If you own a house that needs major repairs and you want to move quickly, you’re juggling two timelines that rarely align. Renovations eat time and money. Buyers on the open market often want turnkey. Meanwhile, life events do not wait. Maybe the roof is at the end of its life, the foundation has settled, or the electrical still runs through knob and tube. I have walked sellers through every version of this story, from the classic mid-century ranch with cast-iron drains failing under the slab to the two-story with water intrusion that no contractor wanted to touch before hurricane season. There is a path to sell fast, even with heavy issues, but it requires clear thinking about value, risk, and speed.
What “major repairs” really means for time and value
Agents and contractors throw around the phrase like it’s universal. It is not. A 25-year-old shingle roof with a couple of soft spots is a medium expense and often insurable with a short-term policy. A slab-on-grade foundation with differential settlement of 1.5 inches, visible stair-step cracks, and sticking doors is different. Mold remediation in a humid climate is different. Houses with aluminum wiring from the late sixties, polybutylene pipes, or a buried oil tank carry special risk. If your home has multiple issues, buyers do not add the costs one by one. They add a risk premium on top of the estimate, then subtract for headaches.
Typical cost ranges I see in the Southeast and Midwest, based on recent jobs in 2023 and 2024:
- Roof replacement on a 1,800-square-foot home: 10,000 to 18,000 for asphalt shingles, more if decking is damaged or code upgrades are required. Foundation stabilization with helical piers: 8,000 to 40,000 depending on linear footage and access; basements can run higher if interior shoring is required. Full electrical rewire from knob and tube or aluminum: 12,000 to 30,000, plus patch and paint. Sewer line replacement from cast iron or Orangeburg: 5,000 to 15,000 for trench, 10,000 to 25,000 for trenchless if feasible. Mold remediation and moisture control: 2,500 to 20,000, sometimes more when drywall removal is extensive. HVAC replacement: 6,000 to 14,000 depending on tonnage and ductwork condition.
Buyers and appraisers do not care about your sunk costs or the time you already spent calling three roofers. They look at after-repair value, subtract all credible costs, subtract profit for the person taking on the risk, and subtract holding and transaction costs. If you want speed, you have to let go of trying to capture retail value for a property that is not retail ready.
Your three exit lanes, and who each lane fits
There are essentially three ways to sell a house that needs major work: list it as is on the open market, sell to a local investor or cash home buyer, or fix the headline issues and then list. Each path has its own clock, price, and stress. I will touch on the fourth path, a creative finance structure, later, because it can bridge gaps when the numbers are tight.
As-is on the MLS can work if you price it right and allow for investor-friendly terms. I have seen well-priced as-is listings in hot zip codes attract five to twelve offers in a week, with buyers competing on speed and inspection terms. The downside is your buyers still have contingencies, and if a surprise pops up during inspection or their lender balks, you are back on market.
Cash home buyers and the “we buy houses” crowd move the fastest. In my files, straightforward transactions closed in 7 to 14 days from contract, and the slowest wrapped in about 30 when title work turned up an old lien. Reputable investors line up their funds, skip traditional underwriting, and do their due diligence in a day or two. If you truly need to sell my house fast, and the repairs scare banks or insurers, investors are built for that moment. The trade-off is price. They need margin to handle unknowns and still make a profit.
The fix then list option lands you the highest gross price if you choose the right improvements and keep the scope tight. It also exposes you to schedule slips, permit delays, and change orders. If you cannot live in the property while the work happens, carrying costs add up. In my experience, budget overruns on owner-managed rehab projects sit around 15 to 25 percent, and timelines stretch by two to six weeks with one surprise discovery behind the drywall.
When speed trumps price, and when it should not
If you are carrying two mortgages, relocating for a job with a firm start date, or facing a notice from your insurer that they will drop coverage at renewal unless the roof is replaced, speed has a calculable value. Add your monthly costs: mortgage interest, taxes, insurance, utilities, yard care, HOA. Many sellers are surprised when that total lands anywhere from 1,200 to 3,500 per month. Then layer in your risk of vandalism or further deterioration if the house sits vacant. In several neighborhoods I work, copper thieves hit vacant homes, and the damage bill easily crosses 8,000 when they cut lines inside walls. If you can shave four months off the timeline by selling to a cash buyer, that speed alone might neutralize a chunk of the “discount” you are worried about.
