Why? It can keep people from wanting to see your house. Plus, nobody knows what it really means!
Let’s clear the air first about what it means. Did you know that ALL houses are sold “As-Is”? The contracts all the realtors use in my area say on line 202 that the buyer is purchasing the property “As-Is.” That means just as they see it and where they see it. The house is going to stay there and no warranties, no promises of something happening differently in the future are expressed or implied……So reason #1 to NEVER sell “As-Is” is because you already ARE selling “As-Is.”
I have had several buyers in the past tell me that they were interested in a house but saw the seller was selling “As-Is” and didn’t know why. A lot of buyers think that means there is some big issue the seller knows about and wants to pass their problem on to the buyer…..So reason #2 to NEVER sell “As-Is” is because it scares off buyers from even coming to see your house. It is hard to sell a house to somebody that won’t come see it.
Somehow, “As-Is” has come to mean that the seller prefers to not negotiate any repairs after a home inspection. Wise realtors say something like “Seller welcomes inspections but prefers to not do any repairs.” Still, I say there is no need to even do this. Just as the price is negotiable, the inspection terms are negotiable as well. The contracts in my area say that if the buyer elects to do a home inspection, they have the option to ask for repairs. It also says the seller has no obligation to do any of them…..So reason #3 to NEVER sell “As-Is” is because you as the seller do not have to do any repairs. There is no need to state this to a buyer before they even see your house and know if they want it. This is something that can come up during the contract negotiations. If you were on a dating app, would you put on your profile that you’re lactose intolerant and have bad breath? Of course not. The goal of presenting the listing is to get a buyer to schedule a showing. Nothing else.
