By Jeanette Han
http://homesalesolutions.com.au

Statistics show that, on average, homeowners will sell up and move every seven years. That seems a pretty high statistic, doesn’t it?

However, when you consider the various needs people have at different life stages it becomes hardly surprising.Whatever the reason for selling your home, it can become an expensive exercise if you haven’t done your homework.

So, when the time comes for you to sell your home, what options are available?

Signing a contract with a licensed real estate agent is the traditional method, and until recently it was just about the only method. Their fee is approximately 4% of the sale amount, and as an example you could pay $12,000 commission on a $300,000 home. Remember, however, that you can haggle with some agents or shop around for an agent who charges below the average benchmark.

In general, the higher the sales price of your home the higher the commission payable to the real estate agent. When you consider the periodic seven-year selling process, these cumulative fees can end up leaving a large dent in your resources.

In addition, you must allow for settlement (also known as conveyancing) costs, bank and government charges.

However, there is another way to sell your home that will keep those dollars in your pocket whilst getting the help you need with the home sale process. More people are selling privately with assistance from a Private Home Sales business.

In recent years, Australians have embraced this alternative approach and this trend is a result, in part, of strong influences from both the U.K. and America. Adding impetus to this new direction, are the rising costs associated with real estate transactions, including real estate agents’ commissions and government stamp duty.

When selling through a Private Home Sales business, sellers receive advertising materials and all necessary resources for the selling of their property. There are no contracts and the costs are generally in the hundreds instead of the commissioned thousands that consumers have always paid. Again, settlement costs, bank and government charges still apply.

It is important, nevertheless, that private sellers follow the guidance provided for them by the Private Home Sales business. This will increase the likelihood of a successful sale. Private sellers need to have good communication skills, be flexible, and also be objective when making the final decision to accept an offer.

By eliminating the real estate agent’s commission, you save thousands of dollars at the time of sale – and having that money in your pocket is making selling privately an increasingly attractive option to a growing number of vendors.

It’s all a matter of choice. So when the ‘seven-year itch’ comes along, consider your options carefully, do your research and you will be confident that you have not only made an informed decision, but that you will have unveiled the perceived mystery that surrounds real estate sales.