How to sell your home by owner in Virginia.

Selling without an agent

Owners in Virginia sell their own homes, and the state's Residential Property Disclosure Act applies to those sales "whether or not the transaction is with the assistance of a licensed real estate broker" (§ 55.1-701). It covers homes of one to four units sold, exchanged, sold on an installment contract or leased with an option to buy.

Without a listing agent, the work is yours: the price, the photos and description, showings, offers and the paperwork. A contract to sell real estate is enforceable only when it is in writing and signed (§ 11-2), and many owners hire a Virginia real estate attorney to prepare or review it. You can change course at any point, including hiring an agent later.

Price it from public sales

Buyers and their lenders judge a price against recent sales of similar homes nearby, so start there. Recent Christiansburg sales show the sold price, the date and the days on market; your neighborhood page shows what sold close to you; the Christiansburg market report shows whether prices and time on market are rising or falling. Over the last 12 months, Christiansburg homes sold for a median of $317,500.

Your assessed value is public in Montgomery County's real estate search. It is a tax figure, not a sale price. For a number built from sales near you, ask for a free valuation; a local real estate professional prepares it, with no obligation.

The disclosure statement

The owner gives the buyer a residential property disclosure statement, on the form the Real Estate Board publishes (§ 55.1-703). It is a "buyer beware" notice: the owner makes no representations about the home's condition, and the buyer is advised to do their own checking, such as a home inspection, a survey and flood zone research. The Board's current form is dated September 2026; a version of the law taking effect January 1, 2027 adds an item on land use taxation.

When

Before the contract is ratifiedIf it comes later, the buyer's only remedy is to terminate: within three days of delivery in person or electronically, or five days after the postmark if mailed, and before settlement or occupancy (§ 55.1-709).

Who is exempt

Certain transfers, not ordinary salesCourt-ordered and foreclosure sales, transfers by an estate or trust fiduciary, between co-owners or to a spouse or lineal relative, and a few others (§ 55.1-702).

What you know

Some facts need their own written noticeA pending building code action or uncured zoning violation the owner knows of after written notice from the locality (§ 55.1-706). The Board's form also points to disclosures for a lis pendens, past methamphetamine manufacture, private stormwater facilities and septic operating permits.

If there is an association

A home in a property owners' association or a condominium is part of a "common interest community" under Virginia's Resale Disclosure Act (§ 55.1-2307). The sales contract has to say that the seller will get the association's resale certificate and give it to the buyer, and it has to state the buyer's right to cancel (§ 55.1-2308).

The association delivers the certificate after the seller or the seller's agent asks in writing, within the deadline above (§ 55.1-2309). Ask early. Once the buyer has it, they may cancel within the period the contract sets, or three days if it sets none; if it never arrives, they may cancel any time before settlement, and the deposit comes back to them (§ 55.1-2312).

Lead-based paint, for older homes

For a home built before 1978, a federal rule applies to every seller, with or without an agent (EPA). About 30% of the Christiansburg homes for sale today with a known build year are that old.

1. 1

   Give the pamphlet

   The EPA's "Protect Your Family From Lead in Your Home."

2. 2

   Disclose what you know

   Any known lead-based paint or hazards, and any reports or records you have.

3. 3

   Include the Lead Warning Statement

   In the contract or attached to it, signed.

4. 4

   Allow time to test

   The buyer gets 10 days for a lead inspection or risk assessment, unless you agree in writing on a different period or the buyer waives it.

5. 5

   Keep the paperwork

   A signed copy of the disclosures, for three years after the sale.

The settlement agent and title

A settlement agent (an attorney or a title or escrow company) handles the closing: the money, the documents and the recording. In Virginia the buyer has the right to choose the settlement agent, and a seller may not require a particular one as a condition of the sale (§ 55.1-1006). You may hire your own attorney to represent you.

The same goes for title insurance: when the buyer uses a federally related mortgage loan, a seller may not require the buyer to buy it from a particular title company, and a seller who does is liable for three times the charges (RESPA section 9, 12 U.S.C. § 2608).

The deed, recorded in Montgomery County

The deed that transfers the home is recorded with the Montgomery County Clerk of Circuit Court, 55 East Main Street in Christiansburg. The Clerk's office asks for the Virginia Land Records Cover Sheet with a paper recording (an electronic recording needs none) and a properly notarized document, with the notary's registration number and seal.

For a residential deed like yours, the first page names who prepared it (the owner, or an attorney with a Virginia State Bar number) and the title insurance underwriter, or says the preparer does not know of one, along with the consideration and the actual value (§ 17.1-223). Ask your settlement agent who will prepare and record it.

Showings, and staying safe

• Show by appointment. Ask for a name, a phone number and, before a private showing, a lender's letter that the buyer can afford the price.
• Have someone with you, and walk behind visitors rather than ahead of them.
• Put away medications, mail, keys, jewelry and anything with account numbers.
• Never act on wiring instructions sent by email alone. Confirm them by phone with a number you already know.

Listing here, buyers reach you through a form on your listing and your email and phone stay off the page, so you choose whom to answer.

Offers and the contract

Compare offers on more than price: the financing, the deposit, the inspection and appraisal terms, and the settlement date. If the buyer has an agent, that agent works under a written brokerage agreement (§ 54.1-2137); the agreement states the agent's fee and how it is paid, so ask about it before you sign anything.

The contract carries the disclosures above: the property disclosure, the association and lead paint terms when they apply. Many owners have a Virginia real estate attorney or their settlement agent's attorney prepare or review it. This guide explains what the law says; it is not legal advice for your sale.

Your ad and fair housing

Federal law makes it unlawful to publish an ad for the sale of a home that indicates a preference, limitation or discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex, disability, familial status or national origin (42 U.S.C. § 3604(c)). Virginia adds elderliness, source of funds, sexual orientation, gender identity and military status (§ 36-96.3). An owner selling their own house without a broker can be exempt from other parts of the Virginia law, but not from the ban on discriminatory ads (§ 36-96.2).

Words, photos and symbols all count (24 CFR § 100.75). Describe the home and the place, never the people you picture living there:

Instead of

"Perfect for a young family," "ideal for retirees"Say what the home has: "fenced yard," "one-level living."

Instead of

"No vouchers," "cash or conventional only"Source of funds is protected in Virginia. State the price and the terms.

Instead of

"Walk to church," "great Christian neighborhood"Name places and distances that describe the location: "a mile to downtown."

Every description listed here is reviewed before it is published, and the form flags phrases like these as you type.