Sell your home yourself, with a clearer plan.

Step-by-step

Your FSBO roadmap

1. Define the goalSet timing, a minimum acceptable net, your move plan, and a review date.
2. Price the propertyStudy similar closed sales, pending signals, active competition, condition, and likely buyers.
3. Prepare the home and fileAddress obvious defects and gather ownership, payoff, permit, warranty, HOA, and disclosure information.
4. Create the listing packageUse bright, accurate photos, consistent facts, useful description, and clear showing instructions.
5. Launch and qualifyChoose channels, protect your safety, verify buyer readiness, manage access, and collect feedback.
6. Compare the full offerReview price, credits, financing, appraisal, inspection, contingencies, timing, and confidence in performance.
7. Manage due diligenceCalendar every deadline and coordinate inspection, title, lending, appraisal, and agreed repairs.
8. Close carefullyConfirm title and payoff work, review figures, verify wire instructions, sign, transfer keys, and retain records.

Pricing

Build a range before choosing a list price

Closed sales show what buyers and appraisers accepted. Pending sales show what is winning now, although their price is usually unknown. Active listings show your competition, not confirmed value. Focus on similar location, type, size, age, condition, lot, garage, schools, and major features. Estimate the buyer’s immediate repair burden and check common search-price boundaries.

Request a property-specific second opinion →

Marketing and safety

Make it easy for a qualified buyer to say yes

Declutter for clarity, repair obvious distractions, clean deeply, and lead with a strong but accurate image. Describe useful facts photos cannot show. Never hide known material problems. Avoid showing alone when possible, secure valuables and documents, log visitors, and verify contact and financial information independently.

Offers

Compare risk, timing, and net proceeds

Do not sign language you do not understand. A purchase agreement creates legal obligations. A Tennessee-licensed attorney can advise you about your contract and circumstances.

Tennessee-specific

Build the professional closing team early

Tennessee’s Residential Property Disclosure Act generally requires a residential seller to provide the buyer with a property-condition disclosure or disclaimer unless an exemption applies. The statute includes timing, content, and exemption rules. Do not assume “as is” or FSBO removes every disclosure duty.

Ask a Tennessee real estate attorney or qualified title and closing professional what applies before accepting an offer. They can help with contract advice, title, deed preparation, payoff and lien work, escrow, closing figures, recording, and secure disbursement. This site does not distribute association contracts or present checklists as legal forms.

Costs and evidence

Measure the net, not one avoided fee

Budget for preparation, photography or listing services, advertising, legal and closing work, title charges, payoffs, taxes, prorations, buyer credits, moving, holding costs, and any negotiated buyer-agent compensation.

NAR’s 2025 national survey reported that 5% of sellers sold FSBO and 60% of FSBO sellers already knew their buyer. It reported median prices of $360,000 for FSBO and $425,000 for agent-assisted sales. Those medians do not prove causation. Property mix, buyer relationships, market segments, and transaction circumstances differ.

When the plan changes

Diagnose before reacting

No inquiries can point to visibility, presentation, access, or price. Showings without offers suggest the online promise is not holding up in person. Financing trouble calls for stronger qualification. Contract, inspection, or appraisal uncertainty calls for the right licensed professional.

If you want another set of eyes, Robert can take a look. If you sell successfully and need to buy in Middle Tennessee, he can represent you on that side too. Compensation depends on the written agreement and transaction, not a blanket rule.

Use the house-not-selling diagnostic → · Plan your next purchase →