How To Sell My Smoke Damaged House In Connecticut

Published on Mar 3rd, 2023

Many homeowners' worst nightmare - waking up to the sound of a fire alarm blaring and smoke filling your home - is a house fire. This is devastating in any case for homeowners, let alone if you are planning on a move in the near future. Selling a home can be difficult when it's in perfect condition, let alone selling a smoke or fire-damaged home to potential buyers.

Questions That Arise For Selling A House With Fire Damage And Smoke Damage In Connecticut

Once the smoke settles, both literally and figuratively, questions rush through your mind - Should I sell my home as is? What will be the repair costs? Will people buy houses as is?

Throughout the course of this article, we will discuss how you can get back on your feet after a house fire and successfully sell your smoke-damaged property.

Dealing with Insurance And Your Insurance Agent In Connecticut

Hopefully, you had a generous homeowner's insurance policy. Reaching out to your insurance company as soon as you are able to will help you get through the process of restoring your home and finances as soon as possible. If you work directly with an insurance agent, you should reach out to them at your earliest convenience. Your insurance agent or insurance company will most likely send out an insurance adjuster to look at the damaged house.

The adjuster will determine if only a small portion of the home or the entire home has been damaged and begin the process of starting an insurance claim for you. During this process, you will most likely need to find temporary housing. Once the insurance adjuster, insurance company, and fire department have finished their investigations and determined the level of damage the smoke and fire caused to your home, you will be awarded an insurance settlement. These insurance settlements can help you with the costs associated with repair costs, fire damage restoration, and smoke damage.

Selling A House With Fire Or Smoke Damage In As-In Condition In Connecticut

If you want to sell your home in as-in condition, you can do so without doing any repairs. You will need to make sure your home is presented to potential cash buyers as a burned house and clearly noted that it is a smoke or fire-damaged home. When potential buyers are looking at your home in as-in condition, they will need to take into account what the repair costs will be.

Repairing fire damage can be difficult and isn't for every buyer; that's why many smoke damaged homes attract real estate investors with cash offers, often giving you less money but are willing to buy your home at a fair market value. Working with a trusted and experienced real estate agent that has knowledge of selling a fire-damaged house will be essential to your success. These experienced real estate agents will most likely know investors who want to buy fire-damaged houses, walk you through the selling process, and help you obtain a fast or cash sale.

Renovating Smoke Damaged Houses In Connecticut

Not every fire-damaged property can be repaired. House fires are unpredictable, and smoke/fire damage can be extensive. If your home can be repaired, you will need to reach out to a restoration company that has experience with such a situation. The restoration company will walk you through the process of restoring your home to pre-fire or pre-smoke damage condition.

 As licensed professionals, the fire and smoke restoration company will give you advice on what repairs you should make and what repairs absolutely need to be made to attract the most buyers possible. If your house was involved in a larger fire, then you might need to replace or repair the HVAC system, clean up water damage caused by firefighting efforts, and replace smoke-damaged items. In order to obtain the most money possible for your home with a higher selling price, these repairs will be necessary. 

During the repair and restoration process, you will want to keep a detailed record of what smoke damage has been fixed and what the actual replacement value of these items might be if they were a total loss. You have to remember that when a potential buyer looks at your home, they will be looking at every imperfection. It's important that your house can meet the asking price you have set for home buyers. 

Sharing The Facts With All Parties Involved In A Sale In Connecticut

Withholding information from a real estate agent, mortgage lender, or home buyer can be detrimental to a successful sale. Smoke damage might not be evident in your house today after you took the needed steps for repairs. Home buyers and mortgage lenders have google, and almost all house fires make the news. Home buyers will undoubtedly google your property address and can see the news report of the house fire. Being honest and upfront will help the process be as stress-free as possible despite the traumatic event. 

Understand The Closing Process and Know It Might Take Time In Connecticut

Once you are able to find the right buyer for your fire-damaged or smoke damaged home, it might take some time for the closing process to occur. If your property is sold with a cash offer, the process can move rather quickly, yet if the buyer is using the traditional financing route and working with a mortgage lender, it might take more time than typical home closings due to the history of fire. 

Because of the house damage and potential or further damage to your house after a fire, the actual cash value of your home might not meet your asking price after the mortgage appraisal. This is why selling your home with a cash offer after smoke damage might be the best route depending on the level of smoke or fire damage your home has.

After experiencing a home fire, you will go through a wide variety of emotions. Your house is damaged, you need temporary lodging, and you had to deal with all of the aftermath of a fire. Selling your home and moving on from the trauma might be the best thing for you and your family. Selling damaged properties isn't easy, but it is possible when you have the right plan in place and work with experienced professionals who can repair fire damage, help you get a cash offer, and walk you through closing costs. As always, we suggest that you reach out to the national fire protection association to see what steps you can take to help your and your home stay safe in the future. For more information on selling your smoke damaged home, please reach out via the link below.