Pros and Cons of Selling a House to a “We Buy Houses For Cash” Companies

When you have a house to sell in Central Florida, you’re really able to access at least two different kinds of housing markets. There’s a direct consumer market, for sure, represented primarily by individual families with buyer’s agents or representing themselves. The things that these families tend to look for involve a home that offers the amenities they want and a move-in-ready level of upkeep. Occasionally a direct buyer is really looking for a fixer upper, but most of the time, the goal is to buy a home that will facilitate a smooth and quick move-in.

On the other hand, there are companies that recognize the potential in homes that may need a little work, or which are particularly well suited to being turned into rental properties. These “We Buy Houses for Cash” companies look to buy a home for a price they can then use to turn a profit through either making repairs and selling it at a higher price, or through quickly fixing it up and getting it ready to rent. While they don’t offer top dollar for homes compared to the direct consumer market, on average, they will often be drawn to homes with good bones that the direct consumers aren’t as excited about. 

There are other reasons to give these buy-houses-for-cash companies a chance to talk to you. They know that it is in their best interest to make the process simple and clear to consumers, since otherwise they’re more likely to go through a traditional real estate agent. By offering all cash and closing deals quickly and without complex repairs, they make selling the home extremely convenient. For many homes, a slightly lower price and no hassle at all is a better choice than the potential for a higher sales price that is tied up with the risk of a long time on the market and a lot of work fixing and staging elements of the home.

That being said, if you know you have options for offers to buy your house for cash, don’t be pressured into not considering your options. There are real estate agents who will happily talk to you and discuss what kinds of work and risk might go into a traditional sale process to the direct consumer market. 

During certain markets and for certain homes, you’ll be able to get so much better prices in the main real estate market that even a little work is well worth it – for a few hours here and there on the weekends, you could realize tens of thousands of dollars in higher sale value. If you have the time and the numbers make sense, you might want to invest in your own home and follow through with the sales process. 

In the end, the important thing is that some homes yield a better experience in the buy-for-cash market and others will ultimately be best sold to consumers through a real estate agent. While it’s good to know the expectations of each process, the one you pick is going to be specific to you.