BeforeAfter
Home › Who we help › House needs repairs
House needs major repairs? Sell it as-is.
Roof, foundation, fire or water damage, mold or code violations: repairs are our job, not yours.
- NO repairs or cleanout
- NO agent commissions
- NO closing costs to you
Up to $20,000 Before Closing
Get cash early for a down payment, rent or your move.
Get FREE Moving or Cleanout
All you have to do is pack. Or leave it all, we clear it out.
Subject to qualification. When you sell to us.
Advance deducted from your proceeds at closing. See if you qualify ↓
Prefer to talk? Call or text (888) 260-1777¡Hablamos español!
The short answer
If the repair bill is bigger than the cash and energy you have, sell as-is. Don't borrow to fix a house you're leaving. We buy houses with bad roofs, cracked foundations, fire and water damage, mold, code violations and years of clutter. You do no repairs and no cleaning. We price the repairs openly in a written cash offer within 12 hours, and we renovate the house ourselves.
Sound familiar?
- Repair quotes higher than you can pay
- Buyers' inspectors and lenders who say no
- Trouble getting insurance on an older home
What we take off your plate.
No repairs, no cleaning
Sell it exactly as it is today.
Repairs priced in the open
Our repair estimate is part of your written offer, so you see the number.
We renovate it
We fix it up and give it a second life. See our work below.
We're not contractors, inspectors or attorneys. If you want a second opinion on a repair, get a local quote. If you're unsure what you must disclose in your state, ask a real estate attorney.
Fix it up or sell as-is?
Should you fix it up or sell it as-is? Here's the honest test. Fixing first only pays if you can cover the repairs in cash, wait out the work and the listing, and still net more than a cash sale after commissions and the buyer's credits. If any one of those is a no, selling as-is is usually the better path.
Fixing it first makes sense when
- The work is small and cosmetic: paint, carpet, a few fixtures.
- You have the cash on hand and don't need to borrow for it.
- You can live somewhere else, or with the work, for a few months.
- You have the time to manage contractors and then a listing with showings.
Selling as-is makes sense when
- The problem is structural or systemic: roof, foundation, electrical, plumbing, fire or water damage, mold.
- Repair quotes are higher than you can pay, or you'd need a loan to pay them.
- A buyer's lender or insurer has already said no, or you expect them to.
- You've already moved, inherited the house or just want it done.
One more thing most people don't hear: anything you fix, we would have fixed ourselves, usually for less, because we renovate houses all the time. So a repair you pay retail for rarely comes back to you in the price. That's why we say leave it. If you're weighing a full renovation against a listing, our guide on how much you lose selling as-is walks through the trade-off in detail.
Repair and list, or sell as-is?
| Repair first, then list | Sell as-is to us | |
|---|---|---|
| Money upfront | You pay contractors before you sell | Nothing. We never ask sellers for money |
| Who takes the repair risk | You, including surprises mid-job | We do, after closing |
| Inspection and lender | Buyer's inspector and lender can still walk | No inspection contingency, no bank |
| Time | Weeks of work, then marketing, then a financed closing | Written offer in 12 hours, close in as fast as 7 days |
| Fees | Commission and closing costs come out of your price | No commissions, no fees, no closing costs to you |
| Price | Highest if everything goes right | Lower, shown with the math |
Bad roof, foundation or fire damage?
Will we buy a house with a bad roof, a cracked foundation or fire damage? Yes, all of these, and the ones below are the problems we see most. Guides: a house that needs a new roof, fire damage, code violations and a hoarder house.
Roof past its life
Missing shingles, leaks, a sagging roofline or an insurer that wants it replaced before renewing. A new roof is one of the first things we budget for, so leave the tarps on.
Foundation and structural problems
Cracks you can fit a coin in, doors that won't close, a floor that slopes. Most buyers can't get a loan on a house like this; we don't need one, and we price in our own structural estimate.
Fire or water damage
A kitchen fire, a burst pipe, a flooded basement or storm damage that insurance didn't fully cover. We buy houses mid-claim and houses with no claim at all; tell us what happened and what's been done since.
Mold
Mold means there was moisture, so we look for the water source first and budget for both the fix and the cleanup. The EPA's guide to mold, moisture and your home says the key to mold control is moisture control, and that larger areas call for professional cleanup.
Code violations and unpermitted work
Open violations, fines, a stop-work order or an addition that was never permitted. We buy with the violations in place and resolve them after closing; bring any letters from the city, they help us price it right.
