Selling A Hoarder Home In Belleville IL
Some houses have more stuff than others and may seem like they are beyond hope. It happens for various reasons and we aren’t here to judge. These houses, some would call them hoarder houses, are not usually an easy sell. Hoarding has been classified as a mental condition by the American Psychiatric Association and is defined as the practice of collecting or accumulating something. The homes in which hoarders live in can be messy, dirty, smelly and sometimes near destruction.
Since Cardinal Creek Properties buys houses as is, we often deal with leftover “stuff” from the sellers, and we don’t mind. We just call them “business as usual.” There is one house that jumps to the front of the line when I’m asked If we’ve ever bought a hoarder house in Belleville. The answer is, “Yes.”
The worst was a cute ranch house had been vacant for several years and but we were finally able to track down the decision maker who would be able to coordinate the sale. The person who lived there had died and we were dealing with the executor of his estate. We met with him to take a first look inside and, when he opened the front door, we knew this hoarder house was going to be a real challenge. From the multiple lawnmowers and tires in the living room to floor to ceiling boxes, this house was packed with all things imaginable. Nevertheless, we bought it, cleaned it out, and sold it to another investor who quickly rehabbed it and sold it to a new owner ready to give it new love.
What to do if you own a hoarder house in Belleville
Maybe you inherited the home or maybe you’re trying to help a loved one who has this condition. Whatever the case is, if you are trying to get a hoarder home ready to sell, it can be an extremely overwhelming process. Here are a couple of things you can do to get the home sale ready:
· Hire a cleaning crew. The national average for cleaning up a mild hoarder home, one that is full of trash, is between $3,000-$5,000. If it is an extreme case of hoarding where dead animals or biological waste are present, you can expect that price to jump to close to $25,000. This expense just covers the crew clearing out the home and giving it a good scrub. Many hoarder homes have damage to them due to extreme neglect which will cost even more to fix.
· Make repairs. This can also be costly and time consuming depending on the severity of the hoarding situation, but necessary before you put the house on the market. You should definitely replace the flooring and baseboards and will need a couple coats of paint to help get the house close to market ready. You should perform other repairs on an as needed basis.
· Skip the cleaning and repairs and sell your hoarder home to a cash buyer who will consider buying it “as-is”. There are companies out there, like Cardinal Creek Properties, who will buy the house from you and do all the dirty work ourselves. This may be the best option for you as it will relieve you of the stress of the clean out and repair process.
If you are in the Belleville, IL area and have a hoarder house on your hands, give us a call. We have seen it before and aren’t afraid. Call us at (314) 467-8137