Selling your South Carolina home without a real estate agent is a process that allows you, as the homeowner, to pocket thousands of dollars. This benefit does not come without a little bit of work attached. If you have never sold a home without a real estate agent, there may be some surprises along the way. You can avoid some of the most common surprises by taking some precautionary steps.

Having your home professionally inspected before putting it on the market will prevent surprises later on when a prospective buyer has his own inspector come look at your home. It is possible that the inspector will come back with some repairs that the home needs. Once these repairs are aware of the repairs that need to be made, it is then your decision to make the repairs. Be aware a homebuyer might negotiate a lower price based on repairs that need to be made. In some cases, a prospective buyer may choose not to purchase the home if the repairs are serious. Consider purchasing Seller’s Home Warranty after the inspection as been completed. This warranty provides insurance coverage for your home. In the event that your home incurs some kind of damage post-inspection and pre-sale, the insurance will cover the damages. Not only does the warranty protect you as the seller against damages, it also looks attractive to potential buyers. If a buyer is forced to make a decision between two homes, he/she is more likely to choose the home that has a warranty.

An escrow holder is another type of protection that can be used during the South Carolina for sale by owner process. The escrow holder is a third party that holds legal documents and payments on behalf of the seller and the buyer. The buyer and the seller must give instructions for the escrow holder to distribute the documents and payments. By using an escrow holder you are protected from receiving incorrect or deficient funds. Similarly, the buyer is protected from losing money on a home that is misrepresented. The escrow holder can be a trusted friend, neighbor, or attorney, and can be chosen by the buyer or the seller.