Selling
Sell As-Is, Without Repairs: Your Sacramento Choices Side by Side
Can You Sell a House As-Is in California?
Yes. You can sell a house in California without making repairs. What you can't skip is disclosure. Selling as-is means the buyer takes the home in its current condition. It doesn't mean the buyer takes it without knowing what you know.
California Civil Code section 1102 requires a Real Estate Transfer Disclosure Statement, usually called the TDS, on most sales of homes with one to four units. Section 1102.1 states the Legislature's intent that delivery of the TDS "may not be waived in an 'as is' sale." The same section keeps a seller's existing duty to disclose any fact that materially affects the home's worth and desirability.
Timing matters too. Under section 1102.3, the TDS goes to the buyer as soon as practicable before the transfer of title. If it arrives after the buyer's offer, the buyer has three days after delivery in person, or five days after it is deposited in the mail, to cancel in writing.
Some transfers are exempt from the TDS form. Section 1102.2 lists transfers ordered by a probate court and many transfers by a fiduciary, such as an executor or trustee. Even then, known material facts generally still have to be disclosed. Your attorney confirms what applies to your sale. This page describes our general process and is not legal, tax, or lending advice.
What's my home worth as it sits?
What Are Your Choices When You Don't Want to Fix the House?
Most sellers who don't want to take on repairs end up choosing among three paths. Each one trades price, time and effort differently.
- Sell to a cash buyer. The buyer pays without a loan and usually takes the home with everything still wrong with it. You get certainty and a closing date you can plan around. The price usually reflects the buyer's repair costs and profit.
- List as-is on the open market. The home goes on the MLS in its current condition. Buyers who want a project compete with buyers paying cash. You still make no repairs, but more buyers get a chance to bid. Loan-financed buyers may face lender rules on condition, so we look at that before pricing.
- Light prep, then list. Clean out, clean up, paint and fix the few items buyers notice first. Our Turnkey Home Prep page covers what that work looks like and how it's coordinated.
None of these is right for every home. A house with a failing foundation and a house with dated carpet are two very different problems. That's why we walk the home before we recommend a path.
How Do You Compare What You Would Walk Away With?
Compare net proceeds, never the headline price. Net proceeds are what's left after the loan payoff, selling costs, repairs and the months you carry the home.
This is an illustrative example, not a promise or an estimate for your home. Every house and every set of repairs is different. Picture a home with no mortgage:
- Cash offer: $480,000, closing in a few weeks, no repairs. Subtract escrow and closing costs.
- As-is listing: $520,000 from a buyer on the open market. Subtract the commission you negotiate, escrow and closing costs. Then subtract two or three months of taxes, insurance and utilities while it sells.
- Light prep, then list: $565,000 after $20,000 of paint, cleaning and small repairs. Subtract the prep cost, selling costs and a longer holding period.
In this made-up example the prepared listing nets the most on paper. It also asks the most of you. The gap between the three could be much smaller or much larger on your home. We put your real numbers side by side in writing, using recent sales near you and actual repair bids. Our free home price review is the place to start.
How Does Our Cash-Buyer Network Work?
We have ready buyers for homes in any condition, including cash buyers. As Maggie puts it: "Any shape, any size, any story behind the sale, I've got a plan and a buyer for it."
The point of a network is competition. When a cash sale makes sense, we can put your home in front of more than one cash buyer so you compare written offers. You aren't left with one investor's number and no way to tell if it's fair. We can also show you how the best cash offer stacks up against what an open-market listing would likely bring.
We look at more than price. Proof of funds, the size of the deposit, the length of any inspection period and the closing date all matter. An offer that looks high but lets the buyer walk away for weeks may be worth less to you than a lower, firmer one. We work with buyers who intend to close, not buyers who make dozens of offers and back out.
Surroundings represents you, the seller. The decision stays yours.
What Are the Red Flags in a We Buy Houses Letter?
Letters, texts and calls offering to buy your house for cash are common, especially after a death or a probate filing. Some come from real buyers. Others come from people hoping to tie up your home and resell the contract. Watch for these signs:
- A price before anyone has seen the house. A real buyer needs to walk the home.
- Pressure to sign today. A fair offer will still be there after you compare it.
- "And/or assignee" next to the buyer's name. That wording can let the buyer sell your contract to someone else.
- A tiny deposit and a long inspection period. The buyer holds your home off the market while risking almost nothing.
- No proof of funds. A cash buyer should be able to show the money.
- A request to skip disclosures. As covered above, California law doesn't allow it on most sales.
If you've received an offer, send it to us. We'll read it with you and tell you what it really says.
What If the Home Was Inherited or Owned for Decades?
Inherited homes and homes owned for thirty or forty years are often the ones that need the most work. They may also hold a lifetime of belongings. Selling without repairs can make sense here, but the paperwork comes first.
If the home is in probate or a trust, the executor or trustee usually needs authority to sell before anything is signed. Some probate sales also need court confirmation. Our page on probate and trust sales explains how the sale fits around the court process. Maggie is a Certified Probate & Trust Specialist.
When a parent is moving to a smaller home or more care, Well MOVED™ covers the full move, from belongings to the sale. There is no placement fee from any community or care provider, ever.
Where Should You Start?
Start with what the home is worth as it sits today. A free home price review from a local agent who walks the home gives you that number. From there, we lay out the cash, as-is and light-prep paths in writing so you can compare them.
If a full listing turns out to be the better route, our page on selling your home in Sacramento covers the rest. Are you ready to talk? Contact us and tell us about the house.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I have to make repairs to sell my house in California?
No. You can sell without repairs. You still have to disclose what you know about the home's condition, and on most sales of one to four units you must deliver a Transfer Disclosure Statement.
Does selling as-is mean I don't have to fill out disclosures?
No. California Civil Code section 1102.1 says the Transfer Disclosure Statement may not be waived in an as-is sale. Some transfers, such as many probate and trustee sales, are exempt from the form. Known material facts generally still must be disclosed.
Can a buyer still inspect a house sold as-is?
Usually yes. Most buyers inspect, even when they agree to make no repair requests. An inspection contingency gives the buyer a set time to review the home, and the contract states how long it lasts.
Will a cash buyer pay less than a buyer with a loan?
Often it does, but not always. A cash price usually reflects the buyer's repair costs and profit. That's why we compare more than one cash offer and show you what an open-market listing would likely bring.
How do I know if a cash offer is fair?
Compare it with recent sales near you and with other written offers. Look at proof of funds, the deposit, the inspection period and the closing date along with the price. We review any offer you receive with you.
Can I sell an inherited house as-is?
Yes, once the person selling has authority to sell. In probate that usually means the executor or administrator has been appointed, and some sales need court confirmation. Your estate attorney confirms the steps.
Is light prep worth it before selling?
Sometimes. Cleaning, paint and a few visible repairs can bring more buyers. Whether it pays off depends on the home and the cost, so we compare the numbers in writing before you spend anything.