10 Easy Steps to Sell your House

10 STEPS FOR SELLING YOUR HOME PRIVATELY

1. Research market and set asking price; use your tax assessments; houses in the area that have sold previously; similar houses in different areas; professional appraisal. Location is critical in determining your price.

2. Prepare the property for selling, both inside and out. “Curb appeal” is critical, so spend a little extra even if it means an extra coat of paint! You would like to make your home seem more spacious, so declutter!! Make sure it is clean.

3. Contact www.norealtyfee.com the leader in private sale properties for the fifth straight year, and have your home put on the website. In order to sell you need EXPOSURE and using NoRealtyFee maximizes your exposure. Put together a write up on your property combining your own knowledge and examples you can get from other properties on the site. With 1000’s of hits and over 50,000 page views daily to the main site, watch the statistic counter on your particular site climb indicating how many potential buyers are viewing your particular property.

4. Purchase a NoRealtyFee “Private Sale” sign for the yard ($15.00). Many homes are bought by people who are driving around in areas that they would like to live and spotting a home for sale. The NoRealtyFee sign is a professionally designed 2 sided coroplast sign, showing web address, your phone number & your own individual site number. Potential buyers can go directly to your individual property on the website via entering your unique site number on the main page.

5. Holding “Open Houses” is a good idea. While many potential buyers do view the house initially on the website (thereby cutting down a lot on traffic through your home or to your property), there are those who do not. When showing your home, point out less obvious features, for example triple paned windows or a lazy susan in the kitchen ect.

6. Be prepared to accept criticism, sometimes this is simply a negotiating tactic!!!!

7. Download an “Offer to Purchase” form and hand out to potential buyers if interested. This is a legally binding contract outlining what they will give (a combination of price and terms) in exchange for the home. The potential buyer fills it out and returns to you with their price and conditions (if any) and take over date; you accept or counter their offer/conditions on the same form. A recommendation is for the potential buyer to contact a real-estate lawyer, many of whom will complete the Offer to Purchase FREE OF CHARGE.

8. Once an agreement is made between the buyer and seller, the buyer gets a real-estate lawyer (the same person who completed the free Offer to Purchase…) who takes over on their part completing standard legal work including title searches and land transfer.

9. The Seller then also needs to get a lawyer to ensure that the transaction goes smoothly. This cost is minimal but a necessity whether you are using a real estate agent or selling privately.

10. Pack; Move!!

More information on buying/selling/renting homes in Canada:

Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation: select the province you live in

http://www.cmhc-schl.gc.ca/en/index.cfm

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