{"id":186,"date":"2025-04-26T10:39:08","date_gmt":"2025-04-26T10:39:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.hoyonow.com\/blog\/?p=186"},"modified":"2025-04-26T10:39:08","modified_gmt":"2025-04-26T10:39:08","slug":"common-mistakes-in-selling-a-house-by-owner","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/portal.hoyonow.com\/blog\/?p=186","title":{"rendered":"Common mistakes In Selling a House By Owner"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<h1 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>5 Common Mistakes People Make When Selling Their House By Owner<\/strong><\/h1>\n\n\n\n<p><em>By Robert Urban, FSBO Enthusiast, Recovering Over-Pricer, and Unofficial President of the \u201cWhy Are There So Many Forms\u201d Support Group<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>So, you decided to sell your house FSBO (For Sale By Owner). Congratulations, you brave, commission-dodging trailblazer. You&#8217;re marching boldly into the real estate battlefield armed with a &#8220;For Sale&#8221; sign, a folding table for open houses, and enough hope to power a small city.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>And while I\u2019m 100% cheering you on like the world&#8217;s least coordinated cheerleader, I\u2019m also here to save you from a few classic blunders that can turn your FSBO dream into a Craigslist horror story.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Here are the <strong>5 most common mistakes people make when selling their house by owner<\/strong>\u2014and more importantly, how <em>not<\/em> to be one of them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>1. Overpricing the House (aka The &#8220;My House Is Special&#8221; Syndrome)<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Look, I get it. You love your home. You know every creaky floorboard and questionable wallpaper choice has &#8220;character.&#8221; You <em>raised babies and baked lasagna<\/em> in that kitchen, dang it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>But here\u2019s the truth: <strong>buyers don\u2019t care about your emotional attachment<\/strong>. They care about comps, square footage, and how close your house is to a Starbucks.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Overpricing is the fastest way to scare off serious buyers and attract that one guy who wants to offer you $50,000 under asking while listing all the reasons your house \u201cneeds work.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>How to Avoid It:<\/strong><br>Get a real, objective valuation. Pay for an independent appraisal or pull comparable sales (comps) from your area. Or better yet, use online tools AND ask for advice from an experienced FSBO consultant (hi again).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Price it right. Price it smart. Price it like you actually want it to sell.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>2. Bad Photos (aka &#8220;My Thumb is the Main Character&#8221;)<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Nothing screams \u201cPlease lowball me\u201d quite like dark, blurry, weirdly-angled photos.<br>Buyers are judging your house <em>before<\/em> they even consider walking through the door. If your photos look like they were taken during a power outage by someone fleeing the scene, you\u2019ve already lost half your market.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Common photo crimes:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>The thumb cameo<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Toilet seats up<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Flash reflection off every surface<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Weird selfies in bathroom mirrors<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Entire listings where every photo is just&#8230;the carpet<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>How to Avoid It:<\/strong><br>Use a good smartphone, natural light, and a free photo editing app. Or, spend a few hundred bucks on professional real estate photography. It pays for itself faster than you can say \u201cpending offer.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Bonus Tip:<\/strong> Turn your phone sideways. Nobody wants to house hunt on a vertical sliver of sadness.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>3. Weak Marketing (aka &#8220;If I Post It Once, They Will Come&#8221;)<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>&#8220;FSBO&#8221; does not stand for <strong>Forget Selling By Osmosis<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Throwing your listing on Craigslist with the title &#8220;Nice House &#8211; Must See&#8221; and waiting for a bidding war to break out isn\u2019t a strategy\u2014it\u2019s a wish.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>You need visibility.<\/strong> Everywhere.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Zillow<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Realtor.com (yes, they allow FSBO listings with a little work)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Facebook Marketplace and Local Groups<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Your own FSBO website<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Flyers at the local coffee shop<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Carrier pigeons if necessary<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>How to Avoid It:<\/strong><br>Think like a marketer. Write a great description. Share it socially. Pay a little for boosted posts if you have to.<br>Your home deserves more than a grainy picture and the description, &#8220;Has walls.&#8221;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>4. Letting Emotions Run the Show (aka &#8220;This House Deserves Better Buyers!&#8221;)<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>You\u2019re proud of your home. You <em>should<\/em> be. But when buyers start picking it apart\u2014<br>(&#8220;Hmmm&#8230;we don\u2019t love the backsplash&#8221;)\u2014it\u2019s very easy to take it personally.