![Common pitfalls when selling vacant or distressed homes in stockton](https://a5s576.p3cdn1.secureserver.net/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Twitter-Vacant-or-Distressed-2.png?time=1725733517)
When looking at the real estate market in Stockton California, it is not uncommon to see many homes that are vacant or unkept. Homes like these tend to sit in that manner for a long time. No matter the reason, if you are an owner of one such home, it should not stop you from feeling that you can sell your Stockton house fast!
We won’t lie, selling a vacant or distressed home comes with its own unique set of challenges. There are things you can do to help the sales process, or other avenues you can take to sell your house fast.
If you want to sell by putting your home on the market, here are 5 things you should do before you list your property!
Understand the Market
Looking at the nation’s real estate market is not going to give you a good idea of what a real estate transaction will look like for you. Everyone knows that when national averages roll in on income, gas prices, and so on, California’s numbers will always be higher than average. The national average does not accurately represent our state, let alone Stockton. So why do we think it would represent our real estate market? Make sure you do research on how our current, local real estate market is performing. The state of the market can change your mind on whether or not this is the right time to sell your house fast in the central valley.
Think About Pricing
When you start to think about how you are going to price your property, it would be wise to set your expectations. When a vacant or distressed house goes on the market, it cannot be compared to other nearby houses. Just because a house with less square footage or the same number of bedrooms and bathrooms sold for a certain price, by no means means that yours will.
Your property likely comes with a lot of potential dollar signs. Distressed homes often require hundreds to thousands of dollars worth of cleaning, before making it presentable for sale on the market. You may also find that there are health or safety issues to address with the home, or that you should do renovations before putting it up for sale. And you don’t only need the materials, but all of the labor that goes into making your house ready to sell. Think about how much that would cost you to complete, then subtract that from what you thought your house might sell for. Then you might have a better idea of what you may get for your house and can set better expectations.
Your Financial Considerations During A Sale
Another thing to know as you enter the real estate market, is that if you sell the traditional way you will need to have inspections done on your house before you sell. This can very quickly derail a deal. When looking at a vacant or distressed house, there are a number of associated costs that you can see. When you have inspections done, all of the unseen problems can come to light.
It can be helpful for you to have inspections done prior to placing your house up for sale. This can help weed out buyers who don’t want to deal with those problems, or give you an even better idea of the offers you could end up getting for your property
You will also need to factor in the cost of working with an agent and closing costs. Both of these costs come into effect at the time you sell your house. Don’t count on the entire offer you get for your house as some of those funds will be paying for the process of selling
Working with Professionals
Honesty is going to go far for you during this process. You don’t need an agent to string you along with the perfect sale process only to find that they did not set proper expectations. Or they don’t have connections who are able to do you justice in the selling process and end up costing you more money in the long run.
Make sure that when you choose someone to work with, that they have been through this process in the past. Make sure that they have successfully sold houses like yours and ask them how the process went. Ask them how they handle inspections, how quickly they have sold the houses in the past, and what it costs the sellers (like you!) to sell the home.
A professional is not afraid to answer questions, and you should not be afraid to ask them!
Preparing the Property
Selling your vacant or distressed house, you will have two different types of people who you can look for. The first is your typical buyer, looking for a house that is fairly move-in ready that they can move their family into almost immediately. If you are looking to sell to a buyer like this, you can expect to need to make your house ready for that before selling. While you can forgo potential updates and sell at a lower price, you need to make the house clean and ready for the next owner. This could range from a deep carpet clean to carpet replacement depending on how they look. This will go for all areas of your home. You may find yourself making various replacements and having different cleanings done. Make sure you take this into consideration when understanding the timeline of when you need to have your home sold.
The second is a cash buyer. Cash buyers usually don’t need you to do anything to your property, they will take it as is! Cash buyers are more flexible with timing as well, allowing you to sell the property in a shorter or longer timeframe. They will often buy without you needing to put your house on the market as well, saving you additional time and money. And the surprises that may lay behind inspections? You likely won’t have to deal with those either as most cash buyers are willing to bypass the inspection process to help you sell your Stockton house fast for cash. Your vacant or distressed home does not have to sit unused any longer.
What’s the right choice for you?
Eric with ASDM Homes offers an easier alternative so sell your Stockton house fast for cash. Cash offers can help you sell your house quickly, for a fair price, without the need for repairs, inspections, or having a line of strangers walk through your house at a moment’s notice. Selling a house on the market can be a long and difficult process. Selling your house does not have to be.
If a cash offer is what’s right for you, Eric with ASDM Homes is here to help! We can give you a fair cash offer, help with all the legalities, and streamline the process to help get your home sold and cash fast! Contact Eric today to find out what you can get for your home and how quickly you can get that cash in hand!