On the other hand, if the house has one big, clearly priced issue and the rest shows well, waiting for a retail buyer can be worth it. I’m thinking of a brick ranch where the sewer line had collapsed under the front yard. We pulled a camera video, obtained two written bids at 12,800 sell my house fast and 14,600, and provided both to every interested buyer. The sellers offered a credit at closing equal to the lower bid. The house sold in eight days to a conventional buyer at a price only 20,000 under renovated comps, and the buyer replaced the line post-closing.
How cash home buyers actually price your house
Ignore the slogans for a second. Whether the postcard said we buy houses for cash or the website promised to buy any condition, the math behind the offer is similar. Start with after-repair value (ARV), the price a renovated house like yours would sell for in your micro-market within the next 60 to 120 days. Then subtract:
- All-in repair costs, including a cushion for surprises, not just the contractor’s base bid. Holding costs: insurance, taxes, utilities, interest if they use a credit line. Selling costs when they resell: agent commissions, transfer taxes, staging, minor touch-ups after buyer inspection. Profit margin to justify the risk, usually 10 to 20 percent of ARV in most markets, tighter in high-demand neighborhoods, wider in rural or soft markets.
Here is a simplified example. Say your ARV is 380,000. Credible repairs total 80,000, with a 10,000 contingency. Holding and selling costs might run 25,000. If the investor targets a 15 percent margin, that is 57,000. 380,000 minus 80,000 minus 10,000 minus 25,000 minus 57,000 equals 208,000. That lands in the neighborhood of what you will hear. Some investors squeeze their margin in hot areas to win the deal. Others will push the repairs higher to build a cushion. The more specific information you provide, the tighter the range.
What to disclose, even when selling as is
“As is” in real estate speaks to the seller’s willingness to make repairs, not to your obligation to disclose material facts. If you know the roof leaked last winter, say so. If the basement floods in heavy rain, put it in writing. If you replaced a section of cast iron with PVC but the rest remains, mention it. Serious buyers, including cash home buyers, prefer clean files. You avoid renegotiations and post-contract drama.
I advise sellers to gather what they can without turning it into a research project. Pull permits from the last decade. Find old invoices for the furnace or the water heater. Snap photos of problem areas in daylight. If you had a structural engineer evaluate cracks, include the letter. Clarity shortens timelines.
The insurance and financing trap most sellers miss
Many beyond-repair houses fail not in the living room but in underwriting. A lender will not fund a mortgage if the collateral cannot be insured, and insurers balk at roofs past a certain age, obsolete electrical, missing fixtures, or active leaks. I had a charming farmhouse fall out of contract because the carrier would not bind coverage with a 24-year-old roof and the seller refused a credit. That buyer needed a 30-day extension and a roof in place to close. They walked. A cash buyer stepped in, paid less, and replaced the roof the next week.
If you want to list on the open market and still “sell my house fast,” talk with your agent about likely insurance red flags in your state. In Florida, four-point inspection issues stop many deals. In parts of the Midwest, insurers scrutinize old electrical panels and aluminum branch wiring. If your home will fail common insurance checks, factor that into your plan and pricing.
When to invite local investors and when to list broadly
In my practice, I bring in two or three local, reputable cash buyers early when the house has one or more of these traits: non-functioning HVAC in summer or winter, extensive pet damage, foundation movement beyond cosmetic, mold with visible spread, or a kitchen stripped of appliances and cabinets. The reason is simple. Even with strong listing photos, retail buyers shy away, and the carrying time kills your net.
When the house has age and a few tired systems but remains livable, I lean toward a broad listing. The more eyeballs, the more likely a buyer will accept a repair credit or an escrow holdback for small items. I have watched buyers stretch for grandma’s house with original baths and a 1998 roof because the bones were good and the schools pulled them in. Houses like that do not require a “we buy houses” solution unless the sellers are on a tight clock.
The middle path: limited repairs that unlock a market
There is a category of repair that, if completed quickly, opens up both insurance and financing and increases the buyer pool without requiring a full rehab. These are gateway items: roof, electrical panel upgrade, basic HVAC functionality, a known sewer repair. If you can address one or two of those in two to three weeks, your net often improves beyond the cost because buyers stop assuming the worst.
