Selling a House ‘As Is’ in Charlotte

Thinking about selling a house “as is” in Charlotte, NC? Whether you’ve got a fixer-upper in Eastland or recently inherited a relative’s home in Steele Creek, sometimes the goal is to skip repairs, get a fair offer, and move on without delay.

According to Melissa Polce, a top Charlotte real estate agent with over 26 years of experience, the number one reason why local homeowners pursue an as-is sale is that they want to move on quickly. “The second runner-up reason is usually that there’s something in their life causing them to have to sell relatively quickly. That’s often divorce, or having to move out of state quickly, maybe for a job,” Polce says.

However, selling a house “as is” usually means accepting an offer below market value, and it doesn’t always prevent buyers from trying to negotiate savings down the road. In this article, we’ll take a closer look at how to sell a house as-is in Charlotte, your options for getting an offer, and what to expect from the process.

Fast facts about selling a house ‘as is’ in Charlotte

What is ‘as is’ condition in real estate?

“As is” is a type of home sale in which it’s mutually understood that no improvements will be made to the property before it changes ownership. When selling a house “as is,” the seller chooses not to entertain buyers’ requests to complete repairs or provide a credit for fixes.

An as-is sale may also indicate that the functionality and longevity of certain components of the home, such as a leaky roof or a stove on its last legs, is not guaranteed.

When selling a house “as is,” the general condition of the property should already be accounted for in the purchase price of the home to the best of the seller’s knowledge.

Which types of homes are sold ‘as is’?

Homes sold “as is” often need a fair amount of work or may be cosmetically outdated. It’s not a label you’re likely to put on a listing in pristine, move-in ready condition.

“As is” sales often attract investors searching for their next flip or buyers seeking a good deal, perhaps on a home in a great location with lots of potential for improvement.

“If it’s not a primary residence, it’s almost always an investment property. I actually just closed one like that on Friday. The person was left a bunch of properties when their mother passed away. It had been a rental, and they said, ‘We just don’t want to mess with this,’ so they sold it as-is,” says Polce.

What problems do you have to disclose in Charlotte?

If you’re selling a house “as is” in Charlotte, it doesn’t mean sweeping any known problems with the property under the rug.

A good time to fill out the Residential Property and Owners’ Association Disclosure Statement is prior to listing your home or requesting an offer, so that you know it’s already taken care of.

According to the document, North Carolina law requires residential property owners to complete the form and provide it to the buyer prior to any offer to purchase.

The form will walk you through documenting what you know about the state of the property’s roof, foundation, floors, walls, ceiling, and windows.

You’ll also be prompted to fill out information about:

• HVAC / Electrical
• Plumbing / Water supply / Sewer / Septic
• Fixtures / Appliances
• Land / Zoning
• Environmental / Flooding
• Miscellaneous
• Owners’ association disclosure

No matter whether you choose to sell your home as-is or not, you are required to make these disclosures to the best of your ability. However, Charlotte does allow limited exceptions, such as for a new construction that has never been occupied. You can find a complete list of exemptions here.

Review your options to sell ‘as is’ in Charlotte

The main options to sell a house ‘as is’ include:

List ‘as is’ with the help of a real estate agent

An experienced real estate agent will provide assistance throughout the process of listing and selling a home “as is.” An agent can give you simple presentation tips to improve marketing, help to set an appropriate price that reflects the home’s condition, and work to find a buyer who’s willing and eager to buy your home exactly as it stands.

Sell directly to a cash buyer

Someone who needs to sell their home “as is” can also work directly with a property investor or house-buying company rather than list on the open market, where it may be more difficult to get an offer from a limited buyer pool.

We Buy Houses companies purchase “as is” at a discounted rate and generally seek out homes that are in need of extensive repairs. These companies can help sellers cash out quickly, and many will cover a seller’s closing costs in full.

Steps to list ‘as is’ with the help of a real estate agent

Find an agent willing to list the home ‘as is’

Your choice of real estate agent always matters, but even more so when selling a property “as is.” It’s important to find the right match – you’re looking for somebody who doesn’t shy away from listings that need a little TLC and also potentially has a strong network of investor connections.

