Trying to sell a house on the market is never an easy task. And if you’re selling a hoarder house…well it can be nearly impossible. People will naturally compare your hoarder house to other houses on the market. And unfortunately, many homes sold on the market are spotless, renovated, updated and have multiple professional photos. However, this comparison may not be your only issue when it comes to listing your hoarder house on the market. In this article, I’ll list four major problems a person might encounter if they try to sell a hoarder house on the market. But don’t worry there’s a light at the end of the tunnel. If you are seeking to sell a hoarder house, this article has a solution for you. So stay tuned till the end of the article, I’ll explain how you can sell your hoarder house quickly, and easily!
Now onto the four major problems…
1.Interior Photos
According to realtor.org, 92% of home buyers look for their new home online; meaning that the only way to entice 92% of prospective home buyers is with photos. If you’re selling a hoarder house, this can be a serious problem for you.
In a perfect world, you would clear out the entire house, and take photos. However, the more likely scenario will be that you’ll end up taking photos of the house with its clutter or you will only post photos of the house’s exterior. And unfortunately, neither of these last two options will help you sell your house quickly.
2. Open House Logistics
Now let’s imagine that you posted photos of your property online and that you would like to have an open house. Well… I believe Constance Rosenblum, the author of Selling a Hoarder’s Home: The Trouble with Stuff, said it best. “Forget the open house. Sometimes prospective buyers can’t get past the front door.”
But to be fair, hoarding disorder (HD) can range from mild to severe, and a person with mild HD can very well have an open house. They will, however, face two main challenges, both of which are related to safety. The first problem will occur if a buyer must step on or over unstable or dangerous materials. This inconvenience will cause a buyer to leave the house sooner or focus on where to step, instead of a house’s potential.
The second issue is that most open houses are scheduled on Saturdays to maximize the number of potential buyers seeing the property. You’re probably asking yourself “Why is this an issue?” and “How does this have to do with safety?” Here is the reason. On Saturdays, children are out of school and will most likely have to join their parent(s) while they are house hunting. This situation can be hazardous for a child or a very inconvenient one for a parent. If a child enters a hoarder’s house, this can be a recipe for disaster. On the other hand, if a hoarder does not allow children into their home, a prospective buyer might have to make arrangements to have someone watch their child.
3. Outsider Judgement
If a person with HD does happen to get prospective buyers to visit their home, it is extremely likely that they will hear some hurtful comments. In the article “Selling a Hoarder’s Home: The Trouble With Stuff,” Constance Rosenblum writes about the comments made by prospective buyers. She stated, “many of the dozens of visitors made disparaging comments as they poked about the place, even when the owner was present. I said, ‘Please don’t. A person lives here, and you have to respect her.’”
This situation can be extremely frightening for a hoarder. But it is important for them to know that many people making hurtful comments are not trying to insult the hoarder, rather they are not used to the same types of living conditions.
4. Lack of Time
Time is arguably the biggest hurdle a hoarder will face when trying to sell their house. It takes time to clear out a house, get it up to code, clean it, and finally… to sell it. However, a hoarder may only have a short amount of time before they need to vacate their house. Reasons for this include, a lack of funds for mortgage payments, time-limits given by city officials, or something else. Whatever the reason, if you or someone you know has to sell their hoarder house I recommend reaching out to your family or friends, a hoarders support group, a therapist, or even a professional organizer. To help you start, check out the links at the end of the page after reading about the easy way to sell a hoarder house.
How to Sell a Hoarder House Fast and Without Paying for a Thing
If you answered yes to any of the above questions, then I recommend selling your house to a real estate investor. It is the only realistic way to sell a hoarder house when you are short on cash and time.
The process is easy. It’ll start with a phone call and then a visit from the investor. If everything goes well, the investor will make an offer on your house, and you’ll get cash for your property on the closing date. This is the date that all the paperwork is signed. But be careful because all real estate investors are not created equal.
Are there any risks?
If you sell your house to a REPUTABLE investor or company, there are absolutely no risks involved. However, there is a risk if you trust the wrong investor. Some inexperienced or unethical investors may promise to purchase your house, but back out at the last minute. This unethical situation is especially problematic for those with HD. People with HD usually sell their house because of the time-constraints made by the city or because they cannot afford another month of mortgage payments.
To get rid of risk, gain your independence back, and sell your house quickly, call Express Homebuyers. We have an A+ Better Business Bureau rating and have purchased over 2,500 houses since 2003. Our home buying specialists would love to hear about your personal situation and will express zero judgment. If you are a hoarder, please don’t feel embarrassed or ashamed about your house. There are millions of hoarders in the U.S. and Express Homebuyers has helped many of them gain their independence back. And guess what! It gets even better. If you suffer from HD and need to sell your property quickly, Express Homebuyers will allow you to leave any and all items in your property after selling to us. You can then focus on your most cherished items and leave any unwanted items or trash.
If all of this sounds great to you and you are interested in speaking with an Express Homebuyers home buying specialist, click here and fill out the form or give us a call at (877) 804-5252. There’s no judgment, and we want to help.
You can even get an offer in 7 minutes or less! So what are you waiting for?? Call Express Homebuyers and get the fresh start you’ve always wanted.
List of Resources
- Online Hoarding Support Group
- Report a Hoarder Anonymously
- Hoarding Resources Based on State (cleanup crews and psychologists/psychiatrists)
- National Cleaning Specialist
- The Basics of Hoarding
- Hoarding Information for Families
- Find Help by State (therapists, clinics, and programs, support groups, organizations)