By: Aaron Eller

January 3, 2025

Selling a Vacant House in Missouri

Vacant homes can present unique challenges for their owners. Whether you’ve recently inherited a property, moved into a new home, or are managing a rental property that’s been left empty, it’s crucial to determine what you want to do with it. Selling a vacant house can often be the most practical solution. In this blog, we’ll explore why selling a vacant house in Missouri—especially in St. Louis—can be a beneficial decision. We’ll delve into the steps involved, the risks of holding on to a vacant property, and how a cash home buyer like Cash Offer Man can make the process hassle-free and give you the most money for a property that might need a lot of work. 

What Is a Vacant House?

A vacant house refers to a residential property that is unoccupied. This could be due to various reasons, such as:

• The owner has moved out but hasn’t sold the home.
• It’s an inherited property waiting to be dealt with.
• It was a rental property, and the previous tenants left.
• It’s undergoing renovations but is not currently being lived in.

In Missouri, thousands of homes are vacant at any given time, with owners facing unique concerns like security, maintenance, and financial costs to own a vacant house.

Why Should You Sell a Vacant House?

Selling a vacant house can be the smartest move for many reasons:

1. Save Money on Expenses: Maintaining a vacant property costs money. Utilities, insurance, property taxes, and upkeep expenses add up over time with a vacant house not bringing in any money or giving you any benefit. 
2. Avoid Security Risks: Vacant houses are prime targets for vandalism, theft, and squatters. Keeping the home secure can be a constant stressor and financial drain.
3. Simplify Your Life: Managing an empty house—especially if you live far away or have other commitments—can be overwhelming. Selling eliminates your responsibilities and headaches of owning the house.
4. Turn the Property into Cash: Rather than letting the home sit idle, selling it allows you to free up financial resources for other uses or investments.
5. Market Opportunities: Missouri’s real estate market often sees demand for homes—even those that are vacant. Buyers and cash home buying companies actively seek such opportunities to reinvest money in local neighborhoods to help out families. 

Is It Worth It to Keep a Vacant House?

In some scenarios, holding on to a vacant property might seem appealing. Perhaps you’re hoping to wait for property values to rise or have plans to renovate it someday. However, you should carefully evaluate whether keeping the house is genuinely worth the trouble.

Potential Downsides of Keeping a Vacant House:

1. Ongoing Costs: Monthly expenses for utilities, taxes, insurance, and basic maintenance accumulate quickly.
2. Decline in Property Condition: Even without occupants, a home can deteriorate over time, especially if maintenance is neglected. If the property does not have any utilities on, the cold weather or heat can put more wear and tear on the house. 
3. Liability Risks: Vacant homes can pose safety risks to others, making you liable for potential injuries or accidents on the property. With overgrown grass or neglected backyards, these properties can be a target for local kids to mess around at. 
4. Lost Opportunity Costs: By not selling, you’re missing the chance to use that cash for other priorities like paying off debt, investing, or purchasing a different home.

Risks Associated with a Vacant House

Keeping a vacant property comes with its own set of risks that go beyond financial concerns:

1. Vandalism and Theft: Empty houses are easy targets for criminals looking for copper piping, fixtures, or other valuable materials or a place to do illegal activities because they know no one is there. 
2. Squatters: In some cases, unauthorized occupants may take up residence in a vacant property, leading to legal headaches and significant cleanup costs that can take a lot of money and time to get your property back even in a more investor friendly state like Missouri. 
3. Decreased Curb Appeal: An unoccupied house often looks neglected, which can bring down the value of the property and the surrounding neighborhood. If you have a Homeowners Association (HOA), they can fine you for overgrown grass or neglected maintenance. 
4. Insurance Complications: Many insurance companies charge higher premiums or refuse to cover vacant homes altogether, leaving you financially vulnerable. It is a risk to the companies and to you leading to even more headaches and bills. 

Selling quickly can help you avoid these risks and save yourself considerable trouble.

Pros of Selling to a Cash Buyer

Working with a cash home buying company like Cash Offer Man can be a game-changer for vacant property owners in Missouri. Here are some of the benefits:

1. Sell As-Is: Cash buyers purchase homes in their current condition, which means you don’t need to invest in repairs, cleaning, or upgrades.
2. Speedy Closings: Unlike traditional sales, which can take months, cash buyers can close deals in as fast as a week. 
3. No Fees or Commissions: Skip the realtor fees and other costs associated with traditional real estate transactions. Investors will pay all additional costs incurred leaving more money for the seller. 
4. Hassle-Free Process: Cash buyers streamline the process, handling most of the paperwork and removing much of the headache. Title companies will transact the deal at Close of Escrow. 
5. Fair Offers: Reputable cash buying companies like ours ensure competitive offers, giving you the most value for your home. 
6. Community benefit: Cash Offer man will fix up old and abandoned Vacant Houses and make them livable again which helps the local neighbors and a family who can either buy or rent the house after our company rehabs it. 

The Process of Selling a Vacant House

Selling a vacant house might seem daunting, but the process can be simple—especially when working with a cash buyer. Here’s a step-by-step guide:

1. Assessment: Reach out to a trusted cash home buying company for a no-obligation property evaluation. They will go over comparable sales and what it cost to repair anything at your specific property. 
2. Receive an Offer: Cash Offer Man will meet you at the property and give you a Free Cash Offer after viewing the property on the spot. We will bring all the nearby home sales and we look at houses everyday so we know what the repairs will cost after viewing the home. 
3. Negotiate (if needed): If the terms don’t meet your expectations, you can discuss options to get more money or amend any terms you would like. Everything is always negotiable.
4. Sign Agreement: Once you’re happy with the offer, sign the purchase agreement to begin the process. Everything will then be sent over to a title company. 
5. Closing: The Close of Escrow will take place at the title company where your check of the proceeds will be available the same day. 

Working with Cash Offer Man ensures your vacant house is sold quickly and conveniently.

About Our Company

At Cash Offer Man, we specialize in buying vacant houses across St. Louis and Missouri. As a local home buying company, we understand the unique challenges homeowners face with unoccupied properties. We pride ourselves on offering fair cash offers, fast closings, and stress-free transactions.

Whether your property needs repairs, has been sitting idle for years, or you simply want to avoid the hassle of traditional selling, we’re here to help. Our team handles all the details so you can move on with your life without delay.

Summary

Selling a vacant house in Missouri doesn’t have to be complicated. Whether it’s to eliminate financial strain, avoid risks, or simply turn a burden into cash, working with a trusted cash home buying company is often the best solution. At Cash Offer Man, we’re committed to making the selling process smooth, quick, and rewarding.

If you’re ready to explore your options, contact us today to get a cash offer on your house in St. Louis. Let’s turn that vacant property into an opportunity!