Are “We Buy Ugly Houses” Companies Reputable?

The real estate market is booming thanks to driven Millennials looking to purchase their first homes. Higher mortgage rates and even low market availability don’t seem to faze some buyers. The problem, however, lies in that not all properties are created equal. Fixer-upper and older homes seem to remain at the bottom of everyone’s list when looking to make a purchase. If you’re the owner of such a property, selling it is often easier said than done! For this reason, many property owners are looking at other options, especially ads that gleefully claim, “we buy ugly houses”!

Though the idea to sell your home with limited effort and virtually no waiting time is appealing, the question remains: are these companies reputable? The short answer is that it depends! Many companies offer a seamless and easy process for buying and selling ugly homes. It is generally summed up in three steps:

Step 1: You make contact with the company, usually through their website. Most will have a contact form you can fill out with basic contact information and data about your property. A specialist will get in touch with you and provide a free no-obligation written estimate for your real estate.

Step 2: All companies that deal with “we buy ugly houses” taglines will offer cash for your property. They make the process painless and affordable by cutting out the expensive middlemen such as the real estate agents and even the bank.

Step 3: The last step after agreeing to the written cash offer is to choose an ideal closing date at your earliest convenience. You can drag the process out or do it in just mere days– it depends on your preference!

When Should You Sell Your Ugly House?

Many homeowners opt to sell their so-called ugly homes when they inherit it from a deceased relative and find that extensive repairs are necessary. There are also instances when a divorce or a new job offer requires a quick sale and the owner simply can’t afford to spend months staging and hosting open houses. Sometimes, even an impending foreclosure gets homeowners looking at the opportunity to sell their homes to investors in their area.

Most house buying companies are reputable and do provide fair compensation for the properties. However, before committing to sell your ugly house, make sure you do your own research and look into the background of a company to prevent getting ripped off.