“Can I just sell my home As Is and not have to make any repairs?”
Answer:
Try this fun game:
Ask your significant other, “Do you promise you won’t get mad if I tell you something?” If they agree, then say, “Those pants make you look really f—a—t.” After the yelling subsides and you’ve slept on the couch a couple of nights, ask why they broke their promise. Their response will be, “Sure I promised, but I didn’t know you were going to say THAT.”
So if you can’t trust your significant other to keep a promise without knowing the details, why would you trust a stranger?
My point:
Even if you get a buyer to agree to take a home “As Is”, it’s almost impossible to legally bind them to it up front. And if they agree in good faith to buy As Is, they’ll usually ask for some repairs, saying, “Yes, but I didn’t know about these problems when I agreed.”
As Is sounds like such a simple and easy solution.
Many agents valiantly promise this to their clients, only to disappoint them later.
If you hire me to sell your home, part of my job is setting realistic expectations. I’ll advise you that making a few repairs is a normal part of selling a home today. When we get a repair request, we look it over and sensibly negotiate it. Then we offer a credit or have the repair made, and close your escrow.
By the way, there’s another downside to marketing your home As Is.
“Hmmm, what’s wrong with the home that they don’t want to fix?” wonder many buyers and their agents. Logical or not, I’ve seen buyers pass on a home just for this reason.
I’d like to tell you the magic bullet is just saying, “Sold As Is.” But it isn’t. If it was, everyone would do it.
