If you are dealing with a hoarder house in Cherokee County, you know that selling it on the open market can be a daunting task. Hoarder homes are notoriously difficult to sell due to their unsanitary and unsafe conditions. However, with the right knowledge and strategies, it is possible to sell a hoarder house and get a good return on your investment. In this article, we offer three tips to help you sell a hoarder house in Cherokee County.
Understand the Hoarding Phenomenon and What You’re Getting Into
Before you start thinking about selling a hoarder house, it is important to understand what you’re getting into. Hoarding is a diagnosable mental disorder that involves a strong desire to accumulate a vast amount of things. This desire is so strong in individuals with the disorder that they may experience extreme stress at the mere suggestion of getting rid of their belongings. The result is a living environment that is unsanitary and unsafe, with a home filled to capacity and only narrow pathways through stacks of clutter.
To sell a hoarder house on the open market, you will need to clean it out and make extensive repairs and renovations. This is a huge undertaking that can turn into a full-time project, and it will take a substantial sum of money. You’ll need to deal with clutter, dead animals, biological waste, extreme cleaning, decayed walls and floors, structural damage, pest infestations, and offensive odors. The national cost for mild hoarder cleanup for a 2,000-square-foot home is between $3,000 and $5,000, but in extreme cases, it can run as high as $25,000. Additionally, there’s the cost of repairs and renovations, which is hard to estimate until all the junk is cleared out.
To sell a hoarder house, you need to know what you’re facing. Consulting a Cherokee County agent at 770-280-4560 can provide you with expert guidance.
Target Non-Traditional Buyers
If the task of cleaning up and repairing a hoarder house seems too overwhelming, you might consider targeting non-traditional buyers. These are usually cash buyers who will buy the house as-is. While you won’t sell for as much this way, you can get a quick sale. The two main types of buyers here are investors and local home-buying companies.
Real estate investors are often looking to buy distressed properties like hoarder homes. They typically pay cash and are prepared to deal with the problems. Many times, even during the transaction process, you can choose what items you want to keep and then let the investor deal with all the rest.
Another option is selling a hoarder house to a local home-buying company, a type of real estate investor. These companies buy homes in poor condition with the aim of making needed repairs and then flipping the homes. They will be interested in hoarder homes and typically pay cash.
Hire an Agent with Relevant Experience
For the best sales price, you can also go the traditional route to sell a hoarder house. You will work with an agent who has relevant experience and who will then list the home on the MLS and other listing venues. This will, of course, be after you’ve taken care of the cleanup and all the repairs (at least the major portion anyway). You will get wider market exposure and have a better chance of finding a suitable buyer in order to sell at a high enough price to get a good return on the money invested.
The problem here, though, is that many agents just don’t specialize in hoarder homes. And you need an agent with the requisite experience and familiarity with the unique challenges involved in selling hoarder homes and the know-how to market them to potential buyers.
We have agents who can get the job done for you, and who can bring to bear their experience and local-market knowledge to help you sell. If you’re looking to sell a hoarder house in Atlanta, contact us today at 770-280-4560.
FAQs
Q: What is a hoarder house?
A: A hoarder house is a home that has been lived in by a person with a hoarding disorder, which is a diagnosable mental disorder. Such homes are typically in very bad condition owing to all the accumulated junk and neglect.
Q: What should I do if I have acquired a hoarder house and want to sell it?
A: If you want to sell a hoarder house, you should first understand what you’re getting into and what you are facing. Then, you can either target non-traditional buyers who will buy the house as-is or go the traditional route and work with an agent who has relevant experience and who will then list the home on the MLS and other listing venues.
Q: How much does it cost to clean up and renovate a hoarder house?
A: The cost of cleaning up and renovating a hoarder house can vary widely depending on the extent of the clutter and damage. The national cost for mild hoarder cleanup for a 2,000-square-foot home is between $3,000 and $5,000, but in more extreme cases can run as high as $25,000. And then there’s the cost of repairs and renovations, which is hard to estimate until all the junk is cleared out.
Q: Can I sell a hoarder house without cleaning it up and fixing it up?
A: Yes, you can sell a hoarder house without cleaning it up and fixing it up by targeting non-traditional buyers who will buy the house as-is. These are usually cash buyers who are prepared to deal with the problems and buy at a low price.
Q: How do I find an agent with relevant experience in selling hoarder homes? A: To find an agent with relevant experience in selling hoarder homes, you can consult a Cherokee County agent at 770-280-4560. You need an agent with the requisite experience and familiarity with the unique challenges involved in selling hoarder homes and the know-how to market them to potential buyers.