Selling a House With Fire Damage? How to Sell a Burned Home Fast

Selling a house with fire damage is obviously more challenging than selling a home that’s damage free, but it can be done and you have options. How to sell a fire damaged house? You’ll need to find the right company or individual to buy the property – in relation to what works best for you. 

If you have the time and resources to restore your home before selling, using a realtor can work well. If selling more quickly and moving beyond this difficulty is your goal, however, an investor who pays cash for fire-damaged homes may be the way to go.

What to do before selling a house with fire damage

If your home has been damaged by fire, you’re no doubt overwhelmed by the experience and may have no idea how best to proceed. If you’ve come to the conclusion that selling your fire-damaged house is your best option, there are several primary points to keep in mind. 

Fully restore your home prior to selling

If you’ve decided to sell your fire-damaged home, one approach is fully restoring the house prior to putting it on the market. This requires a significant financial and time commitment, but is also very likely to get you the best selling price.

The degree to which your home is damaged will dictate the amount of work you’ll need to invest in prior to listing it. Issues to consider include the severity of the fire as well as various kinds of damage, such as:

• Fire and smoke damage
• Water damage
• Overall property damage

The amount you recover on your insurance claim should cover all – or most – of your losses, but it can take a significant amount of time to have your home restored to a state that’s ready for the traditional real estate market. 

Once you begin working with a real estate agent, you’ll need to ensure that your house is ready to go, which includes staging it for viewings and open houses. Selling a house after fire damage restoration is a journey, and you should expect the process to be lengthy. Further, the increased profits you expect when you sell through a realtor can be gobbled up by the fees, closing costs, and realtor’s commission. 

Sell your fire damaged home as is for cash

Your home has been damaged by fire, and the idea of restoring it and then going through the laborious process of selling it may be more than you want to deal with. Selling a house as is in California is something to consider, and the good news is that you can sell your house for cash relatively quickly.

At SoCal Home Buyers, we make fair cash offers for homes damaged by fire throughout Southern California, and it works like this:

• There’s no need to for you to make repairs in order to sell the home. Simply give us a call and schedule a convenient inspection time for you. 
• We’ll send our in-house inspector who has professional experience assessing fire damage to inspect your home. 
• From here, we’ll make you a fair cash offer that reflects the value of your home minus the cost of the repairs that need to be made. 
• In addition, we’ll take care of all the legalities associated with selling a home that’s been damaged by fire.
• You can take the time you need to make the right decision for you and your family, and if you accept our offer, you can expect to receive your cash payment significantly faster than you would in any other selling scenario.

At SoCal Home Buyers, we buy houses in Southern California, and we look forward to working with you. Whether your home is severely damaged, has only suffered minor losses, or is somewhere in between these two extremes, selling to an investor is an excellent option that helps take the burden off of you – after the trauma of a house fire. 

Be clear and upfront about the fire

If you want to sell your house and it’s been damaged by fire, you may be inclined to sweep the matter under the rug as you move through the sales process. After all, if you’ve taken care of the damage, do you really need to disclose the fire? The fact is that you do.

California real estate laws require disclosure, and compliance is essential. Ultimately, the buyer is going to know that there was a home fire on your property, which makes transparency on your part key.

Is it illegal to sell a house for cash? No, it’s not illegal to sell your house for cash, but there are laws in place that guide every home sale in California. And disclosure laws apply when you’re trying to sell a fire-damaged property. 

Be patient as you move forward with selling the property

If you are selling the house that’s been damaged by fire through a realtor – or even if you’re selling your house as-is – you should expect the sale to take longer than it would if fire damage were not an issue. Necessary elements like the following can all slow down the process:

• The need for an HVAC inspection – if the fire began as a result of poor ventilation, a faulty heater, or a related concern 
• The need for a chimney inspection – if the fire began in the fireplace or chimney
• The need for an electrical inspection – if the fire began with an electrical problem
• The need for a roof inspection to help ensure the roof wasn’t damages by the fire
• The need for a structural inspection to help ensure that your home’s structure wasn’t damaged by the fire

Selling your home after a fire requires patience. Not only must the full array of damage to your house be assessed but there are also important laws that guide the process. 

