Pet damage is a nightmare to deal with. You know that such damage is going to turn away numerous buyers. The home goes and sits on the listing for a lengthy period of time and you lose money due to holding costs in the process. I even have people asking me: how do I sell a house with severe pet damage in Wilmington, NC without making repairs?
ILM Home Offer will purchase the home in the exact condition that it’s in at the moment. No embarrassing open houses, treating the subfloor, or spending money on replacement carpets. You get a cash offer in Wilmington that is fair for you and the house is out of your hands for good. I cannot begin to tell you how many times I have been thanked and praised as a lifesaver for allowing clients to sell their houses with severe pet damage.
The Reality of Selling a House That Smells Like Dog (or Worse)
The smell is something that could be the 1000 pound elephant in the room. It’s also one of the many things I’ve seen clients not talk about openly with others. They don’t need to. I know such smells come from years of pets. Or it might be that one room that got completely out of hand. It may have been a home that was inherited from a deceased relative and it was never properly cleaned. Selling house with pet damage to Zillow or anyplace else is going to be a challenge.
Either way, when it comes time to list the house, you might be faced with that big old “what-if” question. Specifically, what if buyers notice the pet damage when they walk in? You might not notice it anymore, but there are buyers who have a keen eye for details and it might be enough for them to turn away and look elsewhere. I had one client tell me “I was selling my house in Wilmington and everything looked fine until I heard why people were not interested”. If you are planning to list your house to Zillow with pet damage, that will probably be a bad idea even if you’re nose blind.
Being ‘nose blind’ means that you dealt with the smell long enough that your brain filters it out. However, your buyers don’t have that. They get hit with that smell immediately and they’re out the door at the quickest possible opportunity. Nothing else about the house matters. They don’t care if there’s new paint, the perfect layout, or a good location in and around Wilmington.
The smell is that one thing where it leaves a not so great impression. It will stick with them for a long time. Also, don’t even think about covering it up with candles, plug-ins or air fresheners. One buyer will notice and be able to question whether or not you’re hiding something. If you think about it, home buyers and real estate agents know these masking tactics fast. Whatever you’re trying to do is a red flag in their eyes and that will also turn a deal sour.
Taking it a step further, they may even wonder what caused the odor, how deep does it go, and how much will it cost to get it fixed. If they don’t walk away, they’ll give you a lowball offer. That is you go with home buyers in Leland who won’t care about the damage or the smell and will do everything they can to handle the repairs.
The True Cost of a House with Cat Urine Smell in New Hanover County
I tell clients with pets that not all pet damage is the same. You can manage if there’s a little bit of wear and tear. But cat urine is a pretty troubling smell and it can be quite difficult. I’ve smelled some bad things in my lifetime when cleaning houses. But cat urine is something I really don’t like and rightfully so. But still, it’s all part of the territory.
So why is it so hard to fix? Cat urine contains two things: ammonia and uric acid crystals. These things soak through the carpet, padding, and the subfloor, whether it’s wood or concrete. That smell is baked into it as well. You could clean the carpet multiple times in vain but the source remains underneath. That’s not going to be impressive to anyone who are FHA/VA appraisers who have strict requirements in the Wilmington market.
Even worse, when the humidity rises as it normally does in the coastal region of North Carolina, that smell gets pretty strong. One of the best solutions is enzyme-based cleaners that break down pet odors in mild to moderate cases. In severe cases, it requires the full removal of the affected materials. Of course, it will cost you a lot of money. So what’s the real “fix” and how much does it cost?
