Selling your own home is legal, possible, and can save money—but it's more work than most people expect. This guide covers everything from prep through closing, so nothing falls through the cracks.

Sell Your Own Home: The Complete FSBO Checklist

Selling your own home is absolutely legal, entirely possible, and for the right seller in the right situation, it can save a significant amount of money. It’s also a substantial amount of work — more than most people expect going in. This guide exists to make sure nothing falls through the cracks, from the day you decide to sell to the day you remember to take down that Craigslist listing three months after closing. Let’s get into it.

Before You List

Research your local market (comparable sales, active listings, days on market)
Determine your asking price
Order a pre-listing inspection (optional but strongly recommended)
Review the inspection report and decide what to repair
Obtain contractor estimates for any significant repairs
Complete repairs and document the work
Deep clean every room, including windows, baseboards, and appliances
Declutter — remove personal items, excess furniture, and anything that makes rooms feel smaller
Rent a storage unit if needed for staging purposes
Stage the home (DIY or hire a professional stager)
Boost curb appeal — landscaping, pressure washing, fresh mulch, exterior touch-up paint
Replace burned-out bulbs and ensure every light in the home works
Photograph the home (hire a professional — phone photos cost you money at closing)
Shoot video or a 3D walkthrough if your market expects it
Write your property description
Research and collect all required disclosure documents
Contact a real estate attorney or title company — Florida is a title state and you will need one at closing
Prepare your deed and confirm title is clear
Verify there are no open permits on the property
Check for and resolve any outstanding liens

On pricing: Do not trust Zillow’s Zestimate as your asking price. It’s an algorithm working from public data, and it can be off by tens of thousands of dollars in either direction — sometimes more in neighborhoods with limited sales history. Pull actual comparable sales (recent, nearby, similar square footage and condition), look at what’s actively competing with you right now, and price from evidence. Overpricing is the single most common mistake FSBO sellers make, and it costs more in the long run than it gains up front.

On inspections: Home inspectors are paid to find problems, and a good one will find something in every house ever built. Before you panic or start replacing things, understand what actually matters to buyers and lenders versus what’s routine maintenance noise. Safety items and structural issues are generally non-negotiable. Cosmetic issues and minor maintenance items? Often not worth the spend. If you can, have a contractor you trust review the report before you decide what to fix.

Listing & Marketing

Choose your listing platforms (MLS, Zillow, Trulia, Redfin, Homes.com, Facebook Marketplace, Craigslist, and others)
Select and pay for a flat-fee MLS service to get on the MLS and Realtor.com
Create accounts on each platform you plan to use
Upload all photos, video, and listing details to every platform individually
Decide whether you will offer a buyer’s agent commission and disclose it clearly
Set your showing availability and preferences
Create and install a yard sign with contact information
Print flyers for the home
Share the listing on your personal social media
Consider paid advertising (Facebook/Instagram — see note below)
Keep a record of every platform you list on — you will need this list later
Prepare and make all required disclosures available to prospective buyers before showings begin

On disclosures — take this seriously: Florida has specific disclosure requirements, and federal law adds more. Get these ready before you start showing the home. Buyers need them before they make an offer, and for two of them, their signatures are required by law before an offer can be accepted. Delays in delivering disclosures can derail deals or expose you to legal consequences.

Flood Disclosure — Required by Florida law. Buyers must receive this before signing a contract.

Lead-Based Paint Disclosure — Required by federal law for homes built before 1978. Buyers must sign before an offer is accepted.

Material Defects Disclosure — Not technically required by Florida law, but if you know about a problem and don’t disclose it, you can be sued after the sale. Disclose everything material. Every single thing.

HOA and Condo Disclosures — If applicable, these can take weeks to procure from the association. Contracts have hard deadlines for delivering them, and missing those deadlines can give buyers the right to walk. Request them immediately — ideally before you go under contract.

On Facebook advertising: Housing is a Special Ad Category under Meta’s advertising policies. This restricts your targeting options — you cannot target by age, gender, ZIP code, or certain demographic signals the way you can with other ad types. It’s not optional; Meta enforces it, and ignoring it can get your ad rejected or your account flagged.

On your contact information: The moment your phone number and email hit that listing, you will hear from agents wanting you to list with them, investors wanting to lowball you, look-loos curious about the house, and contractors convinced your roof needs their attention. Spam filters and do-not-call lists become nearly irrelevant the moment you invite offers publicly. You can’t ignore incoming calls and emails — you can’t sell the house if you do. Consider a burner phone and a temporary email account just for this purpose. You’ll still need to check them constantly and answer everything, but at least your personal line stays yours.

