We Sold Our Home on Craigslist

Friends, we sold our home on Craigslist! So many friends have asked us about this,  so I decided to write a post about the details today. First of all, this house is not just a house. This house has been our home for 11 years, which makes me very sentimental and a little bit weepy today as I write this post.

Many of you know that when you go to sell a home, you have the option of listing it with an agent, or selling it “by owner.” My husband and I bought the current house we live in 11 years ago directly from the owner, at the same time selling our previous house ourselves. So we are somewhat experienced.

And it is easy.

It took 22 days to sell our house, because obviously you’re waiting for the right buyer to come along, and at the same time you are not getting MLS exposure.

How we sold our home on Craigslist

Even though our house has been remodeled and it has so much to offer (cul-de-sac, great school district, pool, huge yard, great entertaining areas), I’m convinced that one of the main reasons our house sold as quickly as it did was because of the time and effort we put into putting up signs, putting it on Zillow (as for sale), and updating it daily on Craigslist.

1. Before we posted our ad, we had flyers made up and we kept the box full. On the flyer I had all pertinent information on the house, including pictures and detailed descriptions (i.e., acacia wood floors, versus just wood floors). All the updates were listed, and different photo angles were included.

2. We highlighted the benefits of living in the house–an entertaining dream, a perfect home for a family, a great location and schools nearby.

3. We clearly stated the price and how to reach us, with a funky way of adding our cell number so spammers could not find us. Never use your home phone number. Here are a few tips on that.

4. We listed it as “real estate – by owner” for the category.

5. People contacted us by texting us first. And then from there we worked out the appointment times. Our buyer came to us ready to buy, having already loved the photos online. He was sold before he even got here.

6. We went to Staples and bought “Purchasing and Selling Real Estate” paperwork. We filled out what we could, and set up a meeting with our buyer. We went through the paperwork together, deciding on dates and details. This is exactly what we did 11 years prior, when we bought our home from the owner.

7. We both decided on the same title company. Our buyer paid the large sum of earnest money that we requested, and we took his check down to the title company, along with the contract.

8. VERY IMPORTANT: You need to go in every day to your Craiglist ad and update it (change the wording around, move the pictures, add new pictures). This moves your ad to the top for the day.

Things that I learned

Usually buyers know when they walk through a house that it has good bones. There were things that I felt we needed to do (touch up paint, etc.) to make the house perfect, but my husband convinced me that these things do not matter for the right buyer. HE WAS RIGHT.

The house was not perfectly clean, the garage was a mess (knowing we are moving), the yard was pretty, but it wasn’t weeded to my standards. BUT THAT WAS OKAY.

The photos that I put on the flyer and on Zillow and Craig’s List were taken from my iPhone (not professional shots). IT WORKED! THE PHOTOS TOLD THE STORY OF THE HOUSE.

Do not fear selling by owner. Once you get the contract filled out, the title company walks you through the process. THEY ARE AMAZING.

Use can use a broker. My friend just bought a home in CA, and they (and the sellers) hired a broker to help them. The cost was $3k, and the buyer and seller split the cost. THIS IS ALSO AN OPTION WHEN SELLING BY OWNER.

Be nice to the many real estate agents who call and knock on your door. We worked with a few who wanted to see our house, saying they “thought they had a buyer.” They were professional, and we didn’t want to burn any bridges with them. In the long run though, they did NOT bring us a buyer.

Do you want to save a boatload of money?

Do you want to save $10-$30K when it’s time to sell your home? Then you’ll want to try what we did: Sell your home on Craigslist!

Remember Craiglist is FREE.

Good Luck, Friends, if you’re going to give it a try!

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Selling a Home on Craigslist – Dos and Don’ts {The Nest}