7 Simple Tips for Selling House As Is Profitably (And Fast)

Here’s what to do to make the best out of selling a house as is

One of the biggest challenges to selling a house as is will be the negative mentality of prospective buyers. Many buyers come into the negotiating table with the view that the house is worth much less than it has listed for because, apparently, it is in such a pooh-poohing mess that you are unable to foot the bill required to spruce it up to a decent, livable standard.

If considering selling your home in as is condition and want to do it fast without compromising your listing price, here are seven tips to bolster you right ahead of the curve.

1. Make Prior Inspections

Some states’ laws require as is home sellers to enroll a licensed home inspector to outline all detectable defects prior to listing. You can also choose whether to hire a professional home appraiser to help you accurately price your home for selling as is.

2. Omit the ‘As Is’ in the Listing

Legally you are not required to include ‘as is’ in a listing—only in the Sales Agreement, where the buyer is also required to sign next to the ‘As Is’ contract portion so they clearly understand that they are buying a house in an ‘as is’ condition.

This way, you can avoid detracting potential buyers even before they come to inspect your home—especially if it is a decent house.

3. Work with An Experienced Realtor

Onboarding experience selling houses as is becomes vital when you need:

• Accurate pricing
• Attracting serious buyers fast
• Avoiding low-balling yourself during negotiations, and more

And a realtor that has sold several such homes in the last year or two understands what can be improved, how to list it, what to disclose and what not, when to sell, who to target, and what’s legally required of the process.

4. Clean Up

Simply cleaning up the house can ramp up its price and desirability.

Whether you haven’t lived in it forever or have, there are cleaning jobs you can do for great results such as cleaning:

• Gutters
• Asbestos
• Rugs and carpets
• Ablution areas
• Kitchen

A clean home makes it seem more livable in its current condition. Be sure to take advantage of that before the listing and welcoming buyers in to make inspections.

5. Paint the Lemon Afresh

After cleaning, applying a fresh coat of paint is one of the most effective ways proven to add significant value to a home—old or new.

It is also one of the cheapest home renovation techniques that work wonders to your home’s overall look and desirability.

6. Throw in A Bargain

Most buyers hunting for ‘As Is’ home deals to walk away with a good bargain.

They will ask to visit and inspect the home before committing to buying it. Once done they will point out a few defects they’d need to repair as leverage for a counteroffer.

While listing a house ‘as is’ means you intend to sell the house in its current condition at exactly the price listed, you might decide to renew your offer based on the potential buyer’s seriousness and bargaining price, as well as the extent of new defects unearthed in the buyer inspection process—if any.

7. Consider Doing Repairs After All

A majority of mortgage lenders will require your house not to have health, structural or safety concerns if they are to lend your potential buy money to complete the sale.

Unless you want to limit your pool of prospects to only those buyers that can afford to pay cash for it, you might want to consider fixing the more serious issues first to attract more willing buyers (and less bargaining chips).

Furthermore, if a repair will go on to boost the value of your home significantly, you can recoup the investment after selling.

Selling a home in a ‘what you see is what you get’ arrangement will be much easier, profitable and faster if you jog ahead and implement these seven tips for selling a house as is.

This article does not necessarily reflect the opinions of the editors or management of EconoTimes.