Your house could have fallen into a serious state of disrepair for several reasons — lack of funds to maintain, absence for an extended period, or sometimes, a life event that causes you to lose all interest in ‘trivial’ things like house maintenance.
Is it possible to sell this type of property? Yes, it is. Could it require a lot of work to sell? Depending on the approach to sales you’re taking. Here’s what you need to know about selling a house in poor condition.
What Does Poor Condition Mean?
‘Poor condition’ is a relative term because it could differ based on opinion. Generally, there are three categories of houses that could be regarded as being in poor condition:
- Completely unlivable
- Requires significant repairs
- Requires minor touch-ups
Completely Unlivable
This refers to houses in conditions that render them uninhabitable because of several health and safety concerns. Some of these concerns may comprise:
- Major plumbing issues such as corroded, leaky pipes and damaged water heater
- Major electrical problems such as frayed wiring and obsolete electrical works
- Major chimney damage
- Significant foundation damage
- Extensive termite infestation and damage
- Black mold
- Major roof damage
- Non-functional HVAC system
- Asbestos that can no longer be removed or abated
- Lead presence
Requires Significant Repairs
The fact that a house is habitable isn’t enough. Sometimes, major repairs can have it regarded as one in poor condition. Some of the issues that could make this happen include:
- Major foundation problems
- Plumbing issues
- Electrical problems
- Damaged flooring
- Outdated or low-performing HVAC system
- Major wood rot
- Major roof damage
- Broken faucets and light fixtures
- Rundown bathroom
- Rundown kitchen
Requires Minor Touch-Ups
A house can be livable and without major repairs yet be regarded as being in poor condition. Recall that in certain cases, ‘poor condition’ is relative and usually dependent on the buyer’s opinion. Here are some of the issues in this category that could make a house be regarded as being in poor condition:
- Obsolete kitchen
- Dirty, stained flooring
- Peeling paint (from old age)
- Outdated bathroom(s)
- Untended, overgrown, and dead landscaping
- Aging interior (minor wood rot, peeling paint)
- Old faucets and light fixtures
How Do You Sell a House in Poor Condition?
There are three practical ways to approach selling a house in poor condition.
- Low-cost aesthetic repairs
- Major repairs and upgrades
- Sell as-is
Low-Cost Aesthetic Repairs
If your house falls in the category of needing both major and minor repairs, you could consider making the minor, more obvious ones to boost your property appeal.
Consider a situation where you’re still working with the roof, HVAC, and fixtures that you’ve had for 20 years, faded wall paint, and stained carpet. Fixing the minor issues before listing your home can improve your chances of selling.
- Repainting: at $1 to $3 per square foot, this could set you back between $3,500 and $10,000 for the entire home interior.
- Old faucets replacement: ranges between $161 and $364
- Light fixture replacements: range between $154 and $941. $547 on average
- Existing cabinets refinish: at $4-$5 per square foot, this could set you back between $1,500 to $4,500
If you’re quite handy, you can consider DIY-ing some of the projects to save on outsourcing. Note that while these fix-ups would improve your home’s outlook, it’s not necessarily a guarantee of sale.
If the major repairs needed are significant, no potential buyer is going to overlook those because of an improved aesthetic appeal. Homebuyers always pick functionality over aesthetic appeal, particularly when it comes down to critical areas like the roof and HVAC system.
Major Repairs and Upgrades
If your home falls into this category where it has experienced major damage and would need extensive repairs, you would likely be spending several tens of thousands of dollars.
You may not be able to cover all the repairs, however, making two or three that are most crucial could put you in a good negotiating position. For instance, you could consider fixing the roof and HVAC system. These would definitely help boost your home value.
When picking which repairs to make, consider that would bring the highest return on investment (ROI) and are critical elements of what makes a house livable. Of course, you’d have to consider the repair costs and what you can afford too.
Sell As-Is
If you don’t have any money to make repairs or upgrades, or you simply aren’t interested in making them, it’s not the end of the road for your home sale. The idea of selling as-is is that you really do not have to lift a finger, you can really just sell your house in that very state.
- Cluttered or decluttered
- Freshly painted or paint peeling
- Foundation issues
- Asbestos problem
- Water damage
- Termite damage
- Mold, any condition.
This option is especially practical if you’re trying to get the house off your hands in record time and need to access cash fast. You can choose to sell to a local cash buyer and get the cash value of your home in as little as seven days. You get to skip agent fees and the entire listing process, as well as the potential wait for several weeks or months to get potential buyers.
Who’s going to buy? We can help out with that! We buy houses that need serious repairs or are in various other conditions. At dsouzahomebuyers, we can provide you with a cash offer for your house in no time!
You don’t have to deal with any of this hassle. No need for repairs or renovations!
Fill out this form to get the process started, and we could be closing in as few as 7 days! Remember, no fees, no commissions, no closing costs!
If you have any other questions, definitely call us at (925) 503 8193.
Final Thoughts
Selling a house in poor condition can go from difficult to practically impossible, depending on the level of damage or the state of disrepair. This can severely limit your selling options, especially if you’re not looking to make repairs. The most viable option in this situation is to consider selling as-is. However, before choosing to go this route, ensure that you explore other options.