Keep detailed records regarding related to the damage

Even if you are planning on selling your house with fire damage as is, it’s a good idea to keep careful records from the start. And if you’re planning on repairing the damage to the property and restoring your home prior to sale, the matter becomes that much more important.

Having carefully compiled documentation of each of the following initial steps will work in your favor:

• The fire department attended to the fire and confirmed when your house was safe to reenter, and the fire marshal or fire investigator provided you with an official report.
• Your utility providers were informed about the fire and quickly shut the services down in response.
• Once the fire department gave the all-clear, all the windows in your home were opened to help aid ventilation of the smoke.
• You began the claims process with your homeowners insurance provider.
• A fire restoration professional assessed the damage to your home and provided estimates.
• You documented the damage to your home with pictures, videos, and careful notes.

Yes, your house has fire damage, but it’s important to know that there are ways to sell a fire-damaged home, and you’ll find the right approach for you.

Who buys fire damaged homes?

If you need to sell fire damaged property, you have options, and they include making repairs and listing the property on the real estate market, selling to an investor as-is, selling to a private buyer as-is, and. more. 

Sell to a real estate investor

There are companies that buy houses for cash. If you want to sell your home that’s been damaged by fire, SoCal Home Buyers is interested in paying cash your fire-damaged property. Selling to a cash home buyer who is reputable and fair comes with many advantages.

To begin, the process – from start to finish – is much faster than making the necessary repairs and working with a realtor. Further, any financial advantage in terms of a better selling price that a real estate agent can offer may be lost to fees, costs, and commissions. 

At SoCal Home Buyers, we’ll schedule a convenient visit to your home at which our skilled inspector will accurately assess the fire-related damages and will make a fair offer that reflects your home’s actual cash value in relation to the damages it has suffered. If you’re trying to sell, we make the process as swift and painless as possible, and we work with homeowners throughout Southern California.

Sell your house at auction

When you sell a fire-damaged house at auction, interested parties compete against one another, which can help increase the price. It’s important to understand, however, that the final bid can be considerably lower than you’d planned for.

Selling your home as-is at auction comes with the advantage of simplifying the process and eliminating the need to prepare the property for sale, but there are likely to be fees associated, and if you’re not able to sell the property, you’ll be back at square one.

Sell your home to a private buyer

There are private house buyers on the market who buy houses with fire damage. Some are investors and some are interested in fixing the properties up and turning them into their private homes.

If you find the right buyer, this can work well, but finding the right buyer may not be easy. While you’ll avoid the fees and commission a realtor would charge, you’ll be responsible for paying closing costs, and financing through the mortgage lender can become a sticking point. 

How to sell a fire damaged house

Wondering how to sell a burned house? There are several steps you can take that will help make the process of selling your property less daunting.  

1. Call your insurance provider

The first order of business if your home has been damaged in a fire is contacting your homeowners insurance provider. The company will send out a claims adjuster to estimate the overall repairs required. Although this is an important step, it’s not the final word on the amount of damage your property has sustained.

2. Have an inspection conducted

Before you can reenter your fire-damaged home, the fire department must clear you to do so. And before you can sell your fire-damaged home, it will need to be inspected by fire-damage professionals. If you sell the house as-is to a reputable investor, they’ll take care of this important element for you, but it will otherwise fall to you.

If this inspection identifies considerably more damage than the insurance company did, you’ll need to enter into negotiations with them – in pursuit of fair compensation. 

3. Determine whether restoring is the right option

One of the first issues to tackle when it comes to the matter of your fire-damaged home is whether restoring it and remaining in it or restoring it and selling it is the right option for you. This decision will hinge on a range of variables, but time and expense often play a starring role.

If you want to sell your house fast, skipping the repairs and selling the place as it stands is very likely to speed up the process, but restoring your home prior to sale typically means a higher selling price. It’s important to also factor in the costs associated with listing your home and selling through an agent, which can eat away at your profits. 

4. Sell as is to an investor

While selling your home as is means there’s no need to repair fire damage, there are important steps that can’t be skipped – most of which focus on legalities and related inspections. At SoCal Home Buyers we pay cash for fire-damaged homes like yours, and we ensure that the process is as transparent and streamlined as possible. 

