Help, I Inherited a Hoarder House!

Don't worry, there are usually good solutions!

The truth is, this can be a sensitive situation for a lot of people, particularly if the situation was caused by the loss of a loved one. 

The truth is, we are in the business of helping people first and buying homes second so please know that the information below comes from a caring place and we are happy to help in any way we can.  Although we can help with houses, I know there is a ton you are dealing with and there are links to some resources at the bottom of the page, hopefully they can be of assistance.

I have found that frequently the condition of homes that people inherit or otherwise acquire in a hoarding situation often come as quite a shock.  Folks are good at hiding their situations and it isn’t until things are pretty far gone that even the people closest to them realize. Often in this situation people find the easiest solution is to sell the home, extract what they can and move on as best they can.  Cleaning can be a difficult task and coupled with the other issues and responsibilities that surround the property it is easier to just remove it from the equation.  That said, here is some info that I hope helps point you in the right direction.

How Can I Sell a Hoarder House?

As difficult as all of this is to deal with, a person who now has the responsibility of the home really doesn’t want the situation to cost them money. An inherited hoarding house can create many different costs, from the basic stuff like taxes, maintenance and mortgage, to the more unique things like cleanup and dealing with city code enforcement. It’s tough but to be honest, the best thing in any situation like this is to keep moving forward and don’t let issues pile up.

Even more to the point, if you need help reach out to us.  We have crews and options who can handle some of the more difficult tasks and can offer advice regardless of whether you sell the home.

That said, here are a few options to sell the home besides selling to an investor:

Use an Agent (Traditional Sale)

we buy hoarder houses in killeen and central texas

Most of the time this is going to be pretty difficult to do.  Most likely, you will need to get the house cleared out at a minimum to get an agent to list it.  Depending on what is discovered once cleaned out the house may be able to be listed but expect a pretty steep discount if the home needs repairs, has pests or odors or any other issues.  When you list, most buyers will be normal folks looking for a new home so the pool of buyers will be fairly small and mostly investors who look through listings to find deals.

In all reality, this is the most unlikely option unless you commit to getting the house in pretty good shape and all the costs involved.

For Sale By Owner

When an individual has inherited a hoarding house, they may attempt a for sale by owner.  Similar to selling with an agent, this will be more difficult to do with the home in need of repairs but it can be done.  Really, price will be key here and your most likely buyers will still be investors, not homeowners.

If you go the FSBO route just be sure to advertise the home is as many places as possible (Craigslist, Facebook, signs, etc).  Be sure and communicate the condition of the house very clearly so you don’t waste your time dealing with people who won’t buy the home.

Renovate & Then Sell

This is your best bet if you want to get the house sold and do it yourself.  Expect to get the house cleared, cleaned and any major repairs done to get it in a condition it can be listed.  Unless an investor is buying the home will need to pass an inspection and appraise for the sales price so all major systems should be working.  Personally, I would consider pest control, replacing the flooring and repairing and painting the interior at an absolute minimum in most cases I have seen.

Selling a Hoarder House As Is

Depending on the condition it could be anywhere from extremely difficult to nearly impossible for you to deal with making renovations.  A house in this condition can’t be sold traditionally through an agent and even most investors won’t deal with it. Then there is the issue that you may not even be able to recover any money you invest because of the overall condition.

Luckily, a handful of local companies like Liberty Home Buyers are equipped to assess and purchase homes with no repairs needed and depending on your needs you can often just walk away and let us deal with the issues.  We are happy to talk to you and walk you through the process.  We are local and can walk the home with or without you if you prefer and give you an honest assessment.

Solutions to Selling a Hoarder Home Fast

It can already be tough to sell an inherited house killeen and for all of the reasons we have already gone through, folks who have inherited a hoarding house usually try to determine how to sell the house quickly but unfortunately, find that most of the standard methods for being able to do this don’t really work. It’s tough to take pictures of the house or advertise it and listing is typically not an option anyway.

Often, the best solution for those people who have inherited a hoarding house is to work with an investor and sell the home for cash.  I’ll be honest, homes like this typically sell for discount due to the amount of work and uncertainty of the condition but in reality, I find that most people understand the situation and really just want to get it behind them.

On the other hand, accepting a cash offer from Liberty means you don’t have to worry about cleaning it up, or city codes, or anything.  It also means that there are no commissions, closing costs or other fees typically associated with using an agent.  The offer we make is how much you will get.

I know all of this is a lot to take in so fill out the form here on the site or give me a call at (512) 961-9943 and we can discuss your situation in person.

Best, Dom.

Resources for Hoarding

International OCD Foundation 

Anxiety & Depression Association of America

Excellent List of Books

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Dominic

Dominic

I am the owner & buyer for Liberty Home Buyers in Killeen. I am local and happy to help with any questions you may have so feel free to reach out.

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This Post Has One Comment

  1. Shelby Hoston

    An outstanding share! I have just forwarded this onto a colleague who had been conducting a little research on this. And he actually bought me lunch simply because I discovered it for him… lol. So let me reword this…. Thanks for the meal!! But yeah, thanks for spending time to discuss this topic here on your blog.

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