Even though the market is starting to change, it doesn't mean that you should shy away from selling your home yourself. It just means that you need to be more vigilant in learning the tips and tricks on how to sell your home and get what you want out of it without having to pay high commission fees. Here are some tips that can get you educated in the sale of your own home so you're not left with months or more or waiting to see if you can sell it.

Check the home sales in your area over the last half of the year. Is the market in your area flat? Are the prices stagnant to what they were at the beginning of that term? If so, you have to make sure that your house price falls in line, or even less, than what those prices are in order to sell your home. Compare the amenities in your home to others that are selling/not selling, and see what you can tweak and adjust to set your house apart from the rest. And depending on the market in your area, just having an ad might not be enough. You want to advertise on the Internet, or local signs, and host open houses. This will get your house out there more than just a newspaper ad.

Figure out exactly how much your house will appraise for, because chances are the home buyer will do the same, and they do not like surprises right before going in to make a purchase. One of the biggest problems with people who sell FSBO is that they overprice their house since they didn't do enough homework on home prices. Pay for an appraiser to come check your house, and you'll be able to have proof of the home value not only when pricing it, but when showing it.

To handle the paperwork at the end of the transaction process, and to remove that stress off of your back, make sure you have a good lawyer set up for it. It will be your lawyer's task to set up the purchase and sales agreement. Even though it'll cost you between $500 and $1000 in legal fees, it's money well spent, and money that didn't end up going away in commission.