It is easy to sell your own house in Kansas City. Many homeowners in Missouri find many benefits by going down the “For Sale By Owner” route. However, before you list your home and manage its sale, there are certain things you need to know. After all, your house is your biggest asset, and buying or selling a home is one of the most significant investments you’ll make.
Here at Norton Home Solutions, we have many years of experience helping Kansas City homeowners sell their homes. We buy houses for cash in any condition. So, we want to share with you our knowledge of the Missouri and Kansas City housing market.
This article is a definitive guide to selling your own home. At the end of the article, you’ll find out what is the fastest way to sell your Kansas City home for cash.
What is For Sale By Owner (FSBO)?
For Sale By Owner is when a homeowner sells their property without a real estate agent or broker. Usually, homeowners choose FSBO sales when they want to avoid paying a hefty commission on the house sale.
Selling your own home can save you thousands of dollars. However, an FSBO house sale can be a daunting task. The homeowner has to manage the following aspects of the deal:
- Listing and marketing the property
- Staging the home for sale
- Showing the house to potential buyers
- Negotiating the final sale price
- Closing the deal
Why Sell Your Own House in Kansas City?
Saving money on real estate agent’s commission fees is the principal reason homeowners sell their own home.
However, homeowners usually find that selling their house for cash is a way to get out of a tricky financial situation.
Here in Kansas City, the principal reasons why homeowners sell their own home are the following:
- Save money—Selling your house “FSBO” can save you tens of thousands of dollars. It’s easy to do the math. If a real estate agent charges a 6% commission fee, and your home is worth $250,000—you save $15,000. Now, think about what you could do with that money.
- Sell your home fast—You can usually sell your home more quickly when you do it yourself. Selling your home in Kansas City can take between three and six months through an agent. Usually, an FSBO sale can happen in a matter of weeks, not months.
- You face foreclosure—Maybe you are in the unfortunate situation of the bank foreclosing on your home. Selling your own home allows you to quickly sell your Kansas City house without paying costly commission fees.
In many cases, homeowners who decide on the FSBO route call real estate investors such as Norton Home Solutions. They know that local investors such as us buy homes for cash in any condition.
How to Sell Your House FSBO in Kansas City
If you decide to sell your own Kansas City home, what are the necessary steps you need to do? Here, we’ve put together a list of what the most successful Missouri residents do to sell their home and get top-dollar for it.
1. Price your house correctly
Successful FSBO sales happen when the homeowner lists the house for the right price. To find the value of your home, you need to see what similar homes have sold for in your Kansas City neighborhood in the previous six months. Remember, you can list your house at an extremely competitive price to attract the best buyers because you are cutting out the real estate agent.
2. Stage your home
Before you list your house FSBO, you need to prepare it for sale. Your goal is to get your house into a “showroom” condition. This means decluttering your home of all personal items. It would be best if you also made sure that closets and kitchen cabinets are only one-third full. When potential buyers view your home, they need to envisage themselves there—not look at your personal stuff.
You will also need to do some necessary repairs and “cosmetic” renovations. Paint all interior walls in neutral colors, replace outdated or worn fixtures, and improve your property’s curb appeal.
Many homeowners decide to sell their house for cash to a trusted Kansas City real estate investor. This way, you eliminate the need for staging your home.
3. Prepare a professional listing
They say that a “picture is worth a thousand words.” One of the most critical parts of the listing is high-definition pictures of your house. However, you need a lot more information than just an image.
Here is a list of what you have to prepare before listing your house:
- House data—You need to gather all the facts and figures about your property. This includes square footage, bedroom and bathroom count, and any other details that listings require.
- High-quality photos—You may want to invest in a professional photographer who has experience in real estate. If not, take shots in full HD, making sure that there is plenty of natural light and close-ups. If you’re stuck for ideas, look at Zillow or MLS listings to see how the professionals do it.
- Description—Your description should be honest and factual—but at the same time, capture the reader’s attention. Try to avoid copying generic listings. But focus on all the positive aspects of your house. Try to think of your target buyer and write for them.
4. List Your Home
When going it alone selling your house, you need as much online exposure as you can get. At the very least, you should list your house on the MLS and get a yard or sidewalk sign. Here’s a list of the other places where you should list you home:
- FSBO sites—Choose a couple of the most well-known FSBO sites. For a couple of hundred bucks, you can list your house for up to six months.
- Local classified websites—You can find plenty of local classified sites such as Craigslist, where you can list selling houses for cash.
- Real estate sites—Another option is to list your home on sites such as Zillow and Trulia. They accept FSBO listings for free.
5. Hold an open house
Once you have staged your home for sale and listed it, it’s time to organize an open house. You can print up some glossy sales sheets to advertise your open house and attract more buyers. You can also include a guide to the local amenities in the neighborhood.
When you host an open house, dress professionally. View every person that comes through the front door as a potential buyer.
Here are a few tips we’ve picked up from Kansas City homeowners who have successfully sold their home FSBO:
- Be flexible with showings
- Don’t take criticism personally
- Always answer calls, even if you’re busy with other things
6. Learn how to negotiate
When selling your own home, you need to sharpen your negotiation skills. After all, you want to sell your Kansas City house for the highest price. But the buyer wants to get a great deal.
First, if you get offers that are too low, ignore them. There is only so much a motivated buyer will be prepared to negotiate. Also, refuse offers if the buyer asks for a ton of discounts.
Second, if your house is on the market for more than a few weeks, consider lowering your price.
7. Close the deal
When you accept an offer on your house, it’s now time to close the deal. To do so, you’ll need to see what the local laws say about closing house sales. You will need professional help, such as a title company and escrow agent.
Mistakes to Avoid When Selling Your Own House
To make sure that you sell your Kansas City home for the best price, in the fastest time, you need to avoid certain mistakes. Sometimes, just one mistake can cost you the sale of your house.
Here are a few mistakes to avoid when selling your own house:
- Pricing—Avoid the mistake of overpricing or underpricing your home. You either scare buyers off or attract the wrong type of buyer.
- Letting emotions get involved—When you put up the FSBO sign, you should leave all feelings out of the sale. All the new owner is interested in is the building, not your memories.
- Not staging your home—A big FSBO mistake is to forget staging your home. A cluttered, messy home will put buyers off.
- Not making full disclosure—By law, you need to make full disclosure of any issues in your home. Failure to do so could result in your getting sued after the sale.
How to Sell Your Kansas City Home FSBO — In Conclusion
There are many benefits to selling your home yourself. You can save money on agent’s commission fees and manage the whole sale of your property. Additionally, you can usually sell your home faster if you sell it for cash.
Of course, FSBO is not for everyone. It takes time and dedication to make a successful sale on your home. That is why many Kansas City homeowners who want to sell their home for cash fast, call Norton Home Solutions.
Unlike real estate agents, we don’t charge any commission on the sale of your house. Additionally, we buy Kansas City houses in any condition—so you don’t have to stage it. And, you don’t have to worry about lengthy negotiations. We give fair-price cash offers on all the houses we buy, and we generally close deals within seven days.
Please give us a call at (816) 685-0260 or fill out the easy website form below for more information.