Home Seller Services
If you are going to sell your home you would be wise to invest in a professional appraisal. Professional appraisals do not cost money, they pay in the long run! Unless a homeowner studies real estate values on a day to day basis, like a professional appraiser does, it's difficult for them to get a handle on real estate values. I am not talking about how much you have invested in your home, how much you paid for it, or how much you want for it. I am talking about the true market value of your home.
Many people are surprised when they find out that the market value of their home is much more than they thought, so investing in a professional appraisal actually allowed these people to receive several thousand more dollars than they thought they would when their home was sold. Others have an inflated opinion of their home's value and an appraisal helped them to realistically price their home in order for it to sell. An overpriced home will not attract buyers, which means no offers and no closing and that you have wasted valuable time, money, and efforts.
In addition an appraisal will help you by pointing out needed repairs and visible deficiencies in the property which will allow you to correct these items before placing it on the market. It is very hard to be objective about your own home because of your emotional attachment to it. A Professional Appraiser is objective and will tell you what you need to know, not just what you want to hear.
For-Sale-By-Owner (FSBO)
Homes that are listed for sale by the owner, without the assistance of a real estate agent, are known as FSBOs (pronounced FIZZ-BO). Selling your home "on your own" will require a significant amount of "homework" if you're going to do it right.
It's very hard to be objective about your own home because of your emotional attachment to it. One piece of advice that is consistently given by the experts in selling your home FSBO . . . .
Do NOT "Overprice" Your Home!
In addition to helping you set a realistic selling price so your home will attract buyers, a professional appraisal is very valuable as a negotiating tool once you have a potential buyer. It gives you something concrete to show your buyer. It's an independent third party's opinion of your home's value, and not just you saying how much it is worth. Potential buyers know you have an emotional attachment to your home and will be far more likely to give credibility to a professional appraiser's value opinion than yours.