Did you suddenly find yourself the owner of a house where you do not live? Is the house you own in another state? Then perhaps you are wondering “Can I sell my house from out-of-state?”
The short answer is a resounding YES; you can sell your house from out of state. There are no rules that say you have to be in the home or in the same state when you are selling. However, you may want to research your selling options, because there are some sticky issues you will want to avoid.
If you want a fast, fair, and hassle-free house sale when you are living in another state, then you should pick up the phone and call FasterHouse today. We can make the process easy for you, without the costs and stresses of a traditional house sale through a real estate agent or broker. First learn the facts then decide what is best for your situation. . .read on:
Can I Sell My House From Out of State?
Who Sells Houses From Out Of State?
There are many reasons why a person might find themselves selling a house that is geographically distant from them. The main reasons are:
- You have moved away for work
- A relative has left you the home in their will
- You are made the executor of an estate
- A parent who lives in the house may be going into residential care
- You are getting married and selling up to live elsewhere with your spouse
- A family member needs caring for in their home, and you are selling yours in order to move in with them
- You and your spouse are seeking a quick disposal of assets because of a peaceable divorce
- You just wanted to start again somewhere new
Whatever the reason you find yourself trying to sell a home while you cannot be there, there are many things you need to consider:
The Real Estate Agent or Broker
Unless you already know a reliable real estate agent or broker, you will have to interview a number of them to ensure you are working with someone who is a good fit. Once you have found your real estate agent or broker, you will have to provide them with instructions on exactly how you would like to deal with the house. This process will not cost you any money, but it will require a considerable investment of time.
A real estate agent or broker will not charge you any upfront fees, but they are instead paid through commission on the final sale price. This commission is typically 6%, so on a $200,000 sale, you would pay your real estate agent or broker $12,000.
Remember, this cost is taken out of your sale price before you pay off any outstanding loans, etc.
Other Financial Costs
You might assume that paying a real estate agent or broker their fee is the only cost to selling your house, but you would be wrong:
Repairs
When you are selling the home you live in; you are usually advised to carry out any repairs. Dripping taps, leaking roofs, dents in the wall, they all need to be addressed before buyers can be shown around the house. If you are there, it may be possible for you to do these repairs yourself, at minimal cost, but when you are selling from afar, you have to hire somebody else to do the work for you.
House Clearance
Did you inherit a home that belonged to an elderly relative who had accumulated lots of belongings? Maybe they were a full-on hoarder. If so, you will have to pay the cost of a junk clearing company to come in and empty the house.
Decorating
Just like repairs decorating can be as cheap as a can of paint when you do it yourself. You could still take time out of your schedule and go the time, trouble, and cost of traveling to the house to decorate or you could pay someone else to do it. Either way, it will cost time, money, and effort.
Staging
Many real estate agent or brokers will advise using a staging service when you are selling your home. This might seem like a good idea, especially when you are not there to ensure your house is showing its best. However, not only will you pay the price of the professional going to your home and arranging it but you may also be on the hook for furniture rental.
Additional Costs
Even if the house you are selling is in tiptop condition, if it is on the market with nobody living in it there are still expenses, such as:
- Vacant house insurance – This will generally cover the house should there be a fire, hail, wind, lightning, storm or another named event. Most basic policies do not cover frozen pipes, windows broken, or other vandalism. Nor do they include your liability if someone breaks into the home hurt themselves and decide to sue you.
- Utility bills – It is possible, but not advisable, to have the utilities in an empty house disconnected.
- Repairs – As time goes on and your house remains on the market repairs and maintenance may be required.
- Maintenance – depending on the time of year you will need to maintain the nice appearance of the yard, with grass cutting, weeding the beds, etc.
A Question Of Time
Of course, all of this takes time. From finding a real estate agent or broker to actually have prospective buyers view your house can take weeks.
1. You have to find a real estate agent or broker you can trust and who will act according to your instructions
2. Then the house needs to be prepped for sale.
3. You wait while photographs are taken, and ads are prepared and posted.
4. Then there is the wait for a buyer who wants your house and is willing to pay a price with which you are happy.
5. Following that you have to go through the processes of surveys, title searches, home inspections, and in some cases occupancy inspections depending on the municipality.
6. You finally sell your house, hopefully before the equity is eaten up by holding costs (insurance, maintenance, and taxes).
Other Issues When You’re Selling Out-Of-State
If you are leaving a house empty for a prolonged period of time, you may be unfortunate enough to suffer vandalism of your home, or even worse, squatters. The stresses and costs of going through the legal process of evicting someone in your house illegally are enormous.
Not only that:
When you are selling your home through a real estate agent or broker, you have to think about it. All of the time. You will be calling and emailing, waiting for a sale, and hoping that the house is off of your hands before any equity has been eaten up by your costs.
You have to place all of your trust into a real estate agent or broker you might never have met in person.
There is another way:
How FasterHouse Can Help
When you contact FasterHouse, you will speak with someone who cares about you having the best possible sales experience in the shortest possible period of time. One of our expert house buyers will make an appointment, convenient for you, and after viewing the house, if you wish to sell they will make a cash offer for the purchase of your house “as-is.”
That offer could be made in as little as 24 hours to sell my house from out of state.
The professionals at FasterHouse are not interested in having you decorate the home, nor do they require any expensive repairs. You do not need to visit the house to prepare for the assessment. Think of the time and effort you will save because you do not need to take time out of your busy life to travel to the house, clear any junk left behind, clean through the house, make repairs, or decorate. Plus you certainly, do not need to hire a specialist staging company or feng shui consultant!
With FasterHouse there are no real estate agent or brokers fees, no repair costs, no waiting for the other party to decide if they want to buy. Just imagine how smooth a house sale without negotiations would be. You do not have to dread that phone call to say your buyers didn’t get their loan and won’t be proceeding or, even worse, that they want you to carry out expensive repairs or drop the price.
A Quick, Easy, Stress-Free Sale
Some FasterHouse sales can be closed in as little as seven (7) days. That’s right, one week from start to finish and no waiting around for your money. An instant cash payment as soon as the sale is complete because we buy houses.
By selling your house directly to FasterHouse you will save not only the real estate agent and broker’s fees and additional costs of holding onto a home in another state, but you are relieved of the burden a second house when you sell my house fast St Louis.
If working with FasterHouse sounds like the solution for your home selling needs, call us today at 314-926-0660 or fill out this form to set up a consultation to sell my house.
