Selling a home can be a challenge for any homeowner. Even if a home is in great shape, attracting the right buyer for your house can take several weeks, if not months.
However, what if your home isn’t in great shape? What if your home is in moderate to extreme disrepair?
This is a problem that many homeowners face. Fortunately, it is a problem with a multitude of solutions. Selling a home in poor condition isn’t impossible, whether you decide to make repairs or sell a house as-is.
We can provide some valuable guidance. Keep reading for an in-depth guide on all the ways to sell a house as-is, no matter what unique circumstances apply to your situation.
Know the Condition of Your Home
One of the first and most important things to understand about your home is its condition. If you’re looking at how to sell a house as-is, you likely already know that your house is a little worse for the wear. Yet, it’s imperative to have all the facts.
We recommend hiring a professional home inspector to evaluate the condition of your home. Their official report will tell you everything you need to know. This is vital if you plan to sell the house traditionally on the real estate market.
Most buyers will want to see this report or hire their own home inspector to verify the condition of the home before placing an offer. Any surprise issues that you haven’t told them about (or didn’t know yourself) could potentially derail the sale. It’s not uncommon for buyers to shy away from significant problems, such as:
- Foundation issues
- Roof damage
- Water damage
- Mold
- Pest infestations
- Electrical issues
- Plumbing issues
- Etc.
Furthermore, it’s important to recognize that even if a buyer is okay with making these repairs once they’ve purchased the home, their lender may not extend the same leniency. In fact, many lenders will decline to back their buyers if the home in question has issues like those listed above.
Therefore, if you decide to sell a house as-is, understand that you will be facing hurdles with both buyers and their lenders. However, by getting an inspection and knowing certain conditions exist, you can avoid attracting the wrong buyers to your house.
Decide What Repairs and Updates You Want to Complete
Once you discover the true condition of your home and any underlying (or apparent) problems, you can decide how to proceed. If we’re talking about selling a house as-is, it means forgoing most of the repairs and updates other homeowners would undertake.
Saving Money Vs Making Repairs
While skipping renovations may seem like a disadvantage, it can actually save you significant money. Did you know that the average homeowner spends over $21,000 prepping their home for the market?
If you don’t possess the financial means to invest that much money, your only option is to sell a house as-is. Of course, there is some wiggle room here.
You can opt out of making large repairs and renovations, but invest in more affordable, yet effective options. For example, you can repaint the interior of the home to make it feel more fresh, clean, and inviting. You could also buy new hardware for drawers, doors, cabinets, and light fixtures to modernize an old house.
Ultimately, you need to decide what to do based on your timeline, budget, and individual circumstances. You may not be in the position to spend any more time or money on your home. Conversely, you may simply lack the desire to invest energy and effort into a home you’re moving out of.
Learn the Real Market Value of Your Home
When selling a home in any condition, you must know the true value of the house. Once you’ve completed any repairs and updates that you deemed necessary, you can accurately value your home.
There are several factors that dictate how much you can reasonably sell your home for. This includes:
- The current real estate market
- The age of your home
- The condition of your home
- The location of your home
- The square footage of your home
- The size of your property
- The indoor and outdoor features of your home
- The number of rooms and bathrooms in your home
- Recent updates
- And more
One way to learn more about the value of your home is by completing a comparative market analysis. You can do this on your own or with the help of your realtor. A comparative market analysis or “comp” is a look at other homes in your neighborhood that have sold in recent months.
It’s important that the homes you look at sold recently because the real estate market is in constant fluctuation, which affects home values. Looking at homes in your neighborhood is important because the location of your home is a major contributing factor to how much it’s worth.
For the most accurate and respected valuation, hire a home appraiser. A professional home appraisal is often requested by the buyer and/or required by their lender. Without an official appraiser, the lender may not back a buyer who’s interested in making an offer on your house.
Why It’s Important to Value Your Home Accurately
Many home sellers try to get a leg up on buyers by listing their house for more than it’s worth. They believe by listing it for a higher price, the buyer will feel like they’ve won once they’ve talked them down to what the home is actually worth. While this isn’t necessarily a bad tactic, it can ostracize legitimate buyers.
For example, if the buyer is shopping in a certain price range (as buyers often do), your home may fall just outside their reach. Therefore, your home won’t come up in their search and they’ll never even have a chance to make you an offer. For all you know, you could be excluding buyers who would invest in your house.
This is especially important when trying to sell a house as-is. You must accept that you’re not going to get the same price for your home as you would if it were in perfect condition.
Make the Interior of Your Home More Appealing to Buyers
To sell a house as-is fast, learn how to make it more attractive to potential buyers. By no means should you lie about its condition or try to hide any unattractive features. This wouldn’t be honest or fair to the buyer.
