I Need to Sell a Hoarder House in South Carolina. What should I Do?

Selling a house in good condition is stressful enough, let alone trying to sell a home that needs repairs and maintenance. But hoarder homes take things to a whole new level. These homes are lived in and destroyed by a person with a hoarding disorder, a diagnosable mental health condition according to the American Psychiatric Association.

Hoarding typically starts in the home and spreads all over the house, garage, vehicles and any other property the person owns. They usually clear a small path to walk through surrounded by the items they’re hoarding.

While there are varying degrees of hoarding, most hoarder homes are unsanitary and unsafe. So what happens when you have one of these homes to sell? Let’s cover your options below.

How to Sell a Hoarder Home in South Carolina

If the hoarder has already left the property, or you inherited the home after they passed away, your options are pretty straightforward:

Clean out the home and list with an agent

Your first option is to list the home with a real estate agent. But in order to do this, you’ll have to clean out the home which requires a great deal of time, stress and money. Not only will you be responsible for moving out the belongings, but also you’ll have to rent a dumpster and pay for trash removal services.

Once the home is cleaned out, you can expect secondary expenses to get the home ready to sell. These expenses may include yard work, mold remediation, pest control and cosmetic updates like new paint and flooring. How much work the home needs depends on how bad the hoarding was and how long it went on.

The benefit to going through all this work is that you can hopefully get fair market value for the home. However, you must consider the time, money and energy you have to put in to get the home listed on the MLS. Here are some of the costs to consider:

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Average Costs

On average, a 2,000 square foot home costs $3,000 to $5,000 for cleanup and waste removal, or roughly $1,000 a day.
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Animal Feces Removal

Expect to pay around $25/bag. Removal will cost significantly more if there are animal feces on the walls or flooring.
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Sewage Backup

If the waste line gets blocked, water will back up into the home causing major damage. Sewage backup usually costs around $10,000 to repair.
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Biohazardous Material

These infectious agents are common in hoarder homes and can harm humans, animals or the environment. Because of the special materials and training required for biohazard waste, service costs are usually up to $600 an hour.

Sell the home for an all-cash offer

For many people with a hoarder home on their hands, it makes sense to sell the home for cash. While a hoarder home in South Carolina is likely to scare away potential buyers, real estate investors are used to working with these properties.

At Sell Your Home Upstate, we can typically close on a hoarder home within two weeks or less. We are flexible with closing times, so let us know if you are facing financial issues or time constraints. The benefits of selling a hoarder home for cash in South Carolina include:

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As-Is Sale

You won’t be asked to do anything to the property because we are buying it as-is. We will even take the home with the stuff inside – it’s not a problem for us!
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Quick Closing

On average, we need 7-10 days to close on a hoarder property. We use local, reputable title companies and typically cover closing costs.
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No Inspection or Appraisals

Appraisals and inspections are not required in cash sales. If you’re worried about the home not passing an inspection, a cash sale is a great option!
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No Contingencies

Cash offers are essentially guaranteed. Real estate investors know what they’re looking for and make attractive offers on the homes they want. There are no contingencies to stop or slow the sale.

What if the Hoarder House is Occupied?

If the hoarder is still living in the home, things get more tricky. However, this is a common situation that family members of hoarders often deal with at one point or another. Perhaps the neighbors have complained or the hoarder requires medical care. Now you need to face the problem and sell the home. And chances are, the hoarder is not happy about it.

Keep in mind that hoarding is a mental health condition, so attempts to reason with the hoarder probably won’t work. It’s possible that you can do a leaseback, which allows the owner to get the equity out of their house first and then move out. For some hoarders, it’s better to leave everything behind rather than picking though things one by one.

But, also be prepared for bringing in a mental health professional who can work with the hoarder to ease their anxiety and proceed with selling the home.

Sell Your Hoarder Home in South Carolina

When you look at a hoarder house for the first time, it can feel like an impossible feat. Who will ever want to purchase a home like this? But it’s reassuring to know that you do have options.

Sell Your Home Upstate buys hoarder homes in South Carolina. With our network of contractors and trash removal experts, we are comfortable taking on hoarder homes. Our process starts with a free, no obligation cash offer. Give us a call and we’ll be happy to set up a time to see the home.

All home purchases are as-is, so you don’t need to worry about making any repairs. This is a huge advantage for hoarder properties, as it’s not uncommon to uncover other problems like structural issues, rotten walls and floorboards, heavy odors, pest problems and more. To sell a hoarder home fast in South Carolina, contact Sell Your Home Upstate today.

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