Your agent should also be willing to go the extra mile on marketing. Considering that more than half of Americans say they would prefer to buy a home that’s move-in ready, an “as is” sale likely has a reduced buyer pool from the start.

Consider a pre-listing inspection

A pre-listing home inspection is the same as a standard home inspection, except the seller pays for it before listing their home. It may sound like a counterintuitive step for an as-is sale, but getting the inspection results upfront can illuminate any issues that could impact the value of the home and inform a more accurate pricing strategy. If a buyer requests further deductions to the price based on their own inspection, you may be able to point to how the estimated cost of certain repairs was already baked into the list price.

Polce reiterates this, saying, “I’m a big proponent of the pre-listing inspection. I think it would save time, money, and almost make the house a little bit more ready for the market. The seller is being proactive to get the property sold — I think it’s a great idea.”

Price to reflect ‘as is’ condition

The median sale price for homes in Charlotte hit $426,000 in December 2025, a 6.5% increase over the year prior.

With home prices on the rise, getting a pre-listing inspection is one of the top ways to increase the value of your as-is listing. According to Polce, the inspection can reveal smaller issues that, if addressed, can make an as-is sale easier and help your listing attract more attention.

“If you handle ABC and D upfront, I’m happy with selling as-is because those items are addressed. Maybe small things remain, like a little repainting, but if you went ahead and got that new roof because the old one was 28 years old, that’s a given.”

You can start with a free estimate from HomeLight’s Home Value Estimator (HVE).

Our HVE combs public data, including tax records and assessments, and pulls recent sales records for other properties in your neighborhood. Using a short questionnaire, we also factor in specifics about your home, such as the property type and described condition. Input your address, and we’ll provide you with a preliminary home value estimate in under two minutes.

What is Your Charlotte Home Worth?

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Do ever-so-light preparations

Even for as-is home listings in Charlotte, it’s typically recommended that sellers complete the following:

• Deep clean the home
• Declutter the interior
• Focus on basic curb appeal
• Clean and replace HVAC filters
• Repaint the front door or exterior walls
• Depersonalize by removing family photos
• Focus on the marketing presentation

Photograph to show potential

Your as-is listing warrants professional photography regardless of its condition. A professional photographer will caution to shoot each room from the best angle, ensure optimal interior and natural lighting, and edit for the most appealing brightness and exposure.

A high-quality camera with a wide-angle lens is also essential for showcasing entire rooms rather than just half or three-quarters of what’s there. For these reasons and more, professionally photographed homes can help earn homeowners up to a 47% higher asking price per square foot compared to homes that are marketed without.

Your real estate agent will almost always arrange for professional photos as part of the listing process.

Highlight the surrounding area

A home’s location will be important to buyers seeking out a home with potential. Mention in your as-is listing if your home is close to any of the following:

• Downtown areas
• Major employers
• Parks and green spaces
• Sports venues and entertainment districts
• Waterfront views or access (ocean or a lake)
• Highly rated schools
• Access to outdoor activities
• Public transportation

Include ‘as is’ in the listing

Unless you explicitly mention that your house is being sold “as is,” buyers will have no idea of your intentions with the listing. Other common descriptors mentioned in as-is listings in Charlotte include priced to sell, fixer-upper, handyman special, or a “call for investors.”

“We have a section with agent notes, and there you can put that the seller would like to sell as-is. But we really just look at it and kind of gloss over it because, unless the buyer is going to move forward, nothing truly is as-is,” says Polce.

To balance the focus on as-is condition, work with your agent to craft a property description that highlights the best features of the home.

Understand buyers may still negotiate

Listing “as is” provides no guarantee that buyers won’t try to negotiate savings on their purchase, even on an asking price you felt was already reduced to accurately reflect the condition of the property. One of the best defenses you can have is an agent who takes a hard stance to prevent a deal from going south for the seller. For example, Polce sets her sellers up with a realistic price range before getting started with the process.

