Selling a house with water damage may seem difficult, but it doesn’t have to be. Currently, around 37% of homeowners have dealt with water damage, so it’s not an uncommon problem to encounter. In this article, we’ll talk about the potential difficulties that may arise when attempting to sell a house with water damage, as well as what you can do to preserve the value of your home.
Can You Sell a House With Water Damage?
Yes, you can sell a house with water damage, but you are required to disclose this to potential homebuyers. The seller’s disclosure form will require you to answer whether you’re aware of any previous water penetration or flooding in most states. If a seller didn’t disclose water damage and it’s discovered later that they were aware of it, the buyer can take legal actions against them.
When selling a house with water damage, you’ll typically have two options:
- Conduct the necessary repairs before putting your home on the market
- Sell the house as-is to a cash offer homebuyer
We’ll discuss both of these options in more detail below.
Does Water Damage Decrease Home Value?
Any type of damage to a home, including water damage, decreases the home’s value. The pricing will largely depend on whether the water damage is minor or significant and the source of the water damage, but the pricing will likely be lower than the market value.
This decrease in value can be even greater if you’re selling a water-damaged house in a flood zone. If your home is located within a flood zone, the home’s value will likely be lower since most financial lenders require costly flood insurance for homes in high-risk areas.
If you wish to get the greatest value for your property, you may consider paying for repairs before listing your home or selling the house “as-is” to a reliable cash offer homebuyer.
Selling a House With Water Damage
While selling a house with water damage can be complicated, you can take the following steps to make sure you get the most value from your home sale:
- Repair any water damage you find
- Get a transferable warranty after treatment
- Don’t attempt to hide water damage from potential sellers
- If you don’t want to deal with treatment or repair costs, consider selling the house “as-is” instead
Repair the Damage
Conducting repairs on a home with water damage is practically a necessity if you’re planning to sell on the open market. Without rehabilitation, potential buyers will likely balk at the thought of purchasing a house with extensive water damage since it’s a costly issue to repair. Alternatively, they may be willing to overlook the damage by negotiating a significantly lower offer for the home so that they may conduct their own repairs.
Where there is visible water damage, there is hidden damage lurking below the floorboards, under the carpet, or in the walls as well. Find a good contractor who will look for all the damage and give you a fair assessment, or consider getting multiple assessments done. Once you’ve completed the repairs, make sure to have your home re-inspected to receive a written report showing there is no longer water damage in the property.
Get a Warranty
If you’ve paid for a large repair to your property due to water damage, you’ll often have the option to get a transferable warranty to cover future damage as well. This means that if any future water damage results from the repair, the new homeowner can have the damage repaired at no cost. Having a warranty like this can help put a potential buyer’s mind at ease and make for a quicker, easier sale.
Be Honest
It may be tempting to try and hide signs of water damage from a potential buyer, but never do this. Fully disclosing water damage when selling a house is required by law in most states, and failing to do so can result in a fine or other legal action. Even if you’ve repaired the water damage, there may still be residual signs that can tip off the new homebuyer, so always disclose any prior or current water damage before closing.
Sell the House As-Is
Unfortunately, getting the best offer for a house with water damage typically means spending a lot of money upfront on assessments, repairs, and a re-inspection. In addition, ridding your home of water damage can take a lot of time, so it may not be a viable option if you need to sell the house fast.
Your best option might be to sell to a reliable cash offer homebuyer in your area. These real estate investors will buy your property as-is for a fair and fast cash offer, allowing you to get a good value for your house while avoiding the headache of repairs and dealing with displeased potential buyers.
A Stress-Free Way to Sell Your House With Water Damage
Hopefully, this article has detailed that while selling a house with water damage is possible, it can be a complicated and costly endeavor. If your home has water damage, you’re probably stressed out over how to sell while getting a fair value. Luckily for you, there is always a viable market for fixer-uppers when you choose to sell to a cash home buying company like Diamond Equity Investments.
Here at Diamond Equity Investments, we purchase houses, condos, lots, and apartment buildings all over the country as-is. We’ll work with you to schedule a convenient time to view your home, make a fair cash offer, and handle all the paperwork. Then, all you have to do is simply attend the closing and get your cash!
If you’ve been struggling to sell your house with water damage, reach out to our team today to see how we can save you time, money, and stress by purchasing your home as-is.
Just Sell it As Is the largest privately held Direct Home Buying company in America with offices in Atlanta, Philadelphia, Chicago, & Phoenix buying more than 300 houses per year. Unlike many “home buyers”, we are NOT a franchise model and NOT just Middlemen-We are a DIRECT HOME BUYER-our business model is buying, renovating, then selling retail. So if you (or your seller) has a house for sale, and you’d like to Just Sell it As-Is, please call now and we’ll make an offer within 24 hours. If the title is clear, we can close in as little as 24 hours after that-Experience THE Fast & Convenient Sale!!
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Contact our cash home buyers today if you have any questions regarding selling your house. We are always ready to assist homeowners selling their houses fast for cash.