Selling your house is something you’ll have to do maybe just a few times in your life. And unless you know a local Houston real estate agent who will sell your house for free or a hugely discounted commission… it can be a real pain in the rear and an expensive process for you as well.
So… you landed on this page about “How To Sell Your House By Yourself In Houston A Short Guide” because of a few reasons I’m guessing…
- You have no or very little equity in your house so you can’t afford to pay a real estate agent’s commission
- You have equity but want to try to save money selling the house yourself before you resort to hiring an agent
- You’re in foreclosure (or heading that way) and just need to sell fast without incurring thousands in agent commissions
- You can’t wait the months and months it sometimes takes to sell a house in the Houston area so you want to try to sell it more quickly
Whichever one it may be… there are ways to sell your house yourself here in the local Houston real estate market.
Since 2013, the housing sector has been experiencing major recoveries. Selling your house at this time will definitely be profitable if you do it right. In most cases, it is about using smart marketing strategies and being realistic about your expectations on what you want to achieve with this sale.
How To Sell Your House By Yourself In Houston A Short Guide – Let’s Dive In
1. Know The Houston Real Estate Market Well
The first and most important step is doing a market research on your neighborhood in the Houston TX area. This step involves visiting various home marketing sites (Zillow, Eppraisal the Chase home value estimator, etc), calling a real estate agent or two to see what your home is worth, or reading about the various market pricing techniques. Proper homework on these issues will allow you to come up with the right price for your house and also helps you to avoid making certain selling mistakes.
If you don’t want to hassle with trying to come up with a home value yourself… give us a call at (713) 635-9000 and we’ll give you an honest fair valuation of what your house is worth on the retail market (if you’re going to wait the 3-6+ months to find the perfect retail buyer). And if you want to… we’ll make you a fair all-cash offer on your house to give you that option of selling quickly (we can close in as little as 7 days).
The first and most important step when selling your house by yourself in Houston is to do your research on the local market. Start by studying comparable properties in your neighborhood, both active listings and recently sold homes. This will give you a clearer idea of how to price your home appropriately. You can find home values through various online platforms like Zillow, Realtor.com, and Eppraisal. These sites will give you a ballpark estimate of what homes in your area are worth, but remember, pricing a house correctly is more than just looking at what others are selling for.
You’ll also want to talk to a few local real estate agents to get their opinion on what price point would be competitive. They can offer you a professional evaluation, even if you don’t plan on hiring them. This is a good way to ensure you’re pricing your home realistically.
Doing this homework will help you avoid common selling mistakes, such as pricing too high or too low, which can lead to your home sitting on the market longer than you’d like. The longer a property sits, the more likely it is that potential buyers will assume something is wrong with it.
If you don’t want to spend time trying to come up with an accurate value yourself, give us a call at (713) 635-9000 , and we’ll give you an honest, fair valuation of what your house is worth in the current market. If you’re planning to wait for the ideal retail buyer and you’re willing to wait 3-6+ months for that perfect buyer, we’ll provide a price that aligns with what you should expect. However, if you need a quicker sale, we can offer you a fair all-cash offer and close in as little as 7 days.
2. Assess the Market in Your Neighborhood
While understanding your home’s value is essential, assessing the local market is equally important. You’ll want to know how many similar homes are for sale in your neighborhood and what they’re priced at. Additionally, if there are a lot of foreclosures nearby, this could lower the price you can expect to sell for. A high inventory of homes can also make your property compete for attention.
If you find that there are many similar homes for sale, you may need to adjust your strategy. Maybe it’s time to add some unique selling points, such as upgraded features in your home, or consider adjusting the price to make your home stand out.
Ultimately, understanding your competition gives you a better idea of what to expect and what you need to do to get your house sold faster.
3. Assess Your Home’s Condition
When selling a home in Houston, you need to be honest with yourself about the condition of your house. Buyers today are looking for homes that are move-in ready or require minimal repairs. Therefore, if your home needs work, you should consider making repairs before listing it, even if it’s something as simple as repainting the walls, fixing broken appliances, or landscaping the yard.
Identify the strengths of your home and emphasize those features when you market it. For instance, if your home has a driveway and additional parking, highlight that, as it may be more attractive than homes with garage-only parking in a neighborhood with limited space.
Additionally, assess whether your home requires more significant repairs like a new roof or updating outdated areas such as old plumbing or electrical systems. You’ll also need to decide if you’re willing to do the repairs yourself or if you’re ready to sell “as-is.”
