In point form, here are the
major tasks involved in selling your
property privately:
- choose a lawyer and review liens, etc.
- obtain and understand standard offer to purchase
- research market and set asking price
- review mortgage
- prepare the property for sale
- prepare fact sheets and flyers
- erect FOR SALE sign
- purchase local advertising
- enroll in
full-color round-the-clock Internet
exposure
- handle phone enquiries
- show the property
- hold open house (possibly)
- negotiate offers
- book movers
None of these items is particularly mysterious:
the biggest challenge is not in obtaining the
information you need, but rather in trying to
remain objective in setting your price, showing
the property, and negotiating a sale.
There are several excellent
books available, many
of them written by Canadians for the Canadian
market.
Don't overlook free materials available from your
friendly neighborhood banks, even if they are
somewhat biased in favor of realtors. The
Royal Bank, for example, has a booklet
entitled Home Selling Smarts which
covers several financial aspects of selling,
and another entitled Make the mo$t of the
Market with sections on markets in general,
negotiations and financing options, as well as
checklists for sprucing up your property,
advertising, and closing.
Several real estate/for sale by owner titles should
be available at your library: if it uses the
Dewey Decimal System (public libraries), look
on the shelves around 333.33; if it uses the
Library of Congress System (universities),
look around HD1361-HD1395.
And, of course, there's the Internet:
