Selling your home yourself can save you thousands of dollars in commissions
. However, that doesn't mean you should necessarily do it for the following reasons:
Just Suffered A Major Trauma
People who have just gone through an event which changed their lives in a negative way are also apt to benefit from working with an agent instead of selling their homes as FSBOs. You aren't likely to be your usual calm, clear thinking self if your husband or wife just died, for example. The same thing is probably true for people who are selling and moving because they have been diagnosed with a life threatening or debilitating disease. Divorce also makes it hard to function as well as normal for a period of time. Anything which really rocks your world in an unhappy way just before putting your home on the market is an indication that hiring a good agent is probably a positive move for you to make.
You Need Someone to Blame
Some people are very independent. They weigh the pros and cons and make decisions quickly and easily. Occasionally something goes wrong. They just chalk it up as a learning experience and move on.
At the other end of the spectrum are folks who agonize over decisions, cannot stand to make a mistake, and must have someone to blame if something goes wrong. With my apologies to real estate professionals, these people will probably be better off working with an agent. An experienced agent can't always stave off problems, but she (or he) has probably solved similar problems and is likely to be able to help you solve yours.
If either of these situations describe you or your situation, going FSBO is probably not for you.