{"id":15566,"date":"2026-03-20T04:19:58","date_gmt":"2026-03-20T11:19:58","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.homelight.com\/blog\/?p=15566"},"modified":"2026-03-20T20:00:25","modified_gmt":"2026-03-21T03:00:25","slug":"selling-a-house-in-poor-condition","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.homelight.com\/blog\/selling-a-house-in-poor-condition\/","title":{"rendered":"A Judgment-Free Guide to Selling a House in Poor Condition"},"content":{"rendered":"

If your house has broken shutters, stained carpet, and a leaky roof, you\u2019re not alone. According to the latest American Community Survey<\/a> data, a typical U.S. home was built over 40 years ago<\/a>. Homes get lived in, and things break or wear out. Repairs are needed, but the average home maintenance<\/a> costs alone can add up.<\/p>\n

But what if you want to sell your home and can\u2019t afford to make all the repairs,<\/a> or lack the time, energy, or desire to get it ready to list on the market? Selling a house in poor condition can be challenging, but it\u2019s doable.<\/p>\n

In this guide, we\u2019ll help you evaluate what kind of shape your house is actually in, and determine which repairs and updates you should make.<\/p>\n

We spoke to top-selling agents Brandi Abram<\/a> of Lawrence, Kansas<\/a>, and Jeff Lurie<\/a> of Suffolk, Virginia<\/a>, for expert insights on selling a house in poor or questionable condition.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n

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\n \"homelight\n <\/div>\n \n

Overwhelmed With Home Repairs?<\/h3>\n

Sell your house \u201cas is\u201d through HomeLight\u2019s Simple Sale. This platform connects you with cash buyers that accommodate homes in almost any condition. You can skip repairs and showings and close in as few as 7 days.<\/p>\n \n

\n Request Offer<\/a>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n
<\/div>\n

Inspection Misconception<\/h2>\n

It\u2019s important to discuss something we will call the \u201cInspection Misconception.\u201d<\/p>\n

When a buyer requests a home inspection<\/a>, the inspector comes to the home and inspects it. The inspection takes two to four hours, and the inspector looks at practically everything. They crawl through the crawlspace, walk across the roof, turn on lights, check for signs of mold, and more.<\/p>\n

But when they\u2019re done, they don\u2019t rate the house as \u201cpass\u201d or \u201cfail.\u201d And they don\u2019t check a box that says \u201cpoor condition.\u201d So, determining what poor condition means depends on several factors.<\/p>\n

Let\u2019s take a closer look at what poor condition could mean for your property.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Selling a house in poor condition? Here are three options to get a fair price no matter what shape your property is currently in.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":241,"featured_media":38931,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"cybocfi_hide_featured_image":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[323,319],"tags":[251,773],"class_list":["post-15566","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-quick-tips","category-selling-advice","tag-how-to-sell-a-house","tag-selling-a-house-in-poor-condition"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nA Judgment-Free Guide to Selling a House in Poor Condition<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Selling a house in poor condition? 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Here are three options to get a fair price no matter what shape your property is currently in.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.homelight.com\/blog\/selling-a-house-in-poor-condition\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"HomeLight Blog\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:publisher\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/gohomelight\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2026-03-20T11:19:58+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2026-03-21T03:00:25+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/www.homelight.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/02\/Untitled-design-17.png\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"1000\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"564\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/png\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Steph Mickelson\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:creator\" content=\"@gohomelight\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:site\" content=\"@gohomelight\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Steph Mickelson\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"13 minutes\" \/>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO Premium plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"A Judgment-Free Guide to Selling a House in Poor Condition","description":"Selling a house in poor condition? 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