Selling a repaired sinkhole home
If your home has been faced with a sinkhole in the past and you are now interested in selling it, you may rightfully be concerned about the difficulties in selling a repaired sinkhole home. Any property with a history may be more difficult to sell, but not all hope is lost.
Find an experienced realtor
If you’re selling a repaired sinkhole home, the best thing you can do is enlist a realtor who knows how to sell your home in a way that both tells the truth about its history, yet still makes it look like an attractive package. Provided with the right information, your buyer can be led to acknowledge the history and trust that they won’t regret purchasing your home.
To do this, you may have to do some research. The perfect realtor for you is one that neither overstates the significance of the damage repairs nor shies away or undervalues your home. They can advise that there is a possibility of more damage, but make it easy to swallow. Your best bet is a realtor with experience in selling sinkhole homes, or any other homes with a history (house fires, deaths, etc.). If they have been successful in selling these homes, they are more likely to sell yours.
How to find a trustworthy realtor
Many realtors make their living and grow their network through word-of-mouth, and this is also a great way to hunt down a realtor experienced in selling difficult homes. If you have friends, relatives, co-workers, etc. who have purchased a home like this, ask for their realtor’s contact information.
After getting a hold of a realtor who seems like they may be a good fit, don’t be afraid to ask them for references. A good, honest realtor should be able to provide you with contacts of successful buyers so you can do their research. If they aren’t comfortable with this, you shouldn’t be comfortable with them!
You should also ask them how they would approach the selling of your home. If they have tried-and-true ways to sell a home with this kind of stigma, you should feel more comfortable allowing your realtor to do their job. It’s also important to be educated on how your home is being advertised, because if something doesn’t go as planned, you may be on the hook!
Be prepared
When discussing this issue, your realtor should also advise you collect any paperwork you have regarding you sinkhole, especially certification that it has been repaired. If you inform a potential buyer that your home has a history of sinkholes and you don’t have documentation to confirm that the problem has been fixed, you may have a more difficult time earning your buyer’s confidence.
This documentation can be your realtor’s best tool for selling your home: “this home has a history of sinkholes, here is the certification that repairs have been completed and there is no threat of future sinkhole activity” is a great way to educate your buyer as well as instill confidence in the safety of your home.
