people’s lives are so busy.

The drive by appeal pulled her in, she told us and then the whole layout and design just sold her.

We got a great price for the home and that was a big plus for us……..

This article isn’t to say that Realtors don’t sell homes, because they do, we just didn’t have luck with the ones we chose. So this isn’t to deter anyone wishing to use a Realtor.

It is to help those who feel they can do it themselves, because with a little research, determination, great design, clutter free spaces, and yes luck, you too can sell your home, just as we did.

Talk with a Realtor, they are professionals, they can give you good advice, and help you with the research you will need to go forward on the sale of your property.

Know your options, and be sure your home is at its best before putting it on the market.

Make a checklist……. If improvements are needed tackle them before going forward… Very Important, I promise…

Each home we sold, sold because the home showed well, and like new……….Plus you have to have showings... If people don’t preview the house, how can it get sold……? Common sense….right???

Showings turn to sales………..Good Luck!!

Best Wanda