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>You must resist the urge to launch into a 30-minute monologue about how you hand-tiled that backsplash while pregnant and juggling two jobs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Buyers don\u2019t want to hear your life story\u2014they want to envision <em>theirs<\/em> inside those walls.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>How to Avoid It:<\/strong><br>Detach. Practice saying, &#8220;Thank you for your feedback,&#8221; even when you secretly want to tell them their shoes are ugly.<br>Negotiation is business, not therapy. Keep it light, keep it professional, and always, <em>always<\/em> have an exit strategy for showings (i.e., go get a coffee or hide at Target).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>5. Skipping the Legal Stuff (aka &#8220;I Printed a Contract Off the Internet, It&#8217;ll Be Fine&#8221;)<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Real estate transactions involve serious paperwork. You need legal disclosures. You need correct contracts. You need contingency clauses, title searches, and the magical fairy dust that is earnest money.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>If you skip the legal steps, you\u2019re basically handing the buyer a &#8220;Sue Me&#8221; starter kit.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>How to Avoid It:<\/strong><br>Hire a real estate attorney or a reputable title company to help with contracts and closing. It\u2019s not that expensive, and it\u2019s infinitely cheaper than accidentally signing away your backyard pond to the buyer\u2019s weird uncle.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Protect yourself. You\u2019re running a real transaction now. Not a handshake-and-a-smile lemonade stand.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>FSBO Is Freedom, But Freedom Needs a Plan<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Selling your house by owner is empowering, profitable, and a little bit wild-in the best way.<br>But it\u2019s also a serious endeavor, and mistakes can cost you time, money, and your last shred of patience.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>So don\u2019t be the guy who priced his house like it was built by Disney, took listing photos that belong in a Bigfoot documentary, and posted &#8220;Nice home must sell fast&#8221; on page 7 of Craigslist expecting miracles.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Be the smart FSBO seller.<\/strong><br>The prepared one.<br>The one with the steady video tour, the fair price, the killer listing-and the closing date inked in pen, not hope.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>You got this.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Need a Little Backup? Meet Your Secret Weapon: HOYOnow.com<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>If the idea of juggling pricing, marketing, negotiations, and legal paperwork sounds about as fun as doing your own dental work, let me introduce you to <strong><a class=\"\" href=\"https:\/\/portal.hoyonow.com\">HOYOnow.com<\/a><\/strong>.<br>They help FSBO sellers just like you <em>every step of the way<\/em>-from organizing your documentation to helping you market like a pro, track your showings, manage offers, and stay legally buttoned-up without losing your mind (or your sale).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>It\u2019s like having a personal FSBO assistant who doesn\u2019t eat your snacks or &#8220;accidentally&#8221; delete your files.<br>Check them out. Trust me-your future, slightly richer self will thank you.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>-Robert Urban<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>5 Common Mistakes People Make When Selling Their House By Owner By Robert Urban, FSBO Enthusiast, Recovering Over-Pricer, and Unofficial President of the \u201cWhy Are There So Many Forms\u201d Support Group So, you decided to sell your house FSBO (For Sale By Owner). Congratulations, you brave, commission-dodging trailblazer. You&#8217;re marching boldly into the real estate battlefield armed with a &#8220;For Sale&#8221; sign, a folding table for open houses, and enough hope to power a small city. And while I\u2019m 100% cheering you on like the world&#8217;s least coordinated cheerleader, I\u2019m also here to save you from a few classic blunders that can turn your FSBO dream into a Craigslist horror story. Here are the 5 most common mistakes people make when selling their house by owner\u2014and more importantly, how not to be one of them. 1. Overpricing the House (aka The &#8220;My House Is Special&#8221; Syndrome) Look, I get it. You love your home. You know every creaky floorboard and questionable wallpaper choice has &#8220;character.&#8221; You raised babies and baked lasagna in that kitchen, dang it. But here\u2019s the truth: buyers don\u2019t care about your emotional attachment. They care about comps, square footage, and how close your house is to a Starbucks. Overpricing is the fastest way to scare off serious buyers and attract that one guy who wants to offer you $50,000 under asking while listing all the reasons your house \u201cneeds work.\u201d How to Avoid It:Get a real, objective valuation. Pay for an independent appraisal or pull comparable sales (comps) from your area. Or better yet, use online tools AND ask for advice from an experienced FSBO consultant (hi again). Price it right. Price it smart. Price it like you actually want it to sell. 2. Bad Photos (aka &#8220;My Thumb is the Main Character&#8221;) Nothing screams \u201cPlease lowball me\u201d quite like dark, blurry, weirdly-angled photos.Buyers are judging your house before they even consider walking through the door. If your photos look like they were taken during a power outage by someone fleeing the scene, you\u2019ve already lost half your market. Common photo crimes: How to Avoid It:Use a good smartphone, natural light, and a free photo editing app. Or, spend a few hundred bucks on professional real estate photography. It pays for itself faster than you can say \u201cpending offer.