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zen4d

How do you go about selling a house as is?

zen4d
10 years ago

How do you go about selling a house "as is"?

we are about to put our house on the market and I would like to make some minor improvements, such as sheetrocking ceiling of garage and an unfinished area in basement - just to give it a fresh look.

This post was edited by zen4d on Tue, Jan 28, 14 at 22:17

Comments (10)

  • jewelisfabulous
    10 years ago

    I understand that the default position for listed properties is that they are always sold in an "as is" condition unless otherwise stated in the listing agreement and in the sales contract.

    Generally, building methods or improvements to the house that were done up to code at the time aren't held against the seller if/when the codes change. For example, I'm quite certain that almost all of the electrical wiring in my mother's 100+ year old house is so far out of code that the original writers of that code are now in the graveyard, However, my mother doesn't need to re-wire the house to current code to sell. If the buyer isn't satisfied with the wiring, he/she can just reduce his/her offer on the house.

    On the other hand, if work was done without a permit (where one was needed at the time), the seller may find that she/he will have to re-do the work to bring it up to code. Banks generally don't loan on a property with unpermitted improvements for liability reasons.

  • LuAnn_in_PA
    10 years ago

    "How do you go about selling a house "as is"? "

    You list it.

  • christopherh
    10 years ago

    We sold my mother's house "as is". We just put those words in the listing and priced it accordingly.

  • function_first
    10 years ago

    When I see "as is" specifically stated in the ad I assume it's an unfinancable wreck and move on, that does not sound like you homes condition so I would avoid using that language in the listing and just rely on what others have said-- all listings are (by default) "as is."

  • camlan
    10 years ago

    We sold my father's 1880 Victorian pretty much "as is," but "as is" never appeared in the ads and listing.

    The house was structurally sound, the electric and plumbing had been updated 20 years prior, the furnace was 2 years old, the roof was original to the house (good old slate roof that hadn't leaked yet). Dad was a huge believer in constant maintenance.

    The kitchen was from the 1950s, the bathrooms from the 1960s--Mom and Dad bought the house with them and since everything worked, saw no need to replace anything unless it was broken. The kitchen appliances had been replaced as they aged and died.

    Some carpet and wall paper had been replaced. There was wall paper in almost every room.

    Everything worked. Everything was clean and spotless. Some things were outdated. And certainly cosmetic changes would be necessary in some rooms.

    The house was under contract in a month. Mostly because it was priced lower than the Victorians in the area that had been completely upgraded to allow for the cosmetic changes any new owner would likely make, and because the agent we picked marketed it well.

  • DLM2000-GW
    10 years ago

    As kris ma said, for most people that phrase will bring to mind a house that has some serious issues. There are buyers that are attracted to that sort of thing but it's a limited audience.

  • lazy_gardens
    10 years ago

    if things were added to house before we bought and are now not up to code, do we have to replace or can we sell as is?

    If they were "up to code" when they were added, they are "grandfathered" ... no need to do anything.

    If they were done sloppily or unsafely ... fix it or it will show up on inspection.

    Just clean the heck out of the house and describe it accurately

  • c9pilot
    10 years ago

    Here in FL it is not uncommon to see "as is". It just means that the seller isn't going to change or fix anything obvious, even if it is broken (theoretically the home was priced accordingly). If the home inspection uncovers hidden items that need to be fixed, those are negotiable, as always. But the seller still needs to disclose everything they know.
    Using the regular contract, any un-permitted work has to be corrected, but the "as-is" contract doesn't - one of the reasons it is common.

  • ncrealestateguy
    10 years ago

    You have two separate contracts C9?

  • c9pilot
    10 years ago

    NC - Yes, two "standard" contracts for Florida. The normal "FAR-BAR" has an entire page about improvements and permitting and stuff. The "As-Is" contract is easier to employ.