5. Sell through a realtor

You can sell your home through the traditional method of using a realtor, but you’ll need to restore your home to good repair prior to selling. Once your home is market ready, there are also time-consuming inconveniences to consider, such as staging your home for viewings and open houses as well as carefully balancing the fees and commissions you’ll be required to pay in relation to any financial benefits you accomplish. 

6 . Know how to price a fire-damaged house

Your home has been damaged by fire, which makes pricing it a lot more complicated, and there are several important points to keep in mind.

The calculation process

The cost of restoration may be calculated according to your home’s square footage, which will be multiplied by an average repair cost that reflects the level of damage experienced. 

The type of fire

The type of fire will play an important role in the cost of the damage. The National Fire Protection Association groups fires into five classifications, each of which comes with its own cost range. One of the priciest categories in homes is liquid fires from gasoline and other flammable liquids. 

The kinds of repairs required

The kinds of repairs required will guide the cost of needed repairs and rebuilding. Some of the costliest categories include:

• Kitchen remodels
• Roof replacements
• Flooring repairs and replacements

Once your damages are accurately accounted for, you’ll be better prepared to price your fire-damaged home.

7. Proceed with caution

You’ve been through a lot, and the last thing you want to do in the wake of a home fire is make a rash decision. Take the time you need to make well-considered decisions, which generally includes obtaining professional guidance. 

8. Don’t gloss over the damage

The law dictates that you must disclose the fact of fire damage to prospective buyers, and you won’t do yourself any favors by failing to do so.

We buy fire damaged houses in California

We understand the challenges you may be facing when selling a fire damaged home in California, and we’re here to help. As a company specializing in buying properties like yours, we ensure a smooth process throughout.

When you reach out to us, we’ll carefully assess your fire damaged home’s condition during an on-site inspection. Our fair cash offer takes into account the damage and the required repairs, providing full transparency without any obligation to accept.

Should you decide to move forward, our experienced team will handle all the necessary paperwork and legal aspects, ensuring a hassle-free transaction. You can trust us to guide you through selling your fire damaged home in California hassle-free. We proudly serve all of the following Southern California counties:

• San Bernardino County
• Riverside County
• Orange County
• San Diego County
• Los Angeles County

How do I sell my fire damaged house to you?

If sell my fire-damaged house is on your mind, put your trust in us at SoCal Home Buyers. We pride ourselves on making the process as straightforward and clear as possible while ensuring that sales run smoothly throughout.

We’re interested in buying your house that’s been damaged by fire, and we’ve honed the process to include only the five following highly efficient steps:

1. Contact us at 951-331-3844 or fill out the short form below to request your fair cash offer. Note: We specialize in buying fire-damaged properties in California and will do our best to provide you with a fair cash offer. However, please be aware that the final offer may consider the extent of the fire damage and potential repair costs.
2. Await our prompt response to discuss your fire-damaged property in greater detail and schedule an inspection. Note: Inspecting your fire-damaged home is essential to determine its current condition and assess the extent of the damage. Additionally, we’ll discuss any potential legal requirements and disclosures that may be necessary during the selling process.
3. Our in-house inspector, experienced in fire-damaged properties, will evaluate the home’s condition and propose a fair cash offer based on its current market value and the extent of the fire damage. Note: The final offer will take into account the fire damage, necessary repairs, and any potential legal considerations. We want to be transparent about the process, and while we aim to provide a solution, there might be situations where we cannot proceed with the purchase.
4. If you agree to the offer, we’ll work with you to finalize the sale and handle the necessary paperwork. Note: Selling a fire-damaged home in California may involve additional legal requirements, insurance claims, permits, and title considerations. We’ll guide you through these complexities to the best of our ability.
5. Once everything is in order, we can proceed with the closing process. Note: The closing date will depend on various factors, including repairs, inspections, and any necessary legal procedures.”

Our key takeaways on selling a fire damaged house

If you’re ready to sell your house after fire damage, we offer an efficient system for doing so. Working with us ensures the kind of peace of mind that comes from knowing you’re working with professionals who not only have a wealth of proven experience dealing with fire damage but also have a proven track record of making fair deals.   

FAQs on selling fire damaged property