\u201d Bonus Tip: Turn your phone sideways. Nobody wants to house hunt on a vertical sliver of sadness. 3. Weak Marketing (aka &#8220;If I Post It Once, They Will Come&#8221;) &#8220;FSBO&#8221; does not stand for Forget Selling By Osmosis. Throwing your listing on Craigslist with the title &#8220;Nice House &#8211; Must See&#8221; and waiting for a bidding war to break out isn\u2019t a strategy\u2014it\u2019s a wish. You need visibility. Everywhere. How to Avoid It:Think like a marketer. Write a great description. Share it socially. Pay a little for boosted posts if you have to.Your home deserves more than a grainy picture and the description, &#8220;Has walls.&#8221; 4. Letting Emotions Run the Show (aka &#8220;This House Deserves Better Buyers!&#8221;) You\u2019re proud of your home. You should be. But when buyers start picking it apart\u2014(&#8220;Hmmm&#8230;we don\u2019t love the backsplash&#8221;)\u2014it\u2019s very easy to take it personally. You must resist the urge to launch into a 30-minute monologue about how you hand-tiled that backsplash while pregnant and juggling two jobs. Buyers don\u2019t want to hear your life story\u2014they want to envision theirs inside those walls. How to Avoid It:Detach. Practice saying, &#8220;Thank you for your feedback,&#8221; even when you secretly want to tell them their shoes are ugly.Negotiation is business, not therapy. Keep it light, keep it professional, and always, always have an exit strategy for showings (i.e., go get a coffee or hide at Target). 5. Skipping the Legal Stuff (aka &#8220;I Printed a Contract Off the Internet, It&#8217;ll Be Fine&#8221;) Real estate transactions involve serious paperwork. You need legal disclosures. You need correct contracts. You need contingency clauses, title searches, and the magical fairy dust that is earnest money. If you skip the legal steps, you\u2019re basically handing the buyer a &#8220;Sue Me&#8221; starter kit. How to Avoid It:Hire a real estate attorney or a reputable title company to help with contracts and closing. It\u2019s not that expensive, and it\u2019s infinitely cheaper than accidentally signing away your backyard pond to the buyer\u2019s weird uncle. Protect yourself. You\u2019re running a real transaction now. Not a handshake-and-a-smile lemonade stand. FSBO Is Freedom, But Freedom Needs a Plan Selling your house by owner is empowering, profitable, and a little bit wild-in the best way.But it\u2019s also a serious endeavor, and mistakes can cost you time, money, and your last shred of patience. So don\u2019t be the guy who priced his house like it was built by Disney, took listing photos that belong in a Bigfoot documentary, and posted &#8220;Nice home must sell fast&#8221; on page 7 of Craigslist expecting miracles. Be the smart FSBO seller.The prepared one.The one with the steady video tour, the fair price, the killer listing-and the closing date inked in pen, not hope. You got this. Need a Little Backup? Meet Your Secret Weapon: HOYOnow.com If the idea of juggling pricing, marketing, negotiations, and legal paperwork sounds about as fun as doing your own dental work, let me introduce you to HOYOnow.com.They help FSBO sellers just like you every step of the way-from organizing your documentation to helping you market like a pro, track your showings, manage offers, and stay legally buttoned-up without losing your mind (or your sale). It\u2019s like having a personal FSBO assistant who doesn\u2019t eat your snacks or &#8220;accidentally&#8221; delete your files.Check them out. Trust me-your future, slightly richer self will thank you. -Robert Urban<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5,"featured_media":187,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"site-sidebar-layout":"default","site-content-layout":"","ast-site-content-layout":"","site-content-style":"default","site-sidebar-style":"default","ast-global-header-display":"","ast-banner-title-visibility":"","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"","ast-featured-img":"","footer-sml-layout":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":"","astra-migrate-meta-layouts":"default","ast-page-background-enabled":"default","ast-page-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"ast-content-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"footnotes":""},"categories":[9,8],"tags":[65,10,64],"class_list":["post-186","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-fsbo","category-selling-your-house","tag-common-mistakes","tag-fsbo","tag-mistakes"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/portal.hoyonow.com\/blog\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/186","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/portal.hoyonow.com\/blog\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/portal.hoyonow.com\/blog\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/portal.hoyonow.com\/blog\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/5"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/portal.hoyonow.com\/blog\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=186"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/portal.hoyonow.com\/blog\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/186\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":188,"href":"https:\/\/portal.hoyonow.com\/blog\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/186\/revisions\/188"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/portal.hoyonow.com\/blog\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/187"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/portal.hoyonow.com\/blog\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=186"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/portal.hoyonow.com\/blog\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=186"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/portal.hoyonow.com\/blog\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=186"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}