Hoarder house or years of clutter
Rooms you can't walk through, a garage full to the door, things nobody has the heart to sort. Take what matters to you and leave the rest; cleanout is free if you qualify.
See your number. Then decide.
You get a written cash offer within 12 hours, with the comps behind it. No obligation, no pressure.
- No fees or commissions
- Sold as-is
- You pick the date
Houses we've given a second life.
Hi, I'm Andy.
Real estate investor since 2021
I buy houses in any condition. Some need a full renovation. Others are ready to rent out as they are. Either way, I buy them for cash and then rent them out or sell them.
Because I pay cash, I don't wait on a bank. So I can buy in almost any situation: behind on payments, inherited, full of belongings or falling apart. My offer is honest: it reflects the house as it is, how fast you need to sell, and what it takes to resell it. I show you every number, and you pick the closing date.
I make money when I fix up and resell a house, so my price is lower than what a fixed-up house sells for. In return, I take on the repairs, the risk and the wait. I never push. And if you expect more than the comps support, I'll tell you honestly.
Andy, Founder & CEO
Not sure selling to me is your best option? Compare your options →
BeforeAfter
- I buy with cash
- I fix it up if needed
- I rent or sell it
How are repairs priced into the offer?
We don't make blind offers from the couch, and we don't lowball first and explain later. Here's the math we use, and we show it to you on the written offer.
- What the house would sell for fixed up. We pull recent sales of similar homes nearby in good condition. Those are the comps, and you get them with the offer.
- What it costs us to get it there. Roof, foundation, systems, kitchen, baths, floors, paint, cleanout, permits. We estimate by line item, from our own renovation costs, not from a retail contractor's quote.
- What it costs to hold and resell. Taxes, insurance, utilities and loan cost while we work, then the costs of selling or renting it when it's done.
- Our margin. We're investors. We need to earn something for taking the repair risk, or we couldn't buy the next house.
Fixed-up value, minus repairs, minus holding and resale costs, minus our margin, equals your cash offer. Every line is on the sheet. If a number looks wrong to you, say so. We'd rather fix the estimate than lose the deal over a misunderstanding.
After the visit, the price only changes if we find something major you didn't mention, and then we show you what we found and explain the change in writing. We buy houses for cash; when a home isn't one we renovate, a trusted partner investor buys it on the same terms. Same offer sheet, same date.
What do you actually keep?
You keep the price minus what's owed on the house. At closing, the title company pays off your mortgage and any liens or unpaid taxes from the sale, then pays you the rest. No commissions, no fees, no closing costs on your side. We never ask you for money, not for an inspection, not for a deposit, not for anything.
Our offer is lower than a fixed-up retail price. In exchange you skip repairs, commissions, showings and months of waiting. We show the math. If you want to see how that compares with listing the house in its current state, read cash offer vs. realtor or our page on selling a house as-is.
See your numberor call (888) 260-1777
Disclosure: still tell us what you know
As-is means you won't fix anything. It doesn't mean you can stay quiet about what you know. Your state likely has seller disclosure rules about known problems, and they apply to a cash sale too. We're not attorneys, so for your state's exact rules ask a real estate attorney or your closing agent. But the practical rule is simple: tell us what you know. It can't hurt your offer much, because we're already pricing in repairs, and it protects you after closing.
One federal rule applies everywhere. The EPA's page on real estate disclosures about potential lead hazards says sellers of homes built before 1978 must disclose any known lead-based paint, give the buyer a lead information pamphlet and allow a period for a lead inspection. The title company includes that paperwork with the contract, so you don't have to chase it.
Permits for past work
If a previous owner, or you, added a room, finished a basement or redid the electrical without a permit, say so. We buy houses with unpermitted work all the time. We'll decide whether to permit it after the fact, redo it or remove it, and that cost goes on the repair line like everything else. What we can't do is find out at closing. See selling a house with unpermitted work.
Helpful things to gather
None of it is required. All of it makes the offer firmer.
- Past inspection reports
- Insurance claim paperwork
- Contractor quotes you've already received
- Letters from the city
- Any permits you can find
What we need from you
Send the address and a phone number, or call (888) 260-1777. We'll ask what's wrong with the house in your own words. No photos needed, though they help. Within 12 hours you get a written cash offer with the comps and the repair line behind it. Then one visit to confirm the condition. If the house is unsafe to walk through, we'll look from outside and work from what you tell us.
- The address and the best time to visit
- What you know about the roof, foundation, water, fire, mold or code letters
- Whether there's a mortgage or any lien, so the title company can order payoffs
- Your preferred closing date, from 7 days out to whenever suits you
No obligation. If the number doesn't work for you, you've lost nothing but a phone call. See how it works. If the house has been sitting empty while you decide, selling a vacant house covers what that costs you each month.
