What is selling As-is? Selling House As Is in California

Houzeo
5 min readOct 30, 2022

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When U.S. real estate is hot selling, then even the As-is homes receive a lot of offers. Top America’s websites such as Houzeo can help you sell your home As-is in case you are based in California.

Most sellers in California prefer selling their homes “As is” to avoid the hassle, of spending a lot of money on making repairs, saving time, and more. By selling the home As is, the owner does not need to do anything and just lists the house for sale in its present condition. Though at the outset, it looks fine to sell a house in California in its current state, you must also know the potential drawbacks it may bring.

Here is everything you need to know about selling the home as is in California.

What is selling the home “As Is”?

The literal meaning of selling the home “as is” means that the owner has put the property for sale in its current condition. He does not make any repairs and the home continues to have damages and other issues. However, it becomes the seller’s responsibility to declare all the issues and risks the home has to the buyer. The legal aspect of an “As is” home is that there should be a full agreement between the seller and the buyer that every detailed information about the property will be disclosed. In the real estate market, it is also called “as is where is.”

When there is a legal agreement about disclosing the home’s flaws and defects, the real estate agents ensure to follow a high standard. The sellers must know all the clauses and rules of the disclosures. They can consult their agents and legal advisors too regarding the same. Also, the realtors are expected to maintain confidentiality to express honest reviews about the defects in the property.

Selling a Home As-Is in California: Advantages

Here is why Selling a Home As-Is in California makes sense:

  • Home sellers sometimes do not have time to make home repairs. If you are thinking there is a need to sell my house quick, then this seems to be the best option.
  • It is also a good option when the sellers want to save money. It may cost you around $200 per square foot to make a home renovation in California. With “as is”, you can save money.
  • Since it may take a lot of time to get the home renovation and repair done, you will have to hold your home and cannot make a sale fast.
  • With this home selling ‘As is, you need not schedule home staging or home showings.
  • By remaining honest with the buyers and letting them know how much repair the house needs, you can effectively communicate with the buyer and save home inspection costs.
  • When you sell your house to as-is to cash companies, you don’t need to carry out a lot of paperwork.
  • Dealing with cash buyers also means that you don’t need to deal with a real estate agent.

Selling Your Home As-Is in California: Drawbacks

There are other sides to the story too:

  • Selling “as is” means that a pool of buyers may think badly about the property. They may have unfavorable views and hence avoid investing in a home that has significant issues.
  • Since the buyers buy the home without any improvement, they are willing to pay only a lesser amount for the property. Sometimes their offer is not worth it because they think that the property has significant defects.
  • Selling the property as-is may just invite flippers. Buyers who are fine to conduct renovations and repairs may be interested in your home. This will limit the number of buyers.
  • When you want to sell a property as-is, this does not mean that you don’t need to make any repairs. The buyers will still want a broken known repaired. They may also attempt to negotiate a lot based on the repair costs. Hence, you may consider minor and low-cost repairs.

Selling a House As Is in California

For selling a home as is in California, you need to fill out the California Transfer Disclosure Statement or TDS. This is a legal agreement that is treated as legally binding and reliable. The aim of the TDS is to reflect the honest status of the property including walls, doors, flooring, windows, roadways, sidewalks, ceilings, foundation, plumbing systems, structural components, etc.

Along with the material facts, the seller needs to disclose other essential aspects of the property too to avoid legal issues. The California residential agreement is a sale and purchase contract, in which both the buyers and sellers agree on the terms of the sale. This legally binding agreement can be created and evaluated by the attorney.

Seller after the discussion with the realtor and real estate attorney needs to give a signed agreement to the buyer. Before the home sale closes, the buyer makes the money deposit. The detail that the home is selling ‘as-is’ is mentioned in the TDS and California Residential Contract.

Under the ‘As is’ thing, the buyers can accept the property in its current state or can ask the seller to pay for the repairs. One important thing to know is that for an ‘As is’ property, the buyers have the right to inspect the property, negotiate on the home repairs, and can also terminate the contract under the option period.

If a California real estate contract does not mention the ‘As is’ provision, the seller can speak to the buyer and exclude the things like a home appraisal, inspections, surveys, etc. They can also ask the buyer for making a deposit.

Things To Know for Selling the House As-is

Selling the House As-is includes the following:

  • It is always good to sell your house quickly and at the best price. The best time to sell the home varies with the cities in California.
  • The key to selling a home ‘As is’ is to price the home correctly. Fair pricing can invite more buyers and they will be able to pay the final price.
  • To know the right price of the home, you can do the Comparative Marketing Analysis or CMA. You can take the help of a real estate agent in California to do so. Selling a home house by owner in California through a website can also help you with CMA.
  • Selling a house also needs you to provide the Seller’s Disclosure Notice.
  • Ensure to create an interesting property description to lure buyers.
  • Though As is homes do not need repairs you can surely ready your home to attract buyers. Consider decluttering, depersonalizing, minor repairs, etc.

This was all you needed to know about selling the house in its present condition and quickly. Take the help of trusted platforms like Houzeo to know more.

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Houzeo
Houzeo

Written by Houzeo

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