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Originally Posted On: https://premierpropertybuyers.com/how-to-sell-a-hoarder-house-california/
How to Sell a Hoarder House California
Selling a hoarder home in California can be an emotional and logistical roller coaster. Trying to get rid of a building stuffed to the rafters with plastic bags, old furniture, and DVD cases is stressful, whether you are the owner or a family member involved in the sale.
Fortunately, there are effective strategies to sell a hoarder house quickly and efficiently. That’s because buyers often still want to purchase from you, even if animal services or the fire department have called by the house to deal with serious public health issues.
The primary purpose of this article is to put your mind at ease. Even if you own or have inherited a hoarder house, the following content outlines your options and why it isn’t as hard as you think to sell one of these properties. (In fact, it can be pretty straightforward!)
Understanding Hoarder Houses
Before we dive into selling hoarder houses, it is worth taking a step back and asking what they are. Essentially, a hoarder house is a property that’s full to the brim with junk. Rooms may be challenging to access, and even getting into the home can be hard in extreme cases. Many times, hoarding activity is a consequence of a mental health condition.
Item hoarding in homes isn’t necessarily a problem. You can remove these with skips and trucks, or sell them as you see fit. However, most hoarder homes come with other issues, like structural damage, that reduce the price further. For example, long-term hoarding can lead to various knock-on effects, like damage to drywall, problems with support beams, and damp that eats away at masonry.
Because of this, health hazards become an issue in many homes, forcing city officials to intervene. Pest infestations and dangerous substances from, say, car batteries and trash, can lead to problems.
Riverside County animal services sometimes come across pet feces in homes. These often accumulate, leading to foul smells and complaints from the next-door neighbor.
Unfortunately, these issues can have an impact on real estate values and marketability. Even so, buyers are often still interested in these homes, even if they seem like they are in a critical condition. Los Angeles, San Diego and the Sun Valley host numerous investors who know how to turn a property around and bring it back from the brink.
Challenges of Selling a Hoarder House
The challenges of selling a hoarder house can be severe. Properties in a less-than-ideal state often remain on the market for a long time (or never appear at all).
Emotional factors can play a significant role. Homeowners may feel stress or embarrassment at the state of their properties and be unwilling to show guests around.
Legal and financial hurdles may also apply. Hoarder homes may violate local building codes, leading to liens or fines by the city.
Marketing limitations may also apply. Conventional real estate agents may be unwilling to take on the property, limiting the potential buyer pool from traditional markets.
Options for Selling a Hoarder House in California
Fortunately, you have some options when selling a hoarder home, whether for yourself or on behalf of a son, daughter, mother, or father.
Cleaning and Renovating
One option is to clean and renovate from scratch. This approach lets you return the property to its former glory. This tactic takes more time and effort (and costs more) but it does give you the potential for a higher sale price.
This approach might work for you if you are okay with making an upfront investment (and have the funds to do so). However, it may not be worth it if you want to sell quickly for safety or financial reasons.
Selling As-Is on the Open Market
Another option is to sell it as-is on the open market. This approach requires minimal effort, but the sales process may be more challenging. Attracting buyers from the general public for a hoarder home is hard, and many will be unwilling to take on the work. Furthermore, even if they do make you an offer for your Sun Valley home, it could be a low-ball. Most buyers will want a significant price reduction to compensate them for the inconvenience of making the purchase.
Ultimately, going down the traditional open market route means you will spend far more time waiting around. It’s not a viable option for people wanting to sell quickly and move onto new and better things.
Selling to a Cash Home Buyer
The last–and arguably best–option is to sell to a cash home buyer. With these, you can sell quickly and don’t need to carry out any repairs yourself, whether your home is on La Tuna Canyon Road or in Thousand Palms.
Furthermore, you don’t need to wait around to get your money. Cash buyers pay upfront, eliminating the need for time-wasting mortgage approvals.
These days, finding a cash buyer for a property is more straightforward than in the past. Numerous reputable options are available, including Premier Property Buyers, who can sweep in and take an unwanted home off your hands in a matter of days.
The Premier Property Buyers Solution
So, how does the cash buyer process work? Here’s a step-by-step explanation of what to expect:
Contact and consultation:
Cash buyers start by talking to you about the home and your situation, whether you are the owner or someone inheriting the property. This consultation provides you with facts about the service and how it helps you sell your home faster.
Property evaluation:
Next comes the property evaluation. This step involves a home visit to inspect the property’s condition. Experts look for evidence of how much the house’s condition is likely to affect its resale value.
