Sell Your Water-Damaged House in Texas (Slab Leaks & Floods)

How to Sell a House With Water Damage in Texas (As-Is & Fast)

The combination of dealing with water damage and trying to sell your house can definitely feel overwhelming, no matter how you look at it. Maybe it’s from active leaks, flood damage, or burst pipes. Either way, it’s there, and you’ll have to figure out what to do about it so it doesn’t impact your home sale. But you may be surprised to hear that you can sell your house with water damage without fixing everything first. As local house buyers in Fort Worth with years of experience, we’ve been able to help dozens of homeowners sell their properties with zero repairs.

Water damage is a tough one, especially in Texas. The clay soil, extreme weather, and strict disclosure laws make selling damaged homes not for the faint of heart. How it usually plays out is that traditional buyers often flee at the first sign of water issues, and agents might insist on expensive repairs before listing. But that isn’t the only way to sell your house – we buy houses in their current condition, water damage and all.

Can I Sell a House with Water Damage or Active Leaks in Texas?

It is totally doable to sell a house with water damage or active leaks in Texas. What you’ll have to do, though, is find the right buyers who understand water damage and are willing to accept the risk. We touched on this early, but traditional buyers think worst-case scenario when they see water stains, leaks, or mold issues. They worry about what they can’t see, like hidden damage and the expense of repairs.

Fortunately for you, professional home buyers like us specialize in these situations. When we go in and evaluate an individual property, we look at the potential rather than just the current problems. But when you sell to a traditional buyer, you’ll deal with several hurdles, including extensive inspection requirements and repair demands.

The traditional real estate process becomes murky (excuse the pun) when water damage is involved. What usually ends up happening is that the prospective buyer will request detailed camera inspections and complete reports from specialists, which only drives up costs for you before listing. The other barrier is that lenders usually refuse to finance properties with active water issues, which only creates delays and doubt about whether sales will close.

Something else that usually pops up is buyer protection concerns, which can just complicate things. In this day and age, modern buyers often want extensive warranties or credits, locking you in to making repairs before closing. As you could imagine, this process can take months and often costs more than what you budgeted.

The “Plumbing Nightmare” Exit: Sell Without Turning Water On

Plumbing issues can get pretty severe, even to the point that the water is turned off because of slab leaks or burst pipes. Those usually require expensive repairs that some homeowners just can’t afford to fix. Over the years that we’ve been in business, we’ve helped several families who didn’t have any running water for months because of active plumbing leaks and foundation issues.

Of course, with living in Texas, another common reason for water damage is roof leaks. The weather here in Texas can be so unpredictable and has been known to cause damage to roofing, water intrusion that affects ceilings, walls, and flooring. And to add insult to injury, many homeowners find out the hard way after a severe storm that their insurance claims are denied.

The beauty of selling to Texas cash home buyers is that we don’t need you to show us that everything works. We factor these issues into our evaluation and make offers based on the current condition.

How to Sell a Flooded House to Four 19 Properties (4 Steps)

1. Assessment “As-Is” (No Drywall Removal Needed)

Our assessment process is super easy and non-invasive. We don’t require drywall removal, camera inspections, or specialist reports. We do, however, look for obvious signs inside, like water stains, warped flooring, damaged baseboards, and mold signs. Outside, we check for foundation cracks that would mean water-related soil movement.

We don’t panic when we see signs of water damage because we know that water issues can often be resolved, and we factor in repair costs into our evaluation. The same can’t be said for traditional buyers.

2. We Review Your Insurance Denial or “Scope of Loss.”

More often than not, insurance companies deny water damage claims or provide insufficient settlements. When we buy houses in North Richland Hills and the surrounding areas, we take a look at your insurance documentation to understand your situation. That lets you off the hook from fighting insurance companies or waiting for settlements.

3. Receive a Cash Offer (We Take the Risk of Mold)

Mold and water damage often go hand in hand. The concern for traditional buyers is the health risks and remediation costs. We understand that with Texas’s humid climate that mold comes with the territory. So instead of requiring mold inspections or remediation, we factor those potential costs into our offer.

A little bit about how we calculate our offers – we take into consideration repair costs, potential mold remediation, and restoration time. The benefit to you is a quick offer without you having to put a lot of time or money into repairs.

4. Close Fast: Walk Away Before Mold Spreads

Mold prevention is more challenging after water damage has occurred. A traditional sale in Texas can take months, during which mold issues only get worse. For us to make an offer and close takes a few days, best case and worst case, a few weeks, not months. We’re able to move quickly because we don’t get held up on final approvals, inspection periods, or repair negotiations.