“I have hard and honest conversations, and we look at a range. Even though you say as-is, somebody may uncover something you don’t know about, and as-is can turn into a negotiation. I give a range and tell them, and the ones I get are on board with that,” she says.

Be aware of minimum property standards for certain loans

When you place your home on the market, it’s difficult to predict whether your top offer will come from a cash buyer or a buyer who’s pre-qualified for a home loan.

If you do end up working with a financed buyer, keep in mind that different mortgage types (such as conventional loans or government-backed FHA, USDA, or VA loans) have different minimum property standards. These are standards related to the overall condition of a property, which will play a role in the willingness and/or ability of a lender to finance a buyer’s loan.

Before properties can be financed, their value and condition are typically examined by a state-licensed, independent appraiser contracted by the buyer’s mortgage company.

If you’re unsure whether your home will meet appraisal requirements, you can start by taking a look at the FHA minimum property standards. If your house complies with FHA, then it will comply with most other lenders’ requirements.

Prioritize a cash offer if you receive one

On occasion, conventional lenders may even finance a fixer-upper property sold “as is,” and it’s not impossible to finance a fixer-upper with an FHA loan. However, if you’re selling a house “as is” — especially one that needs more extensive repairs — you may want to consider accepting a cash offer if you receive one. Cash eliminates the lender-ordered appraisal as well as the time it takes to close on the buyer’s loan, creating a faster and more straightforward path to settlement.

Pros of listing a home ‘as is’: 

• Save time and money on prepwork
• Potentially reduce negotiations from the inspection
• Solution for out-of-state owners and inherited homes

Cons of listing a home ‘as is’:

• Limited buyer pool
• Expect below-market offers
• Negotiations and repairs aren’t always off the table

Steps to sell directly to a cash buyer

Now that we’ve covered the general process of listing a home “as is,” let’s go over the alternative of working with an investor. While the process varies from company to company, the steps to selling to a house-buying company typically look something like this:

1. Decision: A homeowner decides a traditional listing isn’t for them. Perhaps their home needs a lot of work, or they want to avoid hosting any showings or open houses. They’re concerned about finding a buyer who’s willing to purchase their home in its current state.
2. Contact: A seller contacts a company that buys houses in their area and provides some basic information about their home.
3. Preliminary offer: At this stage, some house-buying companies will provide a preliminary offer that is subject to change after a house assessment.
4. Assessment: The company schedules a walkthrough of the property to evaluate its condition, usually within 24 to 48 hours.
5. Firm offer: The company makes a firm offer (usually within 24 hours, sometimes on-site after the walkthrough), which you can either accept or decline. Most of these companies will not negotiate on price, so the offer is usually a take-it-or-leave-it scenario.
6. Closing: If you accept the offer, you and the company will both sign the contract, and the closing process will begin. Some companies offer a large deposit or moving cost assistance, and a few may even pay for the home upfront.
7. Payment: The seller receives payment quickly, typically within seven days to a few weeks, although this varies by company. Sellers who work with a house-buying company often enjoy flexibility in selecting a move-out date that works for them.

If you aren’t sure where to get a cash offer, consider Simple Sale, a solution from HomeLight. With Simple Sale, you share a bit about your home, such as whether it’s a single-family or condo, and how much work it needs. From there, we’ll provide you with a full cash offer to buy your home in as little as a week.

Skip repairs

There’s no need to call the roof inspector or drain your savings to replace the HVAC. HomeLight will provide an offer for homes in virtually any condition.

Sell when it’s convenient

Hoping to move right away? Or need a little more time to get your things together? Either way, we’re flexible. Pick a move date that works for your schedule within 30 days of closing.

Close with certainty

Cash buyers don’t need a lender’s involvement to purchase a home, meaning they can move quickly and efficiently compared to someone who needs bank financing. With Simple Sale, you can close in as little as 7 days, compared to the 30-60 days or longer it typically takes to close with a financed buyer.

Curious to know more about the Simple Sale experience? Hear it firsthand from one of our valued clients in the video below.

Additional We Buy Houses companies in Charlotte

Below, we’ve compiled a list of some of the leading companies that purchase homes “as is” for cash in Charlotte.