Most homes on the market are renovated, upgraded, and spotless. A blank canvas helps buyers envision living there better. There isn’t additional work to do on the house, which is always appreciated.
However, with hoarder homes, the process is a bit harder. Hoarding makes the house unclean and makes it harder to live in the house. Hoarder homes are hubs to diseases and are harmful to the neighborhood. Hoarder homes are also a fire hazard.
If you own a hoarder home, you have to decide whether you want to renovate and tidy up the place before you sell or sell it as-is. Both options come with their consequences. If you decide to renovate and get rid of all the mold and fungus breeding in your house, you’ll have to pay a pretty generous amount. You’ll face a massive loss if you choose to sell it as-is.
This article is to help you understand what hoarding is and how to sell a hoarder’s house. We hope you find this helpful.
A hoarder or hoarding is a psychological disorder in which the affected person finds it difficult to part ways with objects that aren’t useful to them. They create an emotional bond with a particular thing, and it is challenging for them to part with it.
The object could be a type of food, a newspaper or magazine, clothes, or even a cardboard box. The memorabilia can prove to be harmful to the person holding onto them.
If you’ve been hired to sell a hoarder’s home, know it won’t be an easy job. Usually, the owner leaves all the stuff behind, which may have been there for months, maybe even years.
Since hoarder homes contain mold, fungus, diseases, rot, and decaying foods, it is essential to take the necessary precautions before you step into the house. Wear gloves and a mask, and carry a sanitizer with you. Places like these attract all sorts of animals. So you should expect to find dead animals and animal feces around the house.
If the hoarder is on the site during the cleaning process, it will take longer than usual. The hoarder will get anxious seeing the items they see as valuable being thrown out, and they’ll most likely ask you to give them a moment to say goodbye to everything you throw out.
Let’s get down to the factors that make it harder to sell a hoarder’s home.
Selling your hoarder home will be difficult. You won’t be able to put it up on the MLS right away, nor can you take photos of the house to put up on the internet to attract buyers.
The only option you’ll be left with is to clean up the house to make it look more presentable. Although, cleaning up the area won’t be as easy as it sounds.
First, homeowners will need a lot of time to clean up the whole place. Factors such as the size of the house, areas that are littered with stuff, how long it’s been sitting there, and the dangers it could release into the neighborhood will contribute to the whole process.
If the situation is out of hand and there is hazardous material breeding in your home, you’ll need money and time to get it removed.
You may even have to get the place renovated entirely. This means you’ll have to get the place sterilized and repainted. Only then will your hoarded house stand a chance of getting sold.
Sometimes people who suffer from a hoarding disorder also have to deal with other conditions such as anxiety or depression. When all these disorders come together, the hoarder finds it even harder to move on. On top of that, the embarrassment they feel when other people judge them for their situation makes them even more reluctant to sell the house.
To save themselves from the horrors or memories they could uncover if they decided to clean up the place, the people suffering from hoarding decide to leave it as-is. Some refuse to move out until they have no other option left.
If you or someone you know is suffering from this disorder, ask someone for help, you don’t have to go through any of this by yourself.
When someone decides to sell a property, they usually offer a tour or open houses for people to check out. This helps speed up the process of selling. However, in the case of a hoarder’s home, this is not an option. First impressions matter a lot, and you could jeopardize other people by inviting them into your home. With a hoarder home, you’ll have to pursue many routes at a time to find someone willing to finally buy your house.
The best option to sell your hoarder home isn’t through a real estate agent or by putting it upon the MLS. It would be best if you sold it to a direct cash buyer. It will be a smoother and hassle-free sale and take less time compared to other paths you may be considering.
We do our best to put you out of this situation and buy your hoarder home for cash. You have nothing to worry about your distressed property. Work with us today to close an instant deal on your house.
NO FEES OR COMMISSIONS
NO REPAIRS OR CLEANUP
NO TIME PRESSURE
NO OPEN HOUSES
