Selling a house as-is sounds pretty simple: you sell the property in its current condition and move on.
In reality, homeowners usually have a lot more questions than that.
Do you still have to clean the house? What happens if the roof is bad or the house needs major repairs? Can you leave furniture and belongings behind? What if the garage is completely full? Can a buyer agree to one price and then try to lower it after an inspection?
Those are the questions that really matter.
At Stars and Stripes Real Estate, we’ve walked through houses all over Riverside County in just about every condition you can imagine. Some need cosmetic updating. Others need roofs, plumbing, electrical work, foundation repairs, complete cleanouts, or essentially a full renovation.
The important thing to understand is that selling as-is is an option, not automatically the best option.
If putting some money into the property and listing it traditionally would leave you substantially better off, that’s worth knowing too.
The goal should be to understand the numbers, the amount of work involved, and your timeline before deciding which route makes the most sense.
What Does Selling a House As-Is Actually Mean?
Selling as-is generally means the buyer is purchasing the property in its current condition rather than requiring you to complete repairs before closing.
That can include everything from normal cosmetic wear to much larger issues like an older roof, outdated plumbing or electrical, water damage, foundation problems, or years of deferred maintenance. It can also mean a house that is simply outdated or still has furniture and personal belongings inside.
With a direct sale, the buyer looks at the condition of the property and factors the anticipated work into the offer. You aren’t fixing the house for the buyer first.
But “as-is” doesn’t mean you should stop asking questions once you hear those words.
You should still understand exactly what you’re agreeing to, what you’re responsible for before closing, what you can leave behind, and whether anything could change the agreed purchase price.
Do I Have to Make Repairs Before Selling My House As-Is?
No. One of the main reasons homeowners choose to sell as-is is because they don’t want to spend the time or money making repairs before selling.
We’ve walked into plenty of houses where the homeowner starts apologizing before we even get through the front door.
None of that bothers us. In fact, we’d rather see the house exactly as it sits. It gives us a realistic picture of the property and lets us have an honest conversation about what it needs and what it’s worth in its current condition.
But Should You Make Repairs Before Selling?
That’s a different question—and sometimes the answer is yes.
If a house only needs some paint, flooring, landscaping, or relatively inexpensive improvements, and you have the time and money to do the work, listing the property traditionally could leave you with considerably more money.
On the other hand, putting $50,000, $80,000 or even $100,000 into a property just to get it ready for the market doesn’t make sense for every homeowner.
At Stars and Stripes Real Estate, we’re Marine Corps veterans and problem solvers first. Our approach has always been to look at the situation in front of us and give people a straightforward answer, even when that answer doesn’t result in us buying the house.
Sometimes selling directly to us makes sense. Sometimes we’ll tell a homeowner, “Honestly, I think you should list this one.”
We’d rather lose a deal than have someone realize six months later that they made the wrong decision.
What Types of Houses Can Be Sold As-Is?
Almost any house can be sold as-is. The bigger question is usually who the right buyer is for the property in its current condition.
A clean house that is simply outdated may still be a great candidate for a traditional sale. On the other hand, a property with major repairs, years of deferred maintenance, difficult tenants, or a large amount of personal property inside can be harder to sell to a typical buyer.
We’ve purchased homes throughout Riverside County with all kinds of issues, including:
- Roof and HVAC problems
- Plumbing and electrical issues
- Water or termite damage
- Outdated kitchens and bathrooms
- Foundation or structural concerns
- Years of deferred maintenance
- Difficult tenant situations
- Large amounts of furniture and personal belongings
- Properties that need a complete renovation
The house doesn’t have to be cleaned up or repaired before we look at it.
Inherited Properties Can Be Especially Complicated
Inherited homes are a good example because the condition of the house is often only one part of the problem. There may be decades of belongings inside, multiple family members involved, deferred maintenance, or an owner who lives nowhere near Riverside County.
We’ve put together a separate guide specifically about selling an inherited house in Temecula and some of the decisions families should consider before selling.
Can I Leave Furniture, Trash or Belongings Behind When I Sell As-Is?
In many cases, yes.
