One challenge that many real estate investors face is trying to sell a home that is in poor condition. As we know, it isn’t easy to sell a home with potholes in the driveway or cracks in the foundation.
Homes that are in poor condition mean one of three things:
- The home is nice, though needs updates or maintenance. This includes outdated bathrooms, outdated kitchen, stained floors, cluttered interior, weathered exterior, or peeling paint.
- The home has some visible damage. In this case, the home is habitable, though might need some plumbing work, roof work, foundation work, HVAC work, flooring work, etc.
- The home is completely uninhabitable. A real estate property that has serious damage, including termite infestation, severe roof damage, serious foundation issues, asbestos, black mold, etc., can make it uninhabitable.
Here are a few ways you can sell a home that is in poor condition:
Sell To A Real Estate Investor As-Is
There are plenty of savvy real-estate investors on the market that look for problem properties they can purchase for cash. They typically buy them, fix them up, and resell them for higher prices.
You may not have the time or money to fix up your home before selling. If so, you should certainly consider selling your home as-is to a real estate investor. In this case, all you must do is provide full disclosure of the home with any issues that the buyer will be responsible for.
The real estate investor typically pays off house payments or outstanding tax liens.
Sell FSBO
One great way to sell a house that is in poor condition is to sell it on your own. This strategy is known as “FSBO” or “For Sale By Owner.” Unlike the previous method, FSBO requires your complete involvement in the selling process. You will have to host open houses, advertise your home, negotiate deals, and make the close.
If you have successfully sold homes before, this might be the perfect choice for you. There are plenty of real estate listing sites that you can take advantage of as well.
When selling a poor condition home on your own, we recommend highlighting all of the positive things about it and downplaying the negative things. Of course, never hide the negative things, as you must disclose the condition of the house to your potential buyer. Just talk about all of the things you love about the home, including the nearby amenities, attractions, etc.
Sell With a Real Estate Agent
If selling homes in poor conditions isn’t on your experience list, you might want to consider working with a real estate agent. A realtor will know how to sell your old home with expert knowledge of the area. They can also provide you with advice to make improvements to your home, which could make it more appealing to buyers. Plus, realtors typically have connections to reliable contractors to help get the job done.
Selling a home in poor condition can be an extremely daunting process. We highly recommend following one of the steps above to keep your stress levels low and come out with some money on the other side.