If the damage is deep enough, the actual solutions are as follows:
- The carpet and padding need to be torn out
- Seal with odor-blocking primer (i.e: Kilz)
- Sand or replace subfloor
- Install new flooring throughout
So what’s the estimated costs to repair pet damage? Get ready, because you’re going to refuse the idea of spending so much right away (and rightfully so). Here’s what each item costs:
- Carpet replacement: $3,000 to $7,000
- Subfloor repair/sealing: $2,000 to $5,000
- New flooring (hardwood/LVP): $5,000 to $10,000+
At a minimum, you’re going to be spending $10,000. Oh, and that’s not all. We forgot to mention that other issues like the paint, trim, and HVAC contamination will all need to be addressed as well. Feeling dizzy after that? It’s upfront cash that isn’t realistic for many homeowners.
But you can breathe a sigh of relief knowing you don’t have to worry about this. Because if you have a house like this in Hampstead that you need off your hands, ILM Home Offer will help. You don’t need to do all the repairs because we can buy the house as-is.
Will Wilmington Traditional Buyers Overlook Severe Pet Damage to Hardwood Floors.
No. Simple as that. That’s because today’s home buyers are heavily influenced by home renovation shows, polished listings, and move-in-ready expectations that need to be met now rather than never. Simply put, they want the following:
- No immediate projects
- Fresh finishes
- Clean air
Nothing less than that. But what if they see damage? For example, if your home has:
- Dark urine stains in hardwood floors
- Lingering odor
- Warped boards
Buyers can do one of two things. They either walk away immediately or give you an offer that is so heavily discounted you might as well be holding on to a bag of pennies that are no longer useful. That’s isn’t all however, even if someone is interested there are more obstacles. Specifically, there’s the financing aspect of it. If the buyer is using a VA loan or an FHA loan, the home needs to meet the minimum property standards.
Strong odors or sanitation issues can require repairs before approval, trigger concerns from appraisers, and kill the whole deal. That leaves you the seller in a predicament that will take a long time to get out of it.
Do I need to replace the carpet before selling?
You probably need to if you plan on going the traditional route such as working with an agent to get it listed on the MLS. But be warned, damaged and odor-soaked carpets will reduce buyer interest, lead to negative feedback, and lowball offers. Even the discount buyers will demand something that exceeds the cost of replacement. If you go with a direct buyer, you don’t have to deal with any of that.
Sell House Without Making Repairs in Wilmington (The As-Is Exit)
One path that most homeowners may not realize is the direct buying path. That’s where ILM Home Offer can be that buyer for a home you can sell as-is. No need to worry about flooring replacements, repainting, scrubbing, or staging it for showings. Even with severe pet damage, we’ll buy it so you don’t have to contend with losing out on so much money due to repairs and everything else that could turn the house into an endless money pit.
How ILM Home Offer Solves The Problem
Traditional buyers want a finished home. Cash buyers look for projects. That’s the major difference. Before you ask how long does it take to sell a house in NC, consider this. With the traditional route, you’re looking at months or even years. But if you go with the direct buyer route and work with ILM Home Offers, it can take days. So the option is pretty much a no-brainer.
The goal for us isn’t moving in tomorrow. We renovate, improve, and resell the property later on. Smells don’t scare us, we expect damaged floors, and one of our plans for the whole process is doing the cleanup. We will calculate the repair costs, cleanup effort, and market value after renovation. These factor into a fair cash offer based on the figures.
FAQ: Selling a Damaged Home to Cash Home Buyers in Wilmington, NC
Will you make me clean the house before closing?
Absolutely not. If you need to, you can take the belongings you wish to keep. Yes, take your pets as well because they too are important. Finally, leave the rest behind and we’ll take care of it. Cleanup, junk removal, you name it.
How fast can you buy a house with bad pet odors?
Since we use private cash offers instead of bank approvals, you can close in as little as 7 to 14 days. This will all depend on your own timeline.
Conclusion: Get Your “As-Is” Cash Offer Today
Never spend another sleepless night worrying about open houses or contractor quotes. Instead, give ILM Home Offer a call and we’ll be glad to help you out with the help of our 15-minute property discovery that you can schedule as soon as today. Our offers are discreet, zero-judgment, and you’ll get a fair offer so you can move on no problem. Contact us today for more information on how it works.