If you are looking to sell your home in New Braunfels, Texas, the first decision you need to make is whether you should hire a real estate agent or go the DIY route. If you choose the latter, maybe because of trust or budget concerns, that is perfectly all right. There are plenty of ways to list and market your property yourself and still get a good price even without a broker backing you up. In fact, some buyers prefer to transact directly with the home owners to do away with the middleman fees.

You can sell your New Braunfels house without an agent and manage to get things done smoothly. Here are five tips that will help you make that sale.

  1. Prepare your home for a viewing.

If your budget allows, hire a home stager or someone who will make your space more presentable to buyers. While you can take care of decorating your home yourself, a professional will have a better understanding of what buyers are looking for without getting too emotional about decluttering and rearranging things. Alternatively, if you have a friend or family who is into interior decorating, that will help greatly.

Take well-angled and well-lighted photos of your home’s facade and its various features to be posted on print and online. Buyers will be searching for houses for sale and will do their initial screening based on the photos that they see, so make sure yours speak to them well. Don’t just stuff your clutter into cabinets because viewers will certainly want to open every closed door when they assess your house. Consider moving these item to your outdoor shed or renting a storage space.

  1. Decide on your selling price.

You have a better chance of selling your New Braunfels house if you peg it at a realistic price. We say “peg” because this rate is certainly negotiable. Buyers enjoy the haggling experience and your initial price should not be your lowest sale rate. This allows you to chat with your prospect buyer and they can also get to know you better.

There are plenty of online tools that will help you obtain a fair price for your property. Housing rates are usually based on the postcode, the features of the home itself, and the general real estate market climate. You can ask a real estate agent to give you a quote, but he or she might charge a valuation fee for this one-time job. You can also check out the other listings in your area to compare prices.

  1. Advertise your property.

You won’t sell your home if you don’t market it. Take note that there are dozens if not hundreds of homes for sale in New Braunfels and not advertising will further lower your chances of a sale. There are many property portals that do not charge a listing fee while others require you to pay a small amount to reach the types of buyers you are looking for. You can also utilize the power of social media and word-of-mouth marketing, so get your friends and family on board, too.

  1. Negotiate the price.

Know how low you can go and stick to that. Don’t be too excited to jump on the first offer especially if it’s at a figure that’s lower than what you can afford. That’s why you should set your initial price at a higher rate so there’s room to go down if the buyer starts to negotiate. No matter the situation, you should always end talks on friendly terms. You never know if your buyer is really interested in your property and will be willing to settle at your price eventually.

  1. Hire a solicitor or conveyancer.

Once you’ve accepted an offer for your home, make sure to go the legal route right away and put everything on paper. You will need a conveyancer or a solicitor to handle all the legal paperwork. While it’s still possible that you take care of this yourself, you can’t really take a chance on lack of experience.