How to Sell a Condemned House
Whether you’ve inherited a home or a house you already own gets slapped with a condemned notice, not knowing what to do next can leave you reeling. This typically happens when a home has been left unoccupied for some time, although a building may be identified as condemned even with tenants in some circumstances. Depending on your local code enforcement standards, you’ll need to get the home up to code within a timely manner and decide what to do next, especially if you’re looking to sell.
At Bill Buys Houses, we work with homeowners and property managers every day to help them get out from under condemned homes. In this post, we’re exploring everything you need to know about selling a condemned house. To get cash for your condemned house fast, give Bill Buys Houses a call.
What Causes a House to Be Condemned?
Unfortunately, the concept of a condemned house comes with a lot of baggage. Thanks to decades of pop culture depictions in books, movies, and television shows, the image of a condemned house is something of a Scooby-Doo caricature. But in reality, not all condemned houses are packed with dilapidated furnishings, boarded-up windows, and decayed floorboards. Some may even look fairly typical to the untrained eye.
At its simplest definition, a condemned house is a house that doesn’t meet local regulations for safe occupancy according to a given area’s housing code. According to those standards, failure to meet those requirements means a house is unsafe for human occupancy. This also means a home may be condemned regardless of age or outward appearance based on those regulations.
Because the housing code may vary from one location to the next, it’s important to understand your local safe occupancy regulations anytime you take ownership of a property. Here are just a few examples of housing code violations that can result in condemnation of a property:
● The home requires mold remediation to the point that it’s a safety hazard.
● The property has been occupied by squatters.
● Materials used in the construction of the home have been determined to be unsafe.
● The home is deemed unsafe due to hoarding.
● Individuals living on the property have been living in extremely unsanitary conditions.
● The building has a vermin infestation.
● Significant termite damage threatens the structure of the property.
● There is structural damage due to a recent disaster affecting the property.
● The home has significant water damage due to a fire or flooding.
● The building has significant fire damage.
● Certain permits are missing from the building’s construction or renovation project.
● An external threat like sinkholes may threaten the home’s safety and structural integrity.
What to Do When a Home is Condemned
Generally speaking, a condemned house will need to be evacuated immediately. To ensure the building remains vacant until its condemned status can be changed, a notification will also be placed on the property to alert anyone nearby of the property’s status. Additionally, property owners will also be notified that the property has been declared condemned.
If you receive a notification that your property has been condemned, you’ll need to decide whether you plan to sell your home or make the needed repairs to get the status reversed. Additionally, you’ll want to take precautions to prevent vandals and squatters from moving onto your property. Although squatters do maintain certain squatters’ rights in accordance with Minnesota law, anyone inhabiting a property is required to keep it up to housing code.
Repairing a Condemned House
If you’ve decided to repair a condemned home, your best bet is not to go it alone. When you work with a professional contractor, they’ll be able to help you interpret local housing codes and get your property up to the required regulatory standards. Before hiring a contractor, make sure to look into laws regarding remediation on a condemned property as there may be a time limit for making repairs within your area.
These are some of the things your contractor will need to consider when working on a condemned house:
● Electrical wiring safety
● Plumbing
● Safe ventilation
● Mold remediation
● Water damage remediation
● Structural safety
Selling a Condemned Home
Getting a condemned house up to code can be a legally tricky and expensive process. For many property owners, it’s easier just to sell the home outright. Fortunately, investors like Bill Buys Houses are willing to purchase homes in as-is condition outright for cash. Because we don’t need to wait for approval from a lender or get approved for a renovation loan, sellers can expect to close within about a week on average.
No matter what condition your property is in, we can make you an offer and make arrangements to clean out the property so you don’t have to do a thing. Our goal is to get cash in your hands fast so you can move on without the stress of dealing with a condemned home on your plate.
Call to Request an Offer on Your Forest Lake or Edina Home
Whether you’ve inherited a condemned home or you’re overwhelmed with repairs on a property you own, call Bill Buys Houses to get a cash offer when you need one. Give us a call right away at 651-270-9191 or connect with us online to sell your house fast.