4. Use Photos and Videos
Buyers in Houston are highly responsive to visual content. Using high-quality photos and videos of your home can make a massive difference in attracting the right buyers. As much as buyers might want to see the house in person, they’ll first want to know what they’re getting into, which is why excellent photos are key.
Take clear, well-lit photos of every room in your house, including the exterior and landscaping. The more detailed and professional your images are, the more likely they are to make buyers want to see your home in person. If possible, consider creating a walk-through video to allow potential buyers to get a sense of the home’s layout and feel. Video tours can make your listing stand out and provide a more immersive look at the space.
If you’re not a photography expert, consider hiring a professional to help capture the best angles of your home.
5. List Your House on the Local Houston MLS
One of the key elements of selling your home fast and for a good price in Houston is getting your house listed on the local MLS (Multiple Listing Service). The MLS is the primary resource real estate agents use to find homes for their buyers. You can get your house on the MLS by paying a flat fee to a broker or using a service that offers MLS listings for a low cost.
When you list your house on the MLS, you’ll have the opportunity to attract not only retail buyers but also real estate agents who may bring their clients to your property. If you decide to go this route, be prepared to offer a buyer’s agent a commission (usually around 2-3%) for their services.
In addition to the MLS, you should also use other marketing channels such as classified ads, social media, and hosting open houses. Advertising in the local Houston newspaper or placing “For Sale” signs around your neighborhood can help generate interest.
6. Consider the Costs of Selling Yourself
Selling your home on your own may seem like an easy way to save money, but it can also come with hidden costs. If you aren’t a great marketer, for example, you may find yourself spending more time and money than expected in marketing the property. Additionally, if you don’t handle the negotiation process well or fail to stage your home correctly, you may end up selling for less than the house’s market value.
Selling a house also involves ongoing costs that you’ll need to cover as long as the house remains unsold. These include mortgage payments, insurance, taxes, and utilities. If your house sits on the market for several months, those costs can quickly add up.
7. Want to Skip the Hassle? We Buy Houses in Houston!
If you don’t want to deal with all of the complexities of selling your home by yourself, we can help. At Fast Cash Offers, we buy houses in Houston TX for cash, offering you a quick, stress-free solution. We make fair, no-obligation cash offers and can close in as little as 7 days, helping you avoid the long wait and headaches of selling on your own.
We handle all repairs ourselves, so you don’t have to worry about fixing anything before selling. This allows you to sell your home fast without spending a penny on renovations or repairs.
If you’re interested in getting a fair cash offer for your home, give us a call at (713) 635-9000 or fill out the form below. We’re here to help you sell quickly and without any hassle.
Selling Your Houston House Yourself? Get a Cash Offer from Us First!
Before you spend time, money, and energy trying to sell your house yourself, consider getting a cash offer from us. It might be the fast, easy solution you need to move on with your life.
All Of This Sound Like A Lot Of Work To Sell Your Houston House Fast Yourself?
It can be.
And in the end, many Houston house sellers think they’re saving money and time by marketing the house themselves… when in the end it costs them more money to go that route.
When you sell your own house here are more things you need to consider…
- If you’re not a good marketer or aren’t ready to spend a bunch of time marketing your house right… selling it yourself may not be your best bet
- If you don’t do a good job preparing the house and the marketing materials… and working with buyers to really build the value of your house in their minds… you may actually sell the house for 3-8% less than you may get for the same house an experienced person marketed the house for you
- Too many sellers never think about holding costs or opportunity costs… every month that your house doesn’t sell means another mortgage payment, tax payment, insurance, utilities, etc. If your mortgage payment is $1,500/mo… and $1,300 of that is interest… if it takes you 7 months to sell your house… that cost you an extra $9,100 (not to mention taxes and insurance you paid during that time). So, if you were able to sell that house more quickly… would it make sense for you to provide a buyer a discounted price today so you can close quickly and move on? Something to think about.
If you’d rather not put up the hassle of trying to sell your Houston house yourself… and would rather just sell it quickly for a fair price without paying any commissions or fees…
… here at Fast Cash Offers we actually buy local Houston TX houses.
We’d love to make you a fair, NO OBLIGATION and NO HASSLE cash offer on your house.
We can close quickly (in as little as 7 days if you wanted to)… which can save you thousands of dollars vs. trying to sell the house yourself and waiting for months.
Also, when we buy local Houston houses we do all repairs that are needed (we pay for it ourselves) so you don’t have to worry about that.
If you want to see what we can pay for your house, give us a call today at (713) 635-9000 or just fill out the quick simple form through the link below.