10 Steps to Selling Your Home on Your Own -- FSBO Toolkit

1 - NEEDS ANALYSIS: Why Are You Selling?

It’s important to determine in writing exactly what you wish to achieve by selling your home. This is a three-step, written procedure. To start this process ask yourself the following questions:

  • Why are you interested in selling your home?
  • What is your time frame for selling your home?
  • What would be the ideal situation for you once your present property is sold?

After completing your list, you now have a better idea of exactly why it is that you need to sell your home and when it needs to be done by. Now is also the time to get a title report done, if you don't know what a title report is or why you need one, head over to our Seller Resources page for an explanation. If you need a recommendation for a title company to do you title report and for your closing we have a couple highly recommended partners on our Vendor List.

2 - PRICING STRATEGY: Fair Market Value

Be reasonable in setting the price for your home. This will help create a positive environment for a quick and successful sale. Actually setting you price slightly under market could net you more money in the final sale by attracting competing bidders, the highest asking price doesn't always get you the highest sales price. Check out The Importance of Pricing. This is the hardest part for you to do as a FSBO as you can't get a good idea of the sold market because Utah is a non-disclosure state, meaning the sales prices of homes can be kept private. This is really where an agent can provide a great service for you, but is you're going at it alone, here are some things you can do.

Go to our Map Search and see what's for sale in your area and comparable market, remember these are asking prices and will be higher than sales prices 
Remember to make sure that the houses you are using as comparables are like yours, same style, size, etc. 
You can get an appraisal done by a professional appraiser, it will cost you a few hundreds dollars, but they can give you a good idea of your homes actual value 
Remember, if your timeframe is short, your price will probably have to be lower to get the deal done quickly


3 - PROPERTY PREPERATION: The Attraction of Your Home

You have the power to get the most for your home. That power lies in your ability to make your home as attractive as possible to potential buyers. This is also a good time to get a Home Inspection so no problems are a surprise to your potential buyers. Some of the areas to be considered include:

  • Property upgrades
  • Painting - inside and outside
  • Repairs to the home
  • Property, home, and room accessibility
  • Highlighting space in a positive manner
  • Organization of closets and rooms
  • Upgrades in appliances and fixtures

Just as a home inspector investigates and reports on a home's structural and mechanical fitness, a home stager will evaluate a home's "curb appeal and saleability". Unlike interior decorating which concentrates on making the owners feel more at home in their interior space, the objective of staging is to make the home more marketable inside and outside. Usually this involves "depersonalizing" a home. An accredited home stager will follow a set of standards and professional guidelines to prepare a home for sale."

4 - MARKETING STRATEGY: Finding the Right Buyer

It’s essential that you get information regarding your home to the right people— qualified potential buyers. There are various approaches you can implement, including “for sale” signs, newspaper listings, internet postings, and flyers. These methods, without any type of plan, are hit and miss at best. There are lots of resources these days to get the word out that your house if for sale. Also, remember to have your potential buyers pre-qualified with a lender. And be careful! There are lots of scams out there to defraud you or just plain get into your home to rob you.

  • Design a marketing plan
  • Contact qualified potential buyers and their agents
  • Create professional marketing materials
  • Provide information to the local community regarding your desire to sell

5 - RECEIVING AN OFFER: When to Accept

You’ve received a written offer – when should you accept? The answer is simple—- when you are satisfied with every aspect of that offer. Getting to the point of acceptance can be an arduous task. The offer is a contract and, thus, a legal document. Determine if the offer is presented by a qualified buyer, that there are no problems with contract, that you understand what they are asking for and what you are giving them. Review the offer to insure it is written properly, covering all necessary areas including:

  • A legal description of the property
  • Offering price
  • Amount of the down payment
  • Financing arrangements
  • A list of fees and who will pay them
  • Amount of the deposit
  • Inspection rights and possible repair allowances
  • The method of conveying the title and who will handle the closing
  • A list of appliances and furnishings which will stay with the home
  • The settlement date
  • Any relevant contingencies

6 - NEGOTIATING TO SELL: Making this a Win/Win Agreement

Most home purchase offers involve some level of negotiation. In dealing with this aspect of the real estate process it is essential that you retain an agent with experience in negotiating.

Points of negotiation may include:

  • Price
  • Financing
  • Closing costs
  • Necessary repairs
  • Appliances and fixtures
  • Landscaping
  • Painting
  • Closing and occupancy time frame

7 - Sell

8 - PRE-CLOSING PREPARATION: Closing in on the Closing

For the average buyer as the closing date approaches nerves can become frayed. To provide for a quick and easy closing here some things that need to be done:

  • Coordinating the necessary documentation with your closing officer
  • Communicating with the escrow company or closing attorney
  • Staying in touch with your lender
  • Assuring that you are ready for the closing by confirming the proper form of payment made out to the correct party

9 - CLOSING: Ready to Sell

It is during closing that the property is transferred from one person to another. If everything has been attended to prior to this day, the closing should go smoothly:

  • Understand the closing documents
  • Be present at closing to make sure all goes as planned
  • POST-CLOSING: You’re not Finished Yet!

Congratulations on selling your home! You now have a specific time period during which you will move out of your former home:

  • Make a checklist of utility companies who you’ll need to contact to change the name on the account or to shut off service
  • Make a checklist of what you must do to the property prior to turning it over.


10 - PRE-CLOSING PREPARATION: Ready for the Big Day?

A few days prior to closing you will want to contact your lawyer to make sure all paper work is in order. Additionally, you’ll want to have made arrangements for your move. (If you need to do this, please check out our Relocation Center.):

  • Insuring all proper documentation is prepared
  • Check that all parties are properly prepared for closing
  • Double check on closing time and location
  • Contacting relocation services
  • SOLD: Now What?


You’ve sold your house but you are in no way finished. You now possess a list of things that must be accomplished prior to closing:

  • Creating a time frame for repairs and improvements
  • Coordinating any actions needed to finalize the sale
  • Monitoring work so it is accomplished in a timely fashion

The contract will stipulate specific actions that must be accomplished prior to closing. Some of these may include:

  • Home Inspection
  • Property appraisal
  • Home repair
  • Appliance and/or fixture replacement