Most homes are sold by realtors, who take a sizeable fee for themselves. When you sell your home yourself without the help of a realtor, you pocket all that cash. Depending on the price of your home, that can add up to a LOT of money.

In the real estate industry, homes being marketed and sold by their owners are called FSBOs (For Sale By Owner).

The FSBO route can be very rewarding, but it also has some big challenges. When you sell your home without a realtor, you have to know some of the things a realtor knows; otherwise you can get yourself into a lot of trouble.

Here are a few tips that can make selling your home yourself a big success:

1. Know your local real estate market. What are others in your area with similar houses getting when they sell? How much are local buyers willing to pay? Knowing these things can keep you from over-pricing your home, having to wait many months, even years to sell your home. On the other hand, you don't want to under-price your home. There's nothing worse than putting your house on the market, having it sell in two days, then realizing you got thousands less than you should have.

2. You need effective and affordable ways to advertise your home. If you live on a very busy street, a For Sale By Owner sign may be all you need. But most homes need more marketing than that to sell. There are For Sale By Owner publications you can advertise in. There are also ways to get your FSBO listed in the MLS where buyers working with realtors can find your home.

3. You should prepare your home for sale. Fix up any eyesores, remove clutter and unnecessary furniture. Some home owners even bake a batch of cookies before showing their home to prospective buyers (many buyers just love that "fresh baked" smell filling the house).

4. Finally, you'll need several forms filled out correctly to negotiate the sale and close the deal.

If all this sounds a bit daunting, you can rest easy. There are real estate professionals who can assist you in selling your home yourself. While not costing anywhere near as much as a traditional realtor, FSBO assistance can smoothly guide you through the process of selling your home yourself.

Above all, selling your FSBO can let you keep a great deal of the value of your home. You can, in turn, put that money into your next home, allowing you to buy a lot more house. That's a very wise way to make your money work harder for you, giving you and your family a higher standard of living.