A hoarding disorder can look like difficulty parting with stacks upon stacks of magazines, newspapers, clothes, memorabilia, collectibles, trash, or food. Animal hoarding is also a facet of the disorder, so some hoarders may do things like add countless animals to their home.
Perhaps you have inherited a hoarder’s house or own the home itself and you want to be rid of the heavy burden of a cluttered place. But how to sell a hoarder’s house?
Hoarding affects up to 6% of the population. Fortunately, there are compassionate, professional real estate and cleaning companies that individuals and family members can reach out to.
Sell an inherited hoarder house with dignity with this guide.
Common Damage In A Hoarder’s House
Hoarder houses encourage animal and pest infestations. It may start with the hoarder amassing perishable items. When these things decay, it rings the dinner bell for insects, vermin, and other creatures.
These animals leave behind rotting food, feces, and even carcasses. To say that the dead animals and their waste will pollute the hoarder’s home is an understatement.
Floors can buckle under the weight of items, and rotten walls lead to structural problems and a costly damage repair bill.
A home that hasn’t been inspected and cleaned in a long time will presumably have mold. Mold damages your home and health on another level.
Hoarded items are also a fire hazard and can obstruct windows and doors, which family members need access to during emergencies.
Continued hoarding can exacerbate the mental health of the hoarder as well as their financial burden. Some hoarders spend tens of thousands of dollars on unused items.
How To List A Hoarder’s Home On The Market
With low inventory these days, a hoarder’s house can still appeal to potential buyers, albeit its restoration will cost much work and a lot of money.
Clean It
To sell a hoarder’s home, first, you will need to declutter. You will most likely need professional cleaning crews to dispose of the clutter properly. Other items will need to go into storage.
A hoarder’s home requires more than the usual house cleaning. Professional cleaning services can cost up to $2,000, and it can take 8 hours to clean up one room in a hoarder’s home.
Carpets need to be replaced or professionally cleaned, and the cleanup can extend into the garage, storage shed, and yard.
If biological waste and hazardous materials are present, you have to pay between $5,000 to $25,000 to clean these safely.
Make Repairs
Expect major problems to come to light once the place is spick and span.
New flooring or paint can cost up to $2,000. Both bathroom and kitchen renovations, depending on the scale, can cost up to $43,000 each. There’s also the possibility of having to conduct asbestos abatement, mold removal, and water and termite damage repair. Remember to ask for certifications for these treatments and declare these in the seller’s disclosure notice.
Make Updates
After deep cleaning and making the necessary repairs, you still need to tackle staging the home on top of other costs. Under normal circumstances, you might be able to use the old furniture from the home, but in a hoarding house situation, the furnishings are most probably dated and damaged. At times, smells linger after the clutter is long gone.
You might need the help of staging companies to make the space pleasant and inviting for prospective buyers.
Professionally staging your home can set you back between $2,000 to $7,200.
Selling A Hoarder’s House
Work With A Specialty Realtor
Fact: Not all real estate agents are equipped to help you sell your hoarder home. To sell the home of a hoarder, you only want to work with realtors who have had success in selling these types of properties. You might also spend a considerable amount of time looking for the small pool of agents who offer special concierge services for hoarder houses.
Undergo All Repairs And List On The Market
You can consider going through the traditional home buying process for the highest possible sale price. But mind you, this is the most time-consuming of the options. Experts estimate that to clean up a hoarder’s house and prepare the house for sale, you would need to set aside at least five weeks of your precious time.
As-Is To An Investor
If overseeing the lengthy cleanup and coming up with the funds for the repairs are not for you, the best option is to sell the house to a real estate investor or cash home buyer.
Real estate investors are in the business of buying houses in any condition. Cash buyers purchase houses fast with a ready no-obligation cash offer.
Essentially, you can simply take the things you want and sell an inherited hoarder’s home as-is to cash buyers. No realtor commissions are involved, and you can close in as little as 14 days.