Selling your New Jersey home yourself

Thousands of New Jersey homes sell without a listing agent every year. These are the steps, in order, with the New Jersey parts that catch people out. New Home gives you the tools for each one — free.

1. Set your price. Start from your value estimate and the recent sales listed with it. Homes priced right sell faster and for more.
2. Add at least 10 good photos. Daylight, lights on, clutter away. The first photo is the one people click.
3. Fill in the seller disclosure. Answer the questions on this page. New Jersey also requires sellers to disclose flood risk; your attorney will provide the official forms.
4. Choose a real estate attorney. In New Jersey, attorneys usually prepare or review the sale contract. Pick one before offers arrive.
5. Gather your documents. Deed, survey, permits and certificates for any work done, recent utility and tax bills, and HOA documents if you have an association.
6. Ask your lender for a mortgage payoff figure. So you know what you will walk away with.
7. Check your town’s resale inspection. Many New Jersey towns require a Certificate of Continued Occupancy (CCO) inspection before a sale closes. Call the town’s construction office.
8. Book the smoke, CO alarm and extinguisher certificate. New Jersey requires this certificate for a resale. Your town’s fire official issues it.
9. Older home? Consider an oil tank sweep. Buyers and lenders often ask. A sweep is quick and inexpensive compared with a surprise at inspection.
10. Set open house times and answer showing requests. Buyers request showings from your listing; you confirm or suggest another time in messages.
11. Review offers. Compare price, financing, deposit, contingencies and closing date — not just price. Agree terms, then hand over to the attorneys.
12. Inspection and appraisal. The buyer’s inspector and the lender’s appraiser will visit. Repairs or credits are negotiated through the attorneys.
13. Closing. A title company runs the closing. In New Jersey the seller usually pays the Realty Transfer Fee; your attorney will tell you the amount.

What buyers will ask

Your listing has a disclosure section buyers can read before they visit. It covers:

• Flooding: is any part of the property in a fema flood zone (100-year or 500-year floodplain); is flood insurance required on the property (for example by your lender); have you ever filed a flood insurance claim or received disaster aid (such as from fema) for flood damage…
• Water and structure: any water, leaks or dampness in the basement or crawl space; any roof leaks, past or present; any past or present termite or wood-destroying insect damage…
• Systems and environment: is there, or was there ever, an underground oil tank on the property; has the home been tested for radon; do you know of any lead-based paint or lead hazards…
• Other: is there a homeowners or condo association fee; anything else a buyer should know

Attorney review

When a New Jersey real estate agent prepares the sale contract, either side's attorney can review it — and cancel it — within three business days. Selling by owner, the contract is usually written by an attorney from the start. Either way, budget for one: the fee is small next to a commission, and they handle the contract, the title work and the closing documents.