Easy Sale or Market Sale.
Easy SaleSell to us for cashFast · As-is · No headache
Best if: you need to sell fast, the house needs work, or life got complicated.
- Written cash offer within 12 hours
- Sold as-is: no repairs, no cleaning, no showings
- Close in as little as 7 days, or on the date you pick
- No commissions, no fees, no closing costs to you
Only with Easy Sale
- Up to $20,000 before closing
- Free moving or cleanout
Subject to qualification.
Market SaleWe sell it on the open market for youMaybe more money · More time · More hassle
Best if: you are not in a rush and you are OK with showings.
- Your price is agreed upfront and paid to you at closing
- Needs work? We fix it up first, at no upfront cost to you
- We pay the commission and any buyer credits
The trade-off
- Usually 2 to 4 months, sometimes longer
- Showings and open houses: buyers walk through your home
- The buyer's loan can fall through and restart the clock
- You keep paying taxes, insurance and utilities until it sells
- No cash advance or moving help
Not sure which is better? On the call we'll tell you what your house would likely sell for on the market and what you'd keep each way. Then you decide.
Four steps. No surprises.
- 1Within minutesQuick callA 5-minute chat about the house and your timeline.
No pressure
- 2Within 12 hoursWritten offerA free cash offer in writing, with the comps behind it.
Proof of funds on request
- 3On your scheduleYou decideLike it? Sign a simple agreement and pick your date.Not for you? Just say no.
No obligation until you sign
- 4The date you pickGet paidSign at closing and get your money.Need time to move? Stay up to 14 days after closing.
Title company or attorney
Sellers who've been there.
5.0Google rating★★★★★
I had a great experience working with Sterling Home Offer. Their communication was excellent throughout the entire process, and they made everything simple and stress-free. The team was professional, responsive, and very easy to work with. I truly appreciated how smoothly everything went and would definitely recommend them to others!
★★★★★
If youve never been thru probate consider yourself lucky. Its a mess. Sterling actually knew what they were doing which is more than I can say for the first 2 companies I called. They worked with my attorney and didnt make it harder than it already was. ✨
Your questions, answered.
Can the price change after the visit?
Only if we find something major that wasn't mentioned, such as a foundation issue or an active leak you didn't know about. If that happens, we show you what we found and explain the change in writing, line by line. If you told us about a problem up front, it's already priced in and the number holds.
Should I fix anything before I sell?
No. Anything you fix, we would have fixed ourselves, usually for less, and a retail repair rarely comes back in the price. See "Fix it up or sell as-is?" above.
Do I need an inspection before you make an offer?
No. The written offer comes from the address, the comps and what you tell us; one visit by our team confirms the condition. If you want your own inspection for your own comfort, you can order one, but we never ask you to pay for ours.
What about work that was done without permits?
Tell us. We buy houses with unpermitted additions, basements and electrical work, and the cost to permit, redo or remove it goes on the repair line. See "Permits for past work" above.
How much do I lose by selling as-is?
Our offer is lower than what the house would sell for fully fixed up. The gap is the repair cost, our holding and resale costs and our margin, and we show each line. Against that, you skip paying for repairs, commissions, closing costs, showings and months of waiting. Our guide on how much you lose selling a house as-is walks through a worked comparison.
Will you buy a house with mold or water damage?
Yes. Mold means there has been water, so we budget for the water source and the cleanup, and for fire or water damage we ask what happened and whether there was a claim. See the Mold and Fire or water damage cards above.
My insurance was cancelled, or the city has condemned the house. Can you still buy it?
Usually, yes. An uninsured house, an open code case or even a condemned house can still be sold; it just can't be sold to a buyer who needs a mortgage. We buy for cash, so that isn't a problem. We'll ask for any letters from the city or the insurer and price the work to bring the house back into compliance. If a house truly can't be bought, we'll tell you on the call.
Related situations
Sources
- EPA: A Brief Guide to Mold, Moisture and Your Home
- EPA: Real Estate Disclosures about Potential Lead Hazards
General information, not legal, tax or financial advice.
One step left
Get your number. Then decide.
Two minutes now. Your number in writing within 12 hours. Then it's your call.
P.S. You don't have to decide anything today. Get your number, compare it with what an agent would get you, then decide. Moving help is limited each month.Nothing to decide today. Get your number, compare it with an agent's, then decide. Moving help is limited each month.