When the majority of people decide it’s time to move on and sell the family home one of the first things they do is find an estate agent to it for them. Things are changing on that front though. More and more Australians are willing to give the DIY route a shot and sell their property themselves. Skipping the estate agent saves thousands and thousands of dollars and the great news is that there are a growing number of internet resources to help them sell their home successfully.

Keeping more money from the sale of there is what motivates most people to try FSBO (for sale by owner) The CEO of Buymyplace.com, Peter Butterss, says that with the average estate agent commission running at $15,000 per sale, never mind thousands spent on marketing, there is a lot of money to save my going the DIY route.

Apart from the money saving considerations sellers who choose the for sale by owner method to sell their homes enjoy the fact that they are completely in control of the process says Shane Pettiona, chief operating officer of Homesales.com.au. And, Butterss adds, they can speak to potential buyers to get their feedback directly, there is no "agent speak" to cloud the issues.

FSBO home sellers are not quite on their own during the whole sales process though. Sites like Buymyplace.com.au (there are others, a quick Google search will net you several) offer a huge range of services, advice and assistance designed to help the FSBO seller sell their homes quickly and without too much fuss. Their $599 "premium package" covers everything from house pricing to marketing and still represents a huge savings over the cost of using an estate agent.

Sellers taking the FSBO route do face pitfalls along the way . According to both Pettiona and Butterss two of the biggest mistakes made are with home pricing and presentation.

It can be hard for the seller themselves to set a reasonable asking price as they have emotional as well as financial ties to their home. An independent valuation, which sites like Buymyplace.com.au can provide, helps ensure that the asking price set is one that is reasonable and gives the seller the best chance of getting a deal done.

Sloppy presentation is another problem that he often sees says Butterss. Some buyers neglect to do even the smallest things – like taking out the rubbish – and that can impact their chances of selling their home in a big way. And even the smallest extra touches can help sell a home. A few discreetly placed scented candles and a quick coat of fresh paint can make a big difference to the way a buyer perceives a home.

Another important part of getting a home sold is marketing it the right way. The internet is where most buyers are searching for property these days so getting a home listed on site like realestate.com.au is a must. This can be difficult for an FSBO owner to do alone, as many of the big sites do not accept listings from private sellers, but with the help of services like Buymyplace.com.au it can be done. Traditional offline marketing is still very important as well.

Another aspect of the home sale that can be tricky for the FSBO seller are home inspections. According to Butterss if there is considerable interest an open house may be the way to go. Open the house up to potential buyers for at least an hour Butterss says and present yourself and your home in a polite and professional manner. Try not to trail potential buyers every step of the way as they tour the house as that is very off-putting.

FSBO sellers often do not have the negotiating skills they need to close a deal the right way and working with companies like Buymyplace.com.au can be of great help here as well. FSBO sellers need to settle on a strategy for dealing with offers early on and professional advice at this point really helps.

The final area where FSBO sellers will need to seek help is dealing with the actual settlement itself. All of the legal paperwork should be drawn up by a solicitor or conveyance to ensure that the contract of sale is comprehensive and valid. The contract should include a timeleine for the settlement, a clear listing of any special conditions attached to the sale and documentation of any fixtures and fittings that are to be included in the sale price