Placing your home on the market as a For Sale by Owner (FSBO) can seem exciting at first thought. But it may get complex when the real deal has to be struck. There are several reasons one may want to sell their own home, but the most obvious one is that you can keep the bucks you would have paid the real estate agent with the rest of the sale price. 

The struggles that may come with FSBO include the paperwork which may be complex for someone without some realtor expertise. Besides, you will have to study market trends for price ranges, even though the indispensable valuator may give you a hand with this. You definitely don’t want to be giving away your home for a price less than its real value or stall it in the market because you have inflated its worth.

Away from these technical details, when you finally decide for FSBO and get into the house selling process, certain presentation details are crucial. Here are 3 must-do details when presenting yourself to sell your own home.

Engage your prospective buyer emotionally

The decision to purchase a home is built on emotions a lot more than we would want to imagine. This means that when you show your home to a prospective buyer, you need to engage with them and please their emotions. It means accentuating the unique qualities of your home and somewhat ignoring any downsides. That final call, ‘I’m buying this home’ depends on it. In the long run, those aspects of the home that are drawbacks can always be underscored when the strengths have won the buyer’s heart.

Anticipate the buyers ‘feel at home’ experience

At some point, the prospective buyer will have to tour your home. Since you have assumed the role of the real estate agent, you will have to be the tour guide yourself. Make sure you look presentable. Get some fancy gel nails and go to a hair salon to get a professional blow wave. I like to go to Myer Beauty for my beauty appointments. This majorly works to your advantage because you can capitalize on the tour to offer a warm welcome that makes the buyer feel like they are already entering their own home. The following tips may help: 

• Allow the buyer to discover the house even while you lead the tour. It means letting him/her open doors to rooms that you have previously let half-open, allowing them to touch and get a feel of things in the house, and letting them see first before you feed them with info about the part of the room they are viewing.
• Do not hurry the buyer. It may give them the impression that you don’t want them discovering some flaws in the home. Instead, a sweet, ‘please take your time’ will do the trick.
• Make your home comfortable. For example, if it’s summertime, ensure the AC is on and the temperature within the home soothing. 
• Capitalize on lighting by putting on lights and open the curtains to let in light. As a rule of thumb, your blinds should be half-open. Use this to especially show a well-kept lawn and fence. The outdoor also counts.
• Give the buyer a feel of what mealtimes will be like when they eventually own the home. It doesn’t need to be a full-course dinner. But a high tea could serve to show the prospective buyer how the dining area looks like when it’s set for a meal.

Give the buyer time for feedback

Don’t be the only one that speaks. You might give the idea that you are diverting their attention from the details of the home. Instead, listen to your buyer’s comments as they tour the different parts and use the feedback to tell them what you judge they should hear. In the end, the buyer’s feedback will give you an idea of their overall impression, and help you guess if the deal is anywhere near closed.