I worked with a couple who inherited a 1970s split-level. The home needed an estimated 60,000 to shine. They did not have the appetite. We picked two items: a roof at 13,700 and a panel swap at 2,500. With those done, the insurers were comfortable. We priced under the top comps by 35,000 and sold within 12 days. Net, after the two repairs, they walked away about 22,000 better than the cleanest cash offer they had received at the start. Not every property fits this play, but it is worth running the math.
Contracts that help you move fast without regrets
If speed and certainty matter more than every last dollar, structure your contract to protect the calendar. Cash buyers who present a “no inspection” offer sometimes still do a walk-through with a contractor. That is fine if it is clear and time-limited. Ask for a brief inspection period, three to five days, with earnest money hard after that date, and a closing within two weeks subject only to clean title. If you need occupancy after closing to move, negotiate a short post-closing occupancy agreement, one to two weeks, with a daily rate and a firm move-out date.
If you are listing as is, build language that discourages nickel-and-dime repair requests. Offer a general inspection but state that repairs will be limited to major systems or safety only, or better, offer a closing credit up front instead of repairs. That keeps the deal from spiraling over a GFCI outlet or a stuck window.
How to vet “we buy houses” companies and separate pros from postcards
The phrase cash home buyers covers a wide range of operators. Some are well-capitalized, local investors with in-house crews and a track record of on-time closings. Others are wholesalers who put your house under contract and try to assign the deal to a real buyer. There is nothing inherently wrong with wholesaling, but your risk of delays jumps if the buyer-of-record does not have the funds.
Ask simple, pointed questions. Will you be the buyer on the contract, or will you assign it? What is your average days to close on the last five purchases? Can you show proof of funds tied to your entity, not a generic letter? Do you have references from sellers you worked with in this zip code? I also check county records. If a company says they buy 20 houses a month locally and the deeds show two in the last year, something is off.
Reputation matters. In my files, the best operators are boring. They send the same title company instructions every time. They accept your disclosure without drama. They wire on schedule. They do not renegotiate unless the title search turns up a recorded lien that escaped your attention.
Pricing reality if you need to sell in seven to ten days
I will be blunt. If the house has structural, water intrusion, or safety issues and you need a quick sale, expect offers at 50 to 70 percent of ARV minus repairs. In very hot micro-markets with tight inventory, that range narrows, maybe to 70 to 78 percent minus repairs. If you have been quoted a retail number by a well-meaning neighbor or a Zestimate that assumes a new kitchen, set that aside. Market value is not what a website spits out. It is what a ready, able buyer will pay for this specific house in this specific week, with these problems known and priced.
The fastest deals I closed had one thing in common: sellers made peace with the math and focused on clean execution. They did not try to shop offers for weeks chasing 5,000 more while paying 1,800 a month to carry a vacant house. They did not sweat the amateur who promised an above-market price and then asked for a 30-day inspection. They picked a credible buyer, read the settlement statement, and moved on.
A brief note on creative options when equity is thin
Sometimes the numbers are tight. Maybe you refinanced in 2021 at a low rate and pulled cash out. Maybe values dipped in your pocket of town. If paying off the mortgage plus closing costs leaves nothing, a cash sale can feel impossible. In a few cases, I have seen sellers and investors use creative structures that solve for speed without a full-price check.
A short list of examples, used carefully: a subject-to sale where the buyer continues paying your existing mortgage, leaving the loan in place until they resell; a seller carryback of a small second note to bridge the gap, paid off when the investor flips or refinances; or a lease-option that gives the investor control to rehab while paying you monthly, with a set payoff. These require trust, good paperwork, and a realistic timeline. Not for everyone, but they can rescue a deal when equity is thin and repairs are heavy.
Paperwork and title issues that can wreck a fast sale
Big repairs get all the attention, but the quickest way to derail a fast closing is title. Old liens from contractors, unpaid municipal utility balances that attach quick home purchases to the property, an unreleased home equity line from ten years ago, or probate issues if you inherited the home. I advise sellers to pull a preliminary title report as soon as they decide to sell. It costs little and surfaces problems early. If you are selling an inherited house, confirm you have authority to sign: Letters Testamentary or a completed small estate affidavit in states that allow it. If a divorce is involved, is your ex-spouse still on title? These paperwork items are solvable, but they need days, not hours.