When Stars and Stripes Real Estate agrees to purchase a property with the remaining belongings included, you can take the things you want and leave the rest for us to deal with after closing.
That could mean furniture, clothing, old appliances, boxes, tools, garage contents, yard items, or simply years of stuff that has accumulated in the house.
For some homeowners, this is actually a bigger issue than the repairs.
Cleaning out a house that someone has lived in for 20, 30 or 40 years can turn into a huge project. With inherited properties, it can be even harder because family members may want photographs, paperwork, keepsakes and other sentimental items but have no idea what to do with everything else.
We’ve dealt with this enough that a full garage or a house with belongings inside doesn’t scare us.
Take the things that matter to you. Then talk to us about what you want to leave behind.
Will This Be Written Into the Purchase Agreement?
Yes. If we’ve agreed that you can leave belongings, furniture, debris or other personal property behind, we want that agreement in writing.
We don’t want a homeowner relying on a handshake or wondering at the last minute whether they’re supposed to empty the garage before closing.
The purchase agreement can spell out that Stars and Stripes Real Estate is purchasing the property with the agreed-upon remaining contents. That way, everyone understands what can stay with the property and who is responsible for it after closing.
If there are specific items you want to take with you, we’ll discuss those too.
Our goal is simple: there shouldn’t be surprises at the end of the transaction.
Who Pays to Remove Everything I Leave Behind?
If we’ve agreed to purchase the property with the remaining belongings included, the cleanout becomes our responsibility after closing.
That means you aren’t hiring a junk removal company, renting dumpsters, coordinating donations or spending your weekends emptying the property.
The cost and work involved with the cleanout is something we consider when evaluating the property and preparing our offer. You shouldn’t get a surprise bill afterward for belongings we already agreed could remain.
What About Belongings in the Garage, Shed or Yard?
We’ve walked into garages that are more intimidating to the homeowner than the actual house. That’s okay. We’d rather see what we’re dealing with before you spend time or money cleaning it out.
The same can apply to sheds, patios, side yards and other areas where things tend to accumulate over the years.
There may be situations where something specifically needs to be removed, but we’ll tell you that upfront.
Don’t spend thousands of dollars cleaning out a property before you’ve even found out whether you need to.
REAL SELLER EXPERIENCE
A Real Stars and Stripes Real Estate Seller Experience
Wayne, one of the homeowners we worked with in San Jacinto, California had a lot of belongings still at the property when he sold his home to Stars and Stripes Real Estate. He wanted to keep some of those items, but he didn’t want to deal with completely cleaning out the property.
We were able to structure the transaction so Wayne had 30 days after escrow closed to remove the belongings he wanted to keep. Anything he didn’t want could stay behind for us to handle.
This wasn’t a standard package or marketing promise. It was simply a solution that worked for Wayne’s particular situation.
“They were willing to work with me and gave me 30 days after escrow closed to move out what I wanted to keep before turning over the keys.”
→ Read Wayne’s full testimonial about selling to Stars and Stripes Real Estate
Can a Buyer Lower the Price After an Inspection?
This is an important question to ask any cash home buyer before signing a contract.
Some buyers make a strong initial offer to get a property under contract and then try to renegotiate the price after inspections or further review of the property.
At Stars and Stripes Real Estate, we’d rather understand the condition of the house upfront. That’s why we typically want to walk the property before finalizing our offer.
If you’ve already shown us the old roof, broken AC, damaged flooring or garage full of belongings, those things shouldn’t suddenly become a surprise later.
Before signing with any buyer, ask what could cause the purchase price to change and make sure you understand the answer.
For us, trust isn’t about telling a homeowner what they want to hear to get a contract signed. It’s about being straightforward about the property, the numbers and what we’ve agreed to do.
Should I Sell My House As-Is or Fix It and List It?
This is probably the most important question a homeowner should ask, and there isn’t one answer that works for everyone.
LESS WORK NEEDED
If the House Needs Less Work
If your house only needs some paint, flooring and relatively inexpensive updates, putting a little money into it and listing with a real estate agent may leave you with considerably more money.