Showings & Offers

Set up a showing scheduling service (ShowingTime or similar) if you want agent-assisted showings
Create a lockbox and document the code for scheduled showings
Establish a plan for pets, children, and personal schedules during showing windows
Respond to every showing request promptly
Prepare a leave-behind sheet with key home details and recent upgrades
Collect feedback after showings where possible
Collect and review all written offers
Verify proof of funds or mortgage pre-approval with every offer
Understand every contingency in every offer before you counter
Negotiate price, terms, repair credits, and closing date
Accept an offer in writing — verbal agreements are not enforceable

On understanding contingencies: The agent writing the offer almost certainly knows contract law better than you do. Do not assume it’s favorable to you, and do not trust that the buyer’s agent is looking out for your interests — they’re not. Courts enforce what’s written in the contract, not what someone told you it meant. Have your real estate attorney review every offer before you sign. Once you sign, you can’t change it without consent from all parties, and a skilled agent will write the most favorable terms for their client, not you.

Under Contract

Open escrow with your title company immediately
Deliver all required disclosures to the buyer if not already done — note the deadline in your contract
Request HOA or condo documents immediately if applicable — do not wait
Coordinate the buyer’s inspection and be prepared to respond to repair requests in writing
Negotiate any repair requests or credits — and get everything in writing
Cooperate with the buyer’s appraisal appointment
Track every contingency deadline in the contract and confirm written waivers or removals by their deadlines
Confirm the buyer’s financing is progressing — ask for updates
Stay in regular contact with the title company and respond to their requests immediately
Notify your utility companies of your expected closing date

On deadlines and escrow: Once you’re under contract, the calendar is running. Miss a deadline for delivering disclosures, responding to inspection requests, or confirming contingency removals, and you could give the buyer grounds to cancel. Keep a copy of the contract with all deadlines highlighted and check it daily.

Many buyers and sellers don’t fully understand how escrow works and mistakenly believe the money is theirs no matter what happens. It’s not. Escrow disputes are common and expensive. Educate yourself on how the money moves, when it moves, and what happens if the deal falls apart. Your title company can explain this — ask them directly.

Closing

Review the closing disclosure carefully and compare it against your original estimates
Confirm the closing time, location, and what to bring
Do a final walkthrough with the buyer within 24 hours of closing
Resolve any last-minute issues discovered in the walkthrough before you sit at the closing table
Sign all closing documents
Confirm wire transfer or payment method with the title company — verify wiring instructions by phone using a number you independently verified, not one from an email (wire fraud is common in real estate closings)
Hand over keys, garage openers, alarm codes, HOA documents, appliance manuals, and any warranties

After the Sale — Don’t Skip This Part

Delist from every platform you listed on — Zillow, Trulia, Homes.com, Facebook Marketplace, Craigslist, and any others — individually and manually
Cancel your flat-fee MLS listing
Confirm the MLS delists your property and the syndicated sites update
Remove your yard sign
Retrieve your lockbox
Notify your HOA of the ownership change if applicable
Forward your mail and update your address with the post office, banks, employer, insurance, subscriptions, and government accounts
Cancel or transfer your homeowner’s insurance policy
Keep copies of all closing documents permanently — the settlement statement, deed, disclosures, and contracts
Consult a tax professional — capital gains exemptions exist for primary residences but have specific requirements, and your situation may vary
If you’re purchasing another Florida home, understand homestead portability before you file for a homestead exemption on the new property — many sellers leave significant money on the table by not knowing it exists

On delisting: This one sounds obvious until you forget to do it and you’re getting calls from investors two years later asking about a house you no longer own, from a listing you forgot you posted. Go through your list — the one you kept during the listing phase — and delist everything, manually, on every platform.

You’ve Got This — And We’re Here If You Don’t

Selling your own home is a real accomplishment, and plenty of people do it successfully. We genuinely hope this guide helps you be one of them. If you get partway through the process and decide it’s more than you signed up for — no judgment, no pressure, no “we told you so.” Blue Gecko is here whenever you’re ready, and we’ll pick up wherever you left off.

And if this guide actually helps you close the deal? We’d genuinely love to hear about it. Drop us a line — it makes our day.