When it comes time to put your home up for sale, you will have to make a big decision regarding how you want to sell it. You can hire a local real estate agent to handle the entire sale, or opt to do it all by yourself. While the latter will save you on the commission that you would have to pay an agent, you may not be aware of other unexpected costs that will come out of your own pocket.

Home Photography Costs

When you prepare the listing for your home, you will need some high quality photos to go with it. If you are not a professional photographer, it can be difficult to get the angles and lighting just the way that you want it. That's why many people hire a photographer to take photos of their home that make the home look desirable to a buyer. These are not photos you can take with your smart phone, since the right camera and lens can make all the difference between making a room look cramped or spacious. When working with an agent, they usually have a photographer that they work with that handles all of the photos for you.

Home Staging Costs

If you are moving out of your home before you sell it, you are going to have a big problem on your hands with the home being empty. Not having any furniture in it can cause buyers to have difficulty envisioning what the home will be like with their own furniture. If you find yourself in this situation, know that you can always stage your home with rental furniture. It will cost money, but it will give you the furniture you need to make the home looked lived in. Agents that work for a larger real estate company typically provide their own furniture for home staging, and it comes at no additional cost to you.

Home Inspection Costs

While a home inspection is not a mandatory process as a seller, it's still good to have done. Part of the inspection will be learning everything that a buyer could find wrong with your home, and using that information to decide what you want to fix. It can certainly help you prioritize repairs, especially if there are things that a buyer will notice on their own home inspection. It will also help avoid any surprises when the sale is made.

To learn more, contact a realtor like Jeff Glover & Associates Realtors.