Major repairs needed
Foundation, roof, fire, water, mold, electrical, or forty years of everything at once. We buy it in whatever condition it's in, and we price the repairs in up front instead of discovering them at inspection.
A retail buyer needs a mortgage. A mortgage needs an appraisal. An appraisal on a house with a failing roof or a foundation problem either comes in low or comes back with conditions, and the deal falls apart three weeks in — after you've already paid for a listing, a cleaning, and a month of carrying costs.
So you get told to fix it first. Which means finding contractors, fronting the money, and managing a renovation on a house you're trying to leave. Most people we buy from tried some version of this before they called.
Get our offer first, then decide whether fixing it is worth it. Costs you nothing to find out.
| Repair, then list | Sell as-is to us | |
|---|---|---|
| Money out of pocket | Full repair cost, up front | $0 |
| Time before you're paid | Renovation plus listing period | Weeks |
| Who manages contractors | You | Us, after closing |
| Financing risk | Buyer's lender and appraisal | None |
| Renegotiation after inspection | Common | Condition priced up front |
| Likely sale price | Higher — if the work goes to plan | Lower, with none of the risk |
The honest version: if the problems are cosmetic and you have the cash and the time, fixing first usually wins. If they're structural, mechanical, or in the roof, you generally spend a dollar to gain a dollar. Get a number from us before you spend anything — it's the cheapest data point you'll get.
Yes. Foundation issues are one of the most common reasons people call us, because they're expensive to fix and they scare off buyers who need financing. We price the repair into the offer rather than discovering it at inspection and asking for a discount.
No. We'd rather do our own walkthrough or look at photos. If you already have an inspection report, send it — it usually speeds things up and sometimes improves the number, because it removes our guesswork.
Sometimes, and sometimes not. Fire and water damage look worse than they are about as often as the reverse. Send photos and we'll tell you honestly which one you have.
Occasionally, yes — if the repairs are cosmetic, you have the cash, and you have the time to manage contractors. If the problems are structural, mechanical, or in the roof or crawlspace, you usually spend a dollar to gain a dollar. Get our number before you spend anything.
We buy houses with both. They affect the number because remediation is a real cost, but neither stops a sale with us the way it stops a retail buyer with a lender.
Other situations
No obligation. If listing would net you more, we'll tell you that instead.