However, there’s nothing wrong with highlighting the positive aspects of the house and making it as appealing as possible. Rather than being dishonest, you’re simply showcasing the home’s true potential.
Cleaning
First, let’s talk about the value of a clean home. While you may not have the means to make repairs or update the kitchen, the cleanliness of your home will speak volumes to buyers walking through it. Conversely, opting not to clean your home is a good way to turn buyers away.
We recommend investing an entire weekend for deep cleaning before listing it on the market. This includes:
- Vacuuming and shampooing the carpets
- Sweeping, mopping, and scrubbing hard floors
- Cleaning all horizontal and vertical surfaces
- Cleaning and disinfecting the bathroom
- Deep cleaning the kitchen (including the appliances)
- Cleaning furniture
- And more
Cleaning your home and making it more presentable to buyers will be easier if you declutter first. Now would be a good time to get rid of possessions that are clogging up your house. You can sell them, donate them, put them in storage, or trash them.
Consequently, the moving process will also be easier if you’ve already downsized your belongings.
Staging
Some people choose to hire professional stagers to help them sell their homes. While this option can prove to be expensive, studies show that staged homes spend 73% less time on the market. They also sell for more money.
This is because a staged home gives buyers a sense of warmth. They can see how the home flows as well as what it would look like under ideal circumstances, (ie. with upscale furniture and decor).
Just because you’re choosing not to complete renovations and are selling your house as-is, it doesn’t mean you can’t still take pride in its appearance. It also doesn’t mean you can’t do everything in your power to maximize your sale price.
Improve the Curb Appeal of Your Home
Next, let’s talk about attracting buyers to your home and ensuring they will want to take a look inside. In other words, let’s discuss ramping up your curb appeal.
When prospective buyers pull up to your home, the first impression they’re going to get of your house will be based on how the property looks from the outside. Is the outside of your home clean and inviting or messy and off-putting?
To make the right impression, make sure the vegetation is neatly trimmed. All driveways, sidewalks, and pathways should be clean and clear of debris. Additionally, there should be zero trash or clutter in the yard.
Finally, consider adding a fresh coat of paint to the exterior of your home. This is especially important if the current exterior paint is faded, peeling, chipping, or otherwise tarnished.
Learn How to Market Your Listing
Now let’s look at ideas to sell a house as-is regarding your listing. How do you get the word out about your home? How can you make your listing as visible as possible in the community?
Most people lean heavily on their realtor to solve this problem. However, if you choose not to work with a realtor, you’ll have to do this on your own, and that’s okay.
First, list your home on popular real estate sites. Many of these are completely free to use. However, access will be barred on some sites without payment or a real estate agent.
Additionally, put up signs on your property to ensure people driving by can see that your house is for sale. This will also help buyers find your home if they saw your listing elsewhere.
Finally, remember that social media is a fantastic tool for marketing homes. You can list your house on your personal profile and ask your local friends and followers to share your post. You can also join a community page where you can present your listing to thousands of people in your town.
Know Your Options for Selling a House As-Is
Now that we’ve talked extensively about how to sell a house as-is traditionally, we would be remiss if we didn’t mention your other options. As noted above, not all homeowners are in a position that allows them to spend time and money preparing their houses for the market.
In some cases, homeowners face time-sensitive problems that require an immediate sale of their homes. But is this even possible? Exactly how quickly can you sell your house?
To answer these questions, let’s take a look at cash home buyers.
Selling your house to a Cash Home Buyer
Selling a house as-is to a cash buyer can be the best solution for people facing a financial or personal crisis. This could revolve around an impending foreclosure, divorce, or drastic change in their career. However, cash home buyers can also help people who have homes that are significantly in disrepair.
Moreover, selling to a cash buyer is surprisingly simple. All you need to do is reach out to the buyer and request a free cash offer. The company will set up an appointment for one of their specialists to inspect your home.
Based on their assessment, they will provide you with a cash offer. Of course, you are under no obligation to accept this offer.
If you do accept their offer, however, you can select the closing date of your choosing. You can opt for the fastest closing date possible (usually within a week or two), or push it out to allow yourself time to move and take care of other logistics.
Are You Looking to Sell a House As-Is?
Have you been wondering, “How do you sell a house as-is?”
If so, we hope this article provided you with the information you need to get your house sold and move on with your life. Remember, there are several ways to sell a house as-is, including the fast and convenient option of selling to a cash home buyer.
If this is the route you’re leaning towards or if you want more information, contact us today. We’ll give you a free cash offer on your home and answer any questions you might have about the process. We look forward to hearing from you.
