Review your options to sell as-is in Texas
The main options to sell a house as-is include:
List as-is with the help of a real estate agent
A great real estate agent will provide assistance throughout the process of listing and selling a home as-is. An agent gives simple presentation tips to improve marketing, helps to set an appropriate price that reflects the home’s condition, and works to find a buyer willing and eager to purchase your home in its current state.
“I had a seller who had a very large house for her neighborhood, so the price would typically be higher. But the condition of the home was very, very dated, so the price for the size of the home was very low,” says Martin. “But the price itself was very high for the area. So we were able to market it so that you’re getting this large home in this community for a very low price compared to the other homes.”
Sell directly to a cash buyer
Someone needing to sell their home as-is can also work directly with a property investor or house buying company rather than list on the market, where it may be difficult to get an offer from a limited buyer pool.
We Buy Houses operations buy as-is at a discounted rate and generally seek out homes in need of significant repairs. These companies can help sellers cash out quickly, and many will cover a seller’s closing costs.
The level of integrity and customer service you experience can vary, even within an established house-buying company that strives to maintain consistent business standards. This is because many We Buy Houses for Cash companies are franchises and often use independent investors or local wholesaling outfits. Your experience greatly depends on the character of the person or group making the offer.
If you are considering a cash offer, vet the company thoroughly. Check reviews, read testimonials, and research its presence and performance in the market. And, of course, read the buying agreement carefully before signing.
Steps to list as-is with the help of a real estate agent
Find an agent willing to list the home as-is
Your choice of real estate agent always matters, especially when selling a property as-is. It’s important to find the right match. You’re looking for an agent who doesn’t shy away from listings that need a little TLC and maybe has a strong network of investor connections.
Your agent should also be willing to go the extra mile on marketing. Given that over 56% of buyers prefer to buy a turnkey home, an as-is sale likely has a reduced buyer pool from the start.
“I would say an agent is still going to need to be creative on how they market the property,” says Martin.
Consider a pre-listing inspection
A pre-listing home inspection is the same as a standard home inspection except that the seller pays for it before listing their home on the market. It may sound like a counterintuitive step for an as-is sale, but getting the inspection results upfront can illuminate any issues that could impact the value of the home and inform an accurate pricing strategy. If a buyer requests further deductions to the price based on their own inspection, you may be able to point to how the estimated cost of certain repairs was already baked into the list price.
“I do not recommend to anyone to get a pre-listing inspection because every inspection is going to be different,” says Martin. “So the buyers get their own inspection then it may be different from the pre-listing inspection, and buyers are going to interpret an inspection differently.”
Price to reflect as-is condition
The median sale price for homes in Texas was $340,000 in the third quarter of 2024, same as the year prior.
Martin says that homes sold as-is in the area typically sell for less than regular listings, although it does depend on each home. Some of the top factors that impact the value of an as-is listing in Texas include the state of the home, the home’s location, and whether features are modern or outdated.
You can start with a free estimate from HomeLight’s Home Value Estimator (HVE). Our HVE combs public data, including tax records and assessments, and pulls recent sales records for other properties in your neighborhood. Using a short questionnaire, we also factor in specifics about your home, such as the property type and described condition. Input your address, and we’ll provide you with a preliminary home value estimate in under two minutes.
Do ever-so-light preparations
Even for as-is home listings in Texas, Martin typically recommends sellers complete the following:
- Deep clean: A simple yet effective deep clean can increase your home’s value.
- Declutter: If you plan on moving all your belongings out eventually, it helps to declutter ahead of time. A HomeLight survey found that decluttering can boost your home’s sale price by $8,000 or more.
- Enhance curb appeal: A whopping 92% of Realtors recommend improving a home’s curb appeal before listing it for sale, according to a joint report by the National Association of Realtors (NAR) and the National Association of Landscape Professionals.
- Stage the home: Even if a home is outdated, Martin says staging can bring it into its best light. HomeLight’s report reveals that professionally staged homes can sell for up to 13% more than an unstaged home.
- Paint: Repaint chipped or bright paint with a neutral color.
Photograph to show potential
Your home listing warrants professional photography no matter what type of condition the property is in. A professional photographer will take steps to shoot each room from the best angle, ensure optimal interior and natural lighting, and edit for the ideal brightness and exposure. A high-quality camera with a wide-angle lens is also essential to showcasing entire rooms rather than half or three-quarters of what’s there.
When searching online for properties, 90% of buyers aged 58 and under consider photos to be the most useful website feature, according to NAR, underscoring the importance of using a trained professional rather than your agent’s camera phone. Thankfully, your real estate agent will almost always arrange for professional photos as part of the listing process.
Highlight the surrounding area
A home’s location will be important to buyers seeking out a home with potential. Mention in your as-is listing if your home is close to any of the following:
- Downtown areas
- Major employers
- Parks and green spaces
- Sports venues and entertainment districts
Include as-is in the listing
Unless you explicitly mention that your house is being sold as-is, buyers will have no idea of your intentions with the listing. Other common descriptors mentioned in as-is listings in Texas include priced to sell, fixer-upper, or an appeal to investors.
To balance the focus on as-is condition, work with your agent to craft a property description that highlights the best features of the home, such as a desirable location and “good bones.”
Understand buyers may still negotiate
Listing as-is provides no guarantee that buyers won’t try to negotiate savings on their purchase, even on an asking price you felt was already reduced to reflect the home’s condition. One of the best defenses you can have is an agent who takes a hard stance to prevent a deal from going south for the seller.
“I had somebody that just had a foundation issue and the house was completely updated. I mean, completely updated and beautiful,” says Martin. “In this situation, we just discounted it minus the foundation bit.”
Be aware of minimum property standards for certain loans
When you place your home on the market, it’s hard to predict if your top offer will come from a cash buyer or a buyer pre-qualified for a home loan.
But if you do end up working with a financed buyer, be aware that different mortgage types (such as conventional loans or government-backed FHA, USDA, or VA loans) have different minimum property standards. These are standards related to the overall condition of a property, which will play a role in the willingness and/or ability of a lender to finance a buyer’s loan.
Before properties can be financed, their value and condition are typically examined by a state-licensed, independent appraiser contracted by the buyer’s mortgage company.
If you’re unsure whether your home will meet appraisal requirements, you can start by taking a look at the FHA minimum property standards. If your house complies with FHA, then it complies with most other lenders’ requirements.
Prioritize a cash offer if you receive one
On occasion, conventional lenders may even finance a fixer-upper property sold as-is, and it’s not impossible to finance a fixer-upper with an FHA loan. However, if you’re selling a house as-is — especially one that needs heftier repairs — you may want to consider accepting a cash offer if you receive one. Cash eliminates the lender-ordered appraisal as well as the time it takes to close on the buyer’s loan, creating a faster and clearer path to settlement.
Martin says whether or not you should seek out cash offers depends on the condition of your home. “If it’s just cosmetics then [a cash offer] wouldn’t matter. If it’s a lot of repairs that are needed, cash would definitely be easier,” says Martin.
