Selling a House ‘As Is’ in Ohio

Review your options to sell ‘as is’ in Ohio

The main options to sell a house as-is include:

List ‘as is’ with the help of a real estate agent

A great real estate agent will provide assistance throughout the process of listing and selling a home as-is. An agent gives simple presentation tips to improve marketing, helps to set an appropriate price that reflects the home’s condition, and works to find a buyer willing and eager to buy your home in its current state.

It’s important to find an agent with experience selling homes as-is in Ohio. A great agent might also work with local contractors, so you can make your house more appealing to buyers and save time and money with repairs.

Sell directly to a cash buyer

Someone needing to sell their home as-is can also work directly with a property investor or house buying company rather than list, where it may be difficult to get an offer from a limited buyer pool.

We Buy Houses operations buy as-is at a discounted rate and generally seek out homes in poor condition needing significant repairs. These companies can help sellers cash out quickly, and many will cover a seller’s closing costs.

Steps to list as-is with the help of a real estate agent

Find an agent willing to list the home as-is

Your choice of real estate agent always matters, but especially when selling a property as-is. It’s important to find the right match. You’re looking for an agent who doesn’t shy away from listings that need a little TLC and maybe has a strong network of investor connections.

Your agent should also be willing to go the extra mile on marketing. Considering that the majority of Americans prefer a move move-in-ready home, an as-is sale likely has a reduced buyer pool from the start.

Lynn goes the extra mile for all of her clients by doing light staging for properties that need it.

Consider a pre-listing inspection

A pre-listing home inspection is the same as a standard home inspection, except that the seller pays for it before listing their home on the market. It may sound like a counterintuitive step for an as-is sale, but getting the inspection results upfront can illuminate any issues that could impact the home’s value and inform an accurate pricing strategy. 

If a buyer requests further price deductions based on their own inspection, you may be able to point out that the estimated cost of certain repairs was already baked into the list price.

Price to reflect as-is condition

The average sale price for homes in Ohio hit $274,522 in January 2025, a 7.6% increase from the $255,052 recorded in January 2024.

Some of the top factors that impact the value of an as-is listing in Ohio include the area the house is located in, its size, estimated cost of repairs, the size of the lot, and the overall layout of the home. If the house has an open floor plan, is in a desirable area, and has a large yard, even if it needs repairs, it will be an attractive option to many buyers in Ohio.

You can start with a free estimate from HomeLight’s Home Value Estimator (HVE).

Our HVE combs public data, including tax records and assessments, and pulls recent sales records for other properties in your neighborhood. Using a short questionnaire, we also factor in specifics about your home, such as the property type and described condition. Input your address, and we’ll provide you with a preliminary home value estimate in under two minutes.

Do ever-so-light preparations

Even for as-is home listings in Ohio, Lynn typically recommends sellers complete the following:

Photograph to show potential

Your home listing warrants professional photography regardless of its condition. A professional photographer will take steps to shoot each room from the best angle, ensure optimal interior and natural lighting, and edit for the ideal brightness and exposure.

A high-quality camera with a wide-angle lens is also essential to showcasing entire rooms rather than half or three-quarters of what’s there. Excellent real estate photos attract more potential buyers, create a strong first impression, and generate more interest in a listing. Professionally shot images showcase a home’s best features, making it appear more spacious, inviting, and valuable, which can lead to higher offers. 

With increased visibility and emotional appeal, homes with great photos often receive more inquiries, sell faster, and stand out in a competitive market. According to statistics, listings that include professional photography sell 32% faster. Listings with pro-quality listing images can close for up to $116,076 higher than comparable listings with low-quality photography.

Your real estate agent will almost always arrange for professional photos as part of the listing process.

Highlight the surrounding area

A home’s location will be important to buyers seeking out a home with potential. Mention in your as-is listing if your home is close to any of the following:

• Restaurants and shopping, including grocery stores and pharmacies
• Parks, libraries, and community centers
• Hospitals and doctor’s offices
• Museums and other attractions
• Rivers and lakes
• Access to major highways
• Public transportation

Include as-is in the listing

Unless you explicitly mention that your house is being sold as-is, buyers will have no idea of your intentions with the listing. Another common descriptor mentioned in as-is listings in Ohio is the phrase “priced to sell.”

To balance the focus on as-is condition, work with your agent to craft a property description that highlights the home’s best features, such as a great backyard, high ceilings, and crown molding. According to Lynn, the multiple listing service (MLS) in Columbus, Ohio, doesn’t have a specific ‘as is’ checkbox or label for agents to mark.

Understand buyers may still negotiate

Listing as-is provides no guarantee that buyers won’t try to negotiate savings on their purchase, even on an asking price you felt was already reduced to reflect the home’s condition. One of the best defenses you can have is an agent who takes a hard stance to prevent a deal from going south for the seller.

Lynn is a pro at handling negotiations when selling a house as-is in Ohio. She knows the house inside and out and can highlight its positive features. She has also already taken care of minor repairs, so buyers have less room to negotiate based on any small fixes that they might request.

Be aware of minimum property standards for certain loans

When you place your home on the market, it’s hard to predict if your top offer will come from a cash buyer or a buyer prequalified for a home loan.

If you do end up working with a financed buyer, be aware that different mortgage types (such as conventional loans or government-backed FHA, USDA, or VA loans) have different minimum property standards. These are standards related to the overall condition of a property, which will play a role in the willingness and ability of a lender to finance a buyer’s loan.

Before properties can be financed, their value and condition are typically examined by a state-licensed, independent appraiser contracted by the buyer’s mortgage company.

If you’re unsure whether your home will meet appraisal requirements, you can start by taking a look at the FHA minimum property standards. If your house complies with the FHA, then it complies with most other lenders’ requirements.

Prioritize a cash offer if you receive one

On occasion, conventional lenders may even finance a fixer-upper property sold as-is, and it’s not impossible to finance a fixer-upper with an FHA loan. However, if you’re selling a house as-is — especially one that needs heftier repairs — you may want to consider accepting a cash offer if you receive one. Cash eliminates the lender-ordered appraisal as well as the time it takes to close on the buyer’s loan, creating a faster and clearer path to settlement.

Only about five percent of Lynn’s offers are from cash buyers. Some buyers may even make a cash offer with no loan contingency, but then end up getting a mortgage. This is perfectly fine as long as it’s done within the contract timeline