So often you will hear people in real estate tell you that you will never be able to sell your home on your own. It’s natural to assume that maybe they are right or that they are just saying that to get your commission. In the end it all depends on you.

If you want to sell your home on your own and you have the time and knowledge to do so, there is no reason why you shouldn’t be able to sell your home. You should even be able to sell it easily and with little stress if you follow a few simple tips to make your job and time selling much easier on you.

I sincerely hope this article helps anyone that is planning to sell their home. I have always done my best to help where I could, so if you are selling your home and would like a small bit of listing space I may be able to help you. Depending on the amount, I may even be able to do so for Free!

The following tips are meant to help you have the easiest for sale by owner experience available.

Tip #1- Fresh Paint always makes a good impression.

I will be listing several small, inexpensive things that you can do to raise the value and interest in your home. Fresh paint is definitely on the top of that list. If you cannot afford enough paint to do the whole house, you could do the rooms that need it most or just do a general touch up to see that every spot that needs it most gets covered.

Tip #2- Never keep anything you do not need.

Let’s face it. No matter who you are when you plan to move you will find plenty of things that you don’t need or that you just won’t plan to keep. The best thing you can do for yourself is go through your house before you plan to sell and clean out the junk from top to bottom. Check the attic, the basement, and everywhere in between. Just make sure that if you have no intention of ever using it again, you make sure you get rid of it. You do not want buyers looking at a cluttered home.

Tip #3 – If you have something you do not currently need, consider storage.

If you aren’t going to need something you own but you want to keep it, you should remove it from the home. You don’t want it looking cluttered and if you have too much around the home, you will give it that look. You want to be able to have the best looking home possible in order to attract numerous potential buyers. The best thing you can do for yourself if you are planning to live in your home while selling it is buy storage space and remove whatever is not needed while selling the home.

Tip #4- Get rid of the leaks.

Check your home for any odd noises, leaky faucets, or any running toilets. Plumbing noises can cause quite the fright when you’re looking through a home that you want to buy. The best thing you can do for yourself is ensure that there are no strange noises floating through your home that cause people to wonder if your home is in working order or not.

Tip #5- Pay special attention to the bathrooms and kitchen.

The bathrooms and kitchens need to be the cleanest rooms in your home! These rooms will receive the most scrutiny by people looking at your home so you need to make sure they are in top shape. You want to make sure that you can eat off any surface in these rooms. If your shower curtain has any signs of mold, get a new one.

Pay extra special attention to cleaning your sinks, toilets, appliances, bath tubs, and shower stalls. Make sure to remove any water or rust stains around your fixtures. If your grout or chalking isn’t in perfect condition you should seriously consider replacing it as well.

Tip #6- Shampoo your carpets.

It would be ridiculous to tell you to go and buy all new carpet unless your home seriously needs it. If you do need it, realize that this is an expense that could make the sale of your home or keep it on the market. Assuming that your carpet is fine, just spend the small amount of money it will take to shampoo it by a professional, or through renting a carpet cleaner machine. This will save you time and aggravation because if your home is not in tip top shape then when people come to view your home they will either make lower bids or they will ask for allowances to fix the things you did not take care of.

Tip #7- Remove any kids, pets, or smoke.

Okay by now you’re thinking “I can’t get rid of my kids just to sell my home”. Of course you cannot, though you can make sure that they are kept occupied and their things are not in the way when you are showing the home.

As for pets, the best thing you can do for yourself is remove all traces of any pet smell that you may have and have someone pet sit when you are showing the house. People are often put off by animals that they do not know, especially if the animal is a large one that could, in their mind, cause them harm.

As for smoke, if you are a smoker, the minute you decide to sell your home you should stop smoking inside. Remove every trace of the smell, wash your drapes and walls, and paint if you have to. Studies have shown that over 60% of smokers do not want to buy a home that has a smoke smell in it. Now if that percentage comes from smokers, imagine how many non-smokers wish to buy a home laden with a smoke smell.

Tip #8- Learn as much as you can about real estate

One of the wonderful benefits about real estate agents is that they know everything they need to know to get your home sold. This includes market values and pricing methods that will make your home stand out. If you do not know these things, at least for your own area, you risk the chance of pricing your home too high and leaving it to go unsold for months, or longer.

Tip #9- Make a homey atmosphere.

When you have people come to look at your home you want them to see what they could envision being their home. There are many excellent ways to invoke these feelings. Soft lighting, a roaring fire, and the smell of baked goods wafting from the kitchen are all things that would work excellently.

Never rush the potential buyers through the house, but if they appear to be done looking make a point to end the meeting. If they have no questions and do not wish to look anymore, there is no need for the awkward silences that could occur. Thank them for stopping by and tell them you hope to hear from them soon.

Tip #10- Make extra room in your closets.

It is essential that you appear to have plenty of closet space. Even if you don’t have many closets, having lots of room in the ones you have may make all the difference in the world. One of the best things you can do for yourself is remove anything you don’t need in your closets, make them look as big as possible, and keep them smelling as fresh as possible.

Ultimately you may have to spend a small amount of money in order to get the best possible price for your home. This is understandable and something most Realtors would recommend you do before placing your home up for sale.

By putting a little bit of work into your home you will make sure that you get every dollar that it is worth, however if you choose to avoid this work you run the risk of either not selling the home or taking a major price cut because you did not put the work into the home needed to make it shine.