The Hwehwe.com.gh Research team decided to get to the bottom of what home or land owners should expect when they decide to sell their properties by themselves.

You have a perfect property or house and you have made a decision to make a sale.

Selling your own home or real estate can be tempting — after all, a real estate agent’s commission can be pricey and if you’re a homeowner who is already struggling to keep up with your mortgage, every Ghana Cedi of your home’s sale price may count.

Are you tempted to put a “for sale by owner” (FSBO) sign on the front of your lawn and do it all by yourself?

Before you do, here are the pros and cons of selling a home by owner and how the FSBO process differs from working with a licensed real estate professional.

You can avoid paying real estate agent commissions. A licensed real estate agent may be able to connect you with potential buyers for your home but by selling your home on your own, you save thousands of Ghana cedi that you would pay a real estate agent in commission.

This potential cost savings is a key reason so many homeowners choose to sell their own house.

You control the selling process; when you sell your own home or property, you get to decide how and when to market your home, when to hold open houses and who can tour the property.

You prepare the contract so there are no surprises or unexpected expenses; and you set the selling price.

You can take as much time as you like. Not in a hurry to sell your home? When you sell your house on your own, you can set your own schedule. You can market your home as slowly or rigorously as you wish; the only schedule you have to keep is your own.

You’re not a real estate expert; probably the largest disadvantage of selling your own home or property is that you don’t get the expertise that comes with hiring a real estate agent.

A good real estate agent, especially one who knows your market inside and out, can price your home depending on your needs (i.e. you need to sell fast) and what the market will want.

They may also know more real estate agents with clients on-hand that are in the market for a home or property like yours.

It costs money and time to market your own home; without a real estate agent doing the legwork, you will need to promote your home sale yourself.

You’ll need to front the costs for a “for sale” sign, open house signs and materials and fliers to give to potential sellers.

You will also need to take photos of your home for the listing (or hire a professional real estate photographer) and list your property on home sale websites.

Better clear your evenings and weekends too; you will need to spend that time showing your home to potential buyers.

You also will need to handle the scheduling of all these viewing appointments by phone or email, steps a real estate agent handles.

Paying the buyer’s real estate agent; a buyer who is working with a real estate agent may request that you pay a commission to his or her real estate agent.

This is another piece that a real estate agent selling your home would handle.

Using the FSBO selling process could save you money may but it also takes a lot more time and effort to be your home’s salesperson as well as the owner.