Tips to Help You Sell an Unwanted Home
Selling a vacant or abandoned home can feel completely overwhelming to Houston homeowners, especially if you live out of state, need to sell your house fast, or simply don’t know where to start. It can be challenging to find a buyer who is willing to purchase a property that’s been sitting vacant for a while, as they are typically neglected or poorly maintained. Where to even start ? Where to look Who do i talk too?
All these questions are common for homeowners selling their properties on their own. While it can be overwhelming, there are answers and there is a solution.
If you’re looking to sell a vacant or abandoned home in Houston the traditional way, here are eight tips to help you out:
1. Get a professional appraisal
Before putting your property on the market, it’s important to get a professional appraisal. This will help you determine the fair market value of your home and ensure that you’re pricing it correctly if you opt to list it on the MLS. Keep your appraisal when talking to prospective buyers. Information is key in this fast paced industry.
2. Clean up the property
First impressions matter, so it’s essential to clean up the property before showing it to potential buyers. This includes removing any debris, cutting the grass , throwing out as much trash as possible, cutting down trees. Think of it like you are buying the house and the less you have to fix the better.
3. Take high-quality photos of your property
When listing your property online, it’s important to take high-quality photos that showcase your home’s best features. This will help attract more potential buyers and increase your chances of selling quickly.
4. List the property on multiple platforms
To reach as many potential buyers as possible, list your property on multiple platforms, such as Zillow, Trulia, and Realtor.com. Some agents include this in their marketing, while others will charge you an additional fee.
5. Be flexible with showings
When selling a vacant or abandoned home, it’s important to be flexible with showings. This means being willing to show the property at different times of the day or on weekends. Without people in the house, showing it should be relatively easy. Ask for identification before hand, just for safety.
6. Consider working with a real estate agent
While selling a vacant or abandoned home on your own is possible, it can be challenging. Consider working with a real estate agent after not getting results. Just keep in mind, on the market sales are more “up to date ” , “move in ready ” sales. So if you have a distressed property, make sure you work with a realtor that is investor friendly. An investor friendly realtor usually making an offer on behalf a House flipper( Usually a low ball offer ) . Keep in mind that if your house sells with an agent, you could be on the hook for thousands of dollars in commissions, listing fees , and brokerage fees.
7. Sell Your House Directly to an Investor
These sales are for the House that does not work to sell on the market very well.
When trying to sell a distressed property or looking to get out of a house in a certain time frame. Investor sales are the way to go. You can cut the sell process by half the time compared to on the market. Working with agents on the market is a great way to sell no doubt if you have time , money and the move in ready house.
An investor will offer to buy the house at a discount minus repairs and any outstanding debt and closing costs. The discount is for providing the fast cash sale and getting you out of the property with cash in your pocket. While working with an investor can be awesome and cash convincing, please make sure you have done your due diligence on the investors cash offer. Ask to how he or she formulated their offer, check online credibility, and double check your purchase agreement with a Real estate lawyer.
Every house and situation is different and every investor makes their own offer based on their buying strategy. So get up to 4 or 5 offers from different investors and double check with someone you know.