MAJOR WORK NEEDED
If the House Needs Major Work
But if the property needs a roof, HVAC, plumbing, electrical work, major updating or tens of thousands of dollars in repairs, the calculation changes. You also have to consider the time involved, carrying costs and the uncertainty that comes with completing a renovation before selling.
That’s why we don’t believe the right answer is always “sell it to us.”
Sometimes the best advice we can give a homeowner is to list the house instead.
Stars and Stripes Real Estate was founded by Marine Corps veterans, and both our military and first responder backgrounds taught us to assess the situation, understand the options and solve the problem in front of us.
We’re in the problem-solving business before we’re in the house-buying business.
If selling to us makes sense, we’ll explain why. If we believe another option makes more sense, we’ll tell you that too.
How Does Selling a House As-Is to Stars and Stripes Real Estate Work?
Tell Us About the Property
Call us at (844) 932-8943 or contact us through our website. Tell us what’s going on with the house and, more importantly, what you’re trying to accomplish.
We Walk the Property
One of us will come look at the house in its current condition. Don’t clean it up for us. We want to see the repairs, belongings and anything else we’re going to be taking on.
We Put Together an Offer
We evaluate the property, its condition, comparable sales and the work we believe it needs. If we can make an offer that makes sense, we’ll explain the numbers and terms.
You Decide
There’s no obligation to accept our offer. Compare your options, ask questions and make the decision that’s best for you.
If you decide to move forward, the transaction goes through title and escrow, and we’ll work with you on a closing timeline that makes sense for your situation.
Where Does Stars and Stripes Real Estate Buy Houses As-Is in Riverside County?
Stars and Stripes Real Estate buys houses throughout Riverside County, with deep roots in Southwest Riverside County and the Temecula Valley.
We work with homeowners in Temecula, Murrieta, Menifee, Sun City, Wildomar, Lake Elsinore, Canyon Lake, Hemet, San Jacinto, Perris, Riverside, Corona, Eastvale and Jurupa Valley, as well as surrounding communities.
We also purchase properties throughout San Bernardino County, Orange County and San Diego County.
Whether the property needs a few updates or a complete renovation, our approach is the same: understand the property, understand what the homeowner is trying to accomplish, and figure out which option makes the most sense.
Can I Sell My House As-Is if It Needs Major Repairs?
Yes. Roof, HVAC, plumbing, electrical, foundation issues, water damage or years of deferred maintenance don’t automatically prevent a sale. The condition of the property will simply be part of how we evaluate it.
Do I Need to Clean My House Before Stars and Stripes Real Estate Looks at It?
No. Please don’t clean the house for us. We’d rather see the property exactly as it sits before you spend time or money doing something that may not be necessary.
Can I Sell an As-Is House With Tenants Still Living There?
Yes. We’ve purchased rental properties with tenants still in place, including properties involving difficult tenant situations. The circumstances matter, so we’ll want to understand the tenancy before determining the best way forward.
Is the Price Stars and Stripes Real Estate Offers the Amount I Receive?
Our goal is to make the numbers clear before you sign anything. The purchase price we agree to is the purchase price—not a number we advertise and then start subtracting repair costs from at closing.
You would still need to pay off any existing mortgage, liens, property taxes or other obligations tied to the property that must be satisfied through escrow.
But if we’ve already agreed that we’re taking the house as-is, the old roof, damaged flooring or belongings left in the garage aren’t supposed to become surprise deductions at closing.
We want you to know what you’re agreeing to and what you should expect before you sign the contract.
Not Sure if Selling As-Is Is the Right Choice?
You don’t have to figure that out before calling us.
We’ll look at the property, listen to what you’re trying to accomplish and give you our opinion on the options available. Sometimes that means making an as-is offer. Sometimes it means telling you that we think you’d be better off fixing the house, listing it with an agent or taking another route.
There’s no pressure to sell your house to Stars and Stripes Real Estate just because you asked us to look at it.
If you own a property in Riverside County—or elsewhere in Southern California—and want to understand what selling it as-is could look like, call us at (844) 932-8943.
Show us the house exactly as it sits. We’ll help you figure out what makes sense from there.
