Tips and Tricks for Selling a House in Poor Condition

Selling a home can be challenging depending on the market, the neighborhood you live in, your home’s value, and more. It can be even trickier if you’re selling a house in poor condition. 

Most people are looking for a home that’s move-in-ready. They don’t want to invest in a house that needs extensive and immediate work.

However, if you need to move or are in any sort of rush to sell your home, you might not have time to make all the necessary repairs and updates to properly prepare it for the market.

Not sure where to go from here? We can help. Keep reading for the top tips and tricks on how to sell a house that’s in poor condition.  

Understand the Value of Your Home

First, you need to know how much your home is worth as-is. You need to take an objective approach to make sure you’re not over-valuing your home. If a potential buyer sees a highly-priced house that needs a ton of work, they won’t even look twice at it. 

There are several ways to evaluate your home’s value. 

Market Analysis

Start by conducting a comparative market analysis of the homes in your area that have sold over the last few months. This will give you an accurate depiction of the current housing market as well as the value of other homes in your neighborhood. 

Compare and contrast those homes with yours. Take into account:

• Year
• Condition
• Property size
• Square footage
• Amenities/Features
• Etc.

For example, if a home in pristine condition that is similar to yours in size sold for 220,000, you obviously need to mark your home down from that number. 

Home Inspection

Next, get an official home inspection to find out exactly what issues and damages your home has sustained. For example, you may be well aware of negative drainage in the basement but might not know about a roof that needs to be replaced.

If a buyer decides to place an offer on your home, the first thing they’ll do is hire an inspector. It will save you time to do this in advance so you know exactly what you’re working with.

Home Appraisal

Finally, get an appraisal on your home. An evaluator will come down and determine the most accurate value of your home. They will take into account the condition of your home, its size, features, etc.

Move Out of the Home

No matter what condition your house is in, it’s a good idea to move out so you can properly declutter and depersonalize. This is especially important if you’re trying to learn how to sell a fixer-upper.

Potential buyers need to be able to see the home’s potential. They must be able to envision themselves living there happily once all the renovations are complete. This is harder to do if the home is littered with your personal belongings, old furniture, etc.

Consider the Pros and Cons of Making Repairs and Updates

When selling a house in poor condition, you need to decide if it’s worth it to invest the time and money in renovations. And if so, which renovations will be worth your efforts?

If you don’t have much time or money, we suggest making small, superficial repairs. Try to make the home as presentable as possible. For example:

• Repair damaged drywall
• Put on a fresh coat of paint
• Spruce up the yard
• Replace cracked or broken windows

Larger repairs, like roof replacements, repairing siding, and fixing water damage can be costly and time-consuming. Figure out what the best choice is for your budget and timeline.

You might decide to skip the repairs altogether and sell the house as-is. This isn’t a bad choice, as the average homeowner spends over $20,000 prepping their house for the market.

Give the House a Deep Cleaning

If you’re wondering how to sell a house that needs repairs, it’s never a bad idea to clean the house as best as you can. You might even consider hiring a residential cleaning service. 

The goal is to make the house look as appealing to potential buyers as possible. Just because the roofs in bad shape or the floors need to be replaced, it doesn’t mean you can make the rest of the home look nice. The cleaner your home is, the more welcoming it will feel to potential buyers. 

While cleaning and prepping your house for tours, make sure you highlight the home’s most attractive features. This could be built-in china hutches, hand-carved railings, and other unique architectural perks. You might also have modern appliances, outdoor living amenities, etc. 

Market to the Right Buyers

Selling a house in poor condition quickly demands marketing the listing to the right types of buyers. For example, be completely upfront in your home listing about your house being a fixer-upper. You can say things like:

• Great fixer-upper for young couples
• Great investment opportunity for house-flippers
• Fantastic home for low-budget buyers willing to put in some elbow grease

Work with your realtor (if you have one) to come up with the right wording for your listing. They will also have contacts in the industry that can help you sell your home faster.  

Consider Selling to a Cash Home Buyer

Finally, if you’re wondering, “Can I sell my house if it’s not in good condition?” the answer is certainly. Even if you don’t want to invest the time or money in repairs, cleaning, marketing, realtors, or anything else, you still have options. 

Consider selling your house to a cash home buyer. Our company will buy a home in any condition. That means you can sell your home as-is with no fuss and no hassle. 

Furthermore, there are quite a few benefits of selling your home for cash. For example, if you need to get out of your house as quickly as possible to take advantage of a job opportunity, avoid foreclosure, or liquidate your assets for a divorce, cash home buyers can close within one or two weeks. 

Need Help Selling a House in Poor Condition?

As you can see, selling a house in poor condition not out of the question. If you have time and money to invest, you can make any number of repairs to make the home more appealing to buyers. As long as you’re flexible during negotiations, you can sell your home eventually. 

However, if you don’t have the luxury of time and money, contact us today to get a cash offer on your home. If you accept our offer, we can close in one or two weeks. We look forward to doing business with you.