Receiving a no-obligation cash offer:
After that comes the no-obligation cash offer. Cash buyers propose an amount based on what they think the property is worth. Then, it is up to you to decide whether you want to go ahead and sell.
Choosing a closing date:
Lastly, you choose the closing date–the day the keys change hands. This element of the process gives you more flexibility, so you can move out in your own time instead of feeling rushed.
Premier Property Buyers is the go-to home cash-purchasing company in Southern California and Riverside County, Sun Valley, Los Angeles, and San Diego. But you don’t have to take our word for it: our customer testimonials and success stories speak for themselves! Our customers tell us we offer fair prices and that our processes are “smooth as silk.”
The benefits of working with us can be substantial. We don’t charge any fees or commissions, and you can get our local expertise, which provides you with a more accurate appraisal of what your house might be worth.
Legal Considerations in California
When selling a hoarder home, you need to abide by certain rules. Otherwise, you could find yourself in court.
One of these is the disclosure requirements. The law says that sellers must inform buyers of known issues with their properties, including matters related to hoarding. Sellers must complete a Transfer Disclosure Statement (TDS), which provides details of the structural, environmental, and safety concerns related to a property. For hoarders, this could include things like biohazards and mold.
Failing to complete this document could result in a court appearance, so be careful.
No specific state regulations apply to hoarder homes. However, CA’s building codes could apply if the state of the home is a risk to future occupants. Again, cash buyers don’t care about this, but the future owner may.
Lastly, it is critical to avoid scams when selling a property. Only work with legitimate buyers. Our advice is to:
- Only work with reputable buyers with a proven reputation
- Verify the credentials of anyone who tells you that they work in real estate
- Conduct due diligence by getting a solicitor to conduct buyer checks
- Check the validity of escrow services
Tips for a Smooth Sale
Usually, you want to get rid of hoarder homes and convert them to cash as soon as possible. However, you can only do this if the sale process goes smoothly.
The first step is to gather all necessary paperwork. Make sure you have the relevant documentation for your home sale. Start with the basics like the listing agreement and the preliminary title statement. Then fill out the seller’s questionnaire and produce a natural hazard disclosure (NHD) statement (for things like fire department risk areas or flood zones). A copy of the grant deed and purchase agreement is also helpful.
Next, be honest with buyers about the home’s condition. If you feel embarrassed, just remember that many cash buyers deal with hoarder properties weekly, so they know what to expect. Tell them what’s wrong with the home so there aren’t any unexpected surprises later in the sales process.
If you need professional advice, get it from a real estate attorney. These legal experts can guide you through the process of selling your home and ensure you get what it’s worth in its current state.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need to clean the house before selling?
No, you don’t need to clean the house before selling. Cash buyers will do that for you as part of their renovation work. However, it may reduce the amount they are willing to pay.
Always arrange for dogs and cats still on the property to be transported to Coachella Valley Animal Campus or somewhere similar if you can’t look after them. Cash buyers can often take care of clean-up operations for you, no matter how extreme they may seem, but dealing with pets is another matter.
How fast can I sell my hoarder house?
When you choose Premier Property Buyers, you can sell your home in as little as a few days. That’s because we’ve streamlined the entire process, meaning many people can enjoy ridding themselves of an unwanted building sooner than expected.
We can sometimes buy your home in as little as seven days. However, we can also close in a time frame of your choosing. Working with us doesn’t have to be rushed (unless you want it to be!)
Will I get a fair price?
If you go to Premier Property Buyers, you will always get a fair price for your home. The amount we offer will reflect the expenses required to clear the property, make it safe, and do any additional building or renovation work.
Fortunately, most hoarder homes simply require the removal of “stuff.” Sometimes, we find feces on carpets and minor pest infestations, but these haven’t affected the structure.
When dampness is involved, it can reduce the price offered for the property because of the increased risk. Water in the foundation material can put the entire property at risk.
Are there any fees or commissions?
Premier Property Buyers don’t charge any fees or commissions. Instead, we make our money when we sell your home to someone else at a later date, once the clearing out and renovations end.
Avoid cash buyers who charge fees or commissions for working with them.
Conclusion
To recap, it is possible to sell a hoarder home, but it is challenging if you try to do it on the open market. A better solution is to go to a reputable cash buyer, like Premier Property Buyers, and get them to take it off your hands.
Often, getting rid of a hoarder’s home is a priority. Whether you’ve inherited it or you are the owner, passing the responsibility onto someone else is often a major weight off your mind. The longer you leave it, the more time you have to spend paying bills and living in sub-par conditions. That’s where cash buyers can help.
So, what are you waiting for? Talk to Premier Property Buyers and discover how you can sell a hoarder home in as little as seven days!