Showing the house when it is not pretty
You do not need to stage a house with major repairs, but you can make it easier to show and evaluate. Clear walkways. Mark shut-off valves and breaker panels with painter’s tape. If there is a crawlspace, place a flashlight at the entrance and allow access. Put a simple sheet on the kitchen counter that lists known issues and any bids you already have, plus your utilities’ average monthly costs. Small touches like that reduce the number of “let me get back to you” responses because buyers can answer their contractor’s questions on the spot.
If you still live in the house, pick two daily one-hour windows for showings and stick to them. Consistency helps buyers and keeps you sane. If the house is vacant, a lockbox accelerates everything. For safety, do not leave tools out. I have seen too many buyers trip over a saw horse or step on a stray screw.
Taxes and net proceeds, the part nobody enjoys
Selling at a discount feels worse if you fixate on the gross price. Think net. Back out your mortgage payoff, pro-rated taxes, title and escrow fees, and any HOA transfer charges. In many markets, seller costs run 1 to 3 percent of the price when selling to a cash buyer without agent commissions, and closer to 6 to 9 percent when listing and paying both sides of the agent commission and typical concessions. If you are selling an investment property, talk to your tax professional about depreciation recapture. If you lived in the house two out of the last five years, you may qualify for the primary residence exclusion on capital gains. Even if there is no gain to worry about, planning avoids surprises.
Real stories: two fast sales with different endings
A widow in her seventies owned a 1964 ranch with a sinking corner and a damp crawlspace. Quotes for foundation work hovered around 24,000, with more needed once they opened the access. She wanted to be near her daughter three states away by the end of summer. We gathered three cash offers in five days. The highest net was 182,000 with a 12-day close and a three-day post-occupancy. She accepted. The investor stabilized the corner, remediated mold, cleaned ducts, and resold four months later. Could she have squeezed another 8,000 by listing? Maybe. But she was unpacking boxes in her daughter’s guest room two weeks after closing, which was the real victory.
A different case involved a 1990s two-story with hail damage, a failed AC, and stained ceilings from an upstairs bath leak. The sellers had time. We replaced the roof, patched the bath leak, and installed a basic 14 SEER condenser. Total spend was 18,900. We listed just under renovated comps and attracted three offers in the first weekend. They netted about 24,000 more than the best investor offer they had at the start, even after repair costs. The difference was the location and schools, which pulled retail buyers willing to live with an original kitchen and beige carpet.
If you decide to call cash buyers, make the calls strategic
The phrase sell my house fast attracts a lot of noise online, and your inbox will fill with “we buy houses for cash” pitches within hours of filling a form. Limit the chaos. Call two or three reputable local buyers directly. Ask your agent, your closing attorney, or your title company for names. Look for companies that close in their own name and have recorded deeds in your county. If you get a good gut feel and their numbers pencil close together, you likely have a fair read on the property’s investor value.
When you compare offers, weigh more than the top-line price. Short inspection periods, non-refundable earnest money after a few days, proof of funds, clean addenda, and a track record are worth real dollars. The highest offer with squishy terms is often the slowest to close.
A simple, honest way to decide
Draw three numbers on paper: your best investor net in 10 to 14 days, your likely net after doing one or two gateway repairs and listing for 30 to 45 days, and your best-case net if you attempt a broader rehab over 60 to 90 days. Include carrying costs and a realistic overrun. Pick the number that still lets you sleep at night if things go sideways, not the fantasy where every contractor shows up on time and every buyer waives inspection. If you feel a knot in your stomach reading your own plan, the plan needs to be simpler.
Final thoughts from the trenches
Houses with major repairs are patience tests. Markets reward clarity and speed, not wishful thinking. Whether you work with cash home buyers or test the open market, your job is to tell the truth about the house, set terms that respect the calendar, and choose partners who have done this before. The words we buy houses look generic on a billboard, but behind them are operators with reputations you can verify. Call the right ones, present the property cleanly, and focus on net and certainty.
If you can fix a gateway item to unlock insurance, price accordingly and watch the buyer pool grow. If you cannot, lean into the speed advantage of a cash sale. Either way, the house will move. The trick is aligning the sale with your life, not the other way around.