It’s estimated that between 5 and 14 million Americans are compulsive hoarders.
So if you have a family member or a loved one who suffers from this disorder, you are not alone. If someone close to you is a hoarder and passes away, or you are granted authority over their affairs, you may be wondering what to do with their house. Even though selling a hoarder home is far from easy, you do have options. Here is a quick look at what you can do if you find yourself in this situation.
Clean It Up
No one is going to purchase a hoarder home as is, so you’re either going to have to clean it out or reduce the price enough for the buyer to do it themselves. If you’re looking to get the highest value possible, you should consider doing the cleaning yourself. In some cases, you can simply purchase a dumpster and get rid of the belongings one by one. Or if the clutter is extensive, you can hire a crew to come in to help you clean. This will cost money, which may or may not make sense based on the value of the home. But it will make it harder to get a decent offer without doing some cleaning, so you’ll have to make a judgment call as to how much work you’re willing to do yourself.
Do the Necessary Renovations
The next step is to assess any renovations that need to be done. Hoarder homes are often accompanied by cosmetic or structural problems from pest infestations, mold, expired food, or damage caused by pets. Depending on how long the hoarder was living in the property, it may also be suffering from normal structural damage that was never attended to.
The best thing to do if you want to get a decent offer on the property is to hire an inspector to assess the damage. A buyer will want to inspect the home before closing anyway, so it’s better to get an accurate idea of the structural integrity so you can properly address the issue. Hiring an inspector will give you a professional perspective on the condition of the property, so you can make an educated decision as to whether it makes sense to clean and renovate or just get rid of it as quickly as possible.
Get a Cash Offer
If you’re not interested in going through the process of cleaning, renovating, and listing the home, you can always offer it to a cash buyer, who will purchase the property in its current condition. No regular homebuyer is going to purchase a hoarder house “as is” unless they have experience with renovating and flipping real estate. There are plenty of reputable investors and real estate companies out there who will offer you cash for your property and save you the hassle of getting it up to market standards, which may cost more than the home is even worth.
Keep in mind that a cash buyer will be looking to pay a discounted price to handle the work themselves. But if the time and energy it would take to improve the property yourself outweigh the benefits, it may be smarter to get out as quickly as possible.
A professional investor or real estate company may be better equipped to handle the cleaning and renovation process of a hoarder home, which can be quite challenging if you don’t have the experience. Plus, the closing process is much quicker than a traditional sale, saving you time and energy that might be better spent elsewhere.
If you own a hoarder home and need help selling it quickly, Purple Mountain Holdings is a cash home buyer in the Colorado Springs area that is happy to give you a fair estimate on the property. Visit our website today for more information.
