How Robert Baker Sold His Son’s Home Without Added Stress
When Robert Baker’s son passed away, he was left with more than just grief; he had to figure out what to do with his son’s home in Montgomery Village, Maryland. The property needed a lot of work, and it was full of items that needed to be cleaned out. On top of the emotional weight, trying to sell the house on his own would have been too much.
When inheritances come at such a steep price, dealing with a property can be overwhelming and too much responsibility for grieving parties to bear. In addition to the emotional impact families deal with, there are many important decisions that must be made concerning the home.
Figuring out the repairs that are needed and how much they will cost is overwhelming in itself, much less dealing with a loved one’s personal belongings and how they need to be dealt with. It can be a lot to manage and Robert experienced that first hand. He needed a solution that would take some of the stress from his shoulders and allow him to move forward.
That’s when he reached out to House Buyers of America. We’ve seen Robert’s situation many times, and understand how difficult the process can be for homeowners who are grieving. That is why we made the process as simple and easy as possible for him. Having helped another recent seller from Maryland who had inherited a home, we are capable of giving offers within 10 minutes, which can be a life saver for those who need to sell their home quickly and efficiently.
A Home That Needed Work
The home hadn’t been updated in a while and had damage, clutter, and repairs that needed attention. But Robert couldn’t handle fixing it all, and he shouldn’t have had to. What he needed was a simple way to sell the home without the pressure of cleaning, repairing, or dealing with showings.
The home’s condition also complicated things, making a traditional sale more difficult for Robert. Most buyers are searching for homes that are move-in ready with updates and repairs already made. Robert’s home risked sitting on the market for a long period of time since it needed a good clean-out and several expensive repairs. In addition to the personal hurdles Robert was going through he simply didn’t have the emotional bandwidth or the time to deal with fixing up the home. He needed to sell the home in its current condition without adding more stress to an already difficult situation.
Why Taking the Traditional Route Wasn’t the Right Fit
Robert knew that listing his home with a real estate agent and selling it through traditional channels was going to be extremely taxing, emotionally and physically. In addition to the condition of the home, there was needed ongoing maintenance while it sat on the market, as well as utility costs and simply finding a buyer.
He soon realized the benefits of selling to a cash buyer:
- No maintenance or deep cleaning the property
- No worries about buyers backing out of contracts
- No need for expensive repairs
- No negotiations or repair concessions
- No carrying costs
- No agent commissions
- Quicker closing timelines
In Montgomery Village, Maryland the median days on market is 46-days, and as most homeowners know, homes can sell quickly or sit on the market for months. With ‘for sale’ homes in his area having a vacancy rate of 5.3%, it was a risk for him to list his home. Being in the position he was in, Robert didn’t have that kind of time and he certainly couldn’t deal with the uncertainty of listing his home. Negotiating offers, financing delays, inspections, and closing timelines also added to the list of worries since any of these can cause a deal to fall through. So for Robert, selling to a cash buyer was his best option.
A Fast, Easy Sale With Support
Fortunately for Robert, we were able to make the process easy from the start. We’ve been in business since 2001 and were able to put our experience to work to ease his situation. He got a fair cash offer and didn’t need to do anything to prepare the home. Our team took care of all the stuff left behind and made sure the home was cleaned out completely. There were no repairs, no extra fees, and no stress.
Best of all, we worked on his timeline. The sale closed in about 30 days with no surprises along the way. Robert didn’t have to worry about anything; he just signed the papers when it was time.
Giving the Home a Fresh Start
After the sale, we gave the home a full update. The kitchen got new cabinets, quartz countertops, a tile backsplash, stainless steel appliances, and new lighting.
We updated both bathrooms with new vanities, fresh lighting, and refinished tubs and showers. Inside the home, we added new floors, fresh paint, a new thermostat, and better lighting. We even replaced broken windows, fixed subfloor issues, and cleaned out old odors to make the home feel fresh again.
A Kind and Caring Experience
Robert didn’t have to deal with the stress of selling a home during a hard time. He got help from people who cared and walked away with peace of mind. With everything handled for him by House Buyers of America, he was able to focus on healing and moving forward.
His story shows that even after loss, selling a home can still be simple, respectful, and done with care.