Sell a Connecticut House That Needs Repairs
When the to-do list is bigger than the budget
A roof that’s past its time. Wiring that worries you. Old work that was never done to code. A house that’s been sitting empty and slipping a little more every season.
If you’re facing a long list of repairs before you can sell, you have choices. We’re Jesse and Erica, and we buy Connecticut houses as-is. But we’ll also tell you when fixing up and listing might be the better move for you.
Our honest advice first
If you’re able to make the repairs yourself and get the house into good shape, you may do better selling on the open market with an agent. A house that’s ready to move into usually brings more money.
We buy houses that need work. That’s what we do. But we’d rather you make the right choice for your situation than sell to us when you didn’t need to.
Selling as-is usually makes sense when:
- The repairs are bigger than your budget, or you’d have to borrow to do them.
- A bank won’t lend on the house as it is. Problems like unsafe wiring or work that isn’t to code can stop a buyer’s mortgage, which leaves mostly cash buyers.
- You don’t have the time, or you live too far away to manage contractors.
- You just want to be done, without months of projects and showings.
A real story: a house with problems nobody had fixed
Two brothers inherited a house near us after their younger brother passed away. The house had been neglected for a while. Some of the work done on it over the years wasn’t up to code, including obvious electrical problems.
With issues like that, a bank wasn’t likely to lend on the house, so most regular buyers were off the table. Realistically, it was going to be a cash sale.
The brothers didn’t make a single repair. We bought the house as it was, handled the cleanout and did the renovation ourselves. They stopped by during the work and told us how thankful they were to see the house being cared for. You can read the full story here.
How we price a house that needs work
There’s no secret formula. Here’s what goes into our number:
- What similar houses nearby have sold for, once they’re fixed up.
- What the house needs, based on what we see on our walkthrough.
- Our costs to do the work and resell, plus a fair profit so the project is worth our time.
We’ll walk you through how we got to our number. Ask us anything.
One walkthrough. One offer. No surprises.
Here’s something to watch for when a house needs work. Some buyers make a high offer to win the contract, then use a long inspection period to “discover” problems and lower the price. By then the seller has made plans around the sale and feels stuck.
We do it differently:
- We see the house before we make our offer. The repairs are already in our number.
- Our offer has no inspection contingency. There’s nothing to discover later.
- That number is the number. As Jesse puts it: “My offer is my offer. Once I make a handshake, that’s where our deal is.”
Questions we often hear
Do I need to fix anything before you make an offer?
No. Please don’t spend money on repairs for our sake. We’ll price the house as it is.
What if there are problems I don’t know about?
That’s okay. We plan for what we can see and what we can’t. The number won’t drop after the walkthrough.
What if the house isn’t safe to go inside?
Tell us what you know. We can work through it with you.
Should I list it with an agent instead?
If the house is close to market-ready, or you can handle the repairs, that may get you more money. We’ll be straight with you about it.
What if the house is also full of belongings?
Leave them. See selling a house as-is with belongings.
Let’s talk about the house
Tell us what the house needs and what you’d like to do. We’re here to listen.
Call Jesse at 860.990.4509 or start with the address below.