Success Story #1
An Inherited House in Saraland, Six Hours Away: How We Turned It Into an Over-Asking Sale
4436 Laurel Drive, Saraland, AL
Snapshot
- Location
- 4436 Laurel Drive, Saraland, AL
- Situation
- inherited home, seller living six hours away
- Result
- an above-asking offer on day one; sold over asking
- Agent
- Kelli Salter, Camellia Real Estate Group
The Story
When our seller inherited 4436 Laurel Drive in Saraland, he inherited a problem along with it.
He lived six hours away, had never lived in Alabama, and had no interest in becoming a long-distance landlord. The house had been well lived in for many years. It needed some attention, and it was dated enough that a full renovation could have turned into an expensive project fast.
His goal was simple. He wanted to sell for the best price possible without pouring money, time and energy into a house he never planned to keep.
The Challenge
The house had good bones, but it wasn't move-in ready.
A few repairs had to happen before we could list it, including work that would let us market it as a three-bedroom instead of a two-bedroom. There was drywall damage from an old leak, along with the kind of deferred maintenance you often see in an older home.
He had three real options:
And because he lived out of state, whatever we chose had to ask very little of him.
The Plan
We don't choose the market. We choose the strategy.
After walking the property, my team and I recommended a targeted approach. We focused only on the repairs that would change how the home could be marketed.
We coordinated a local contractor to add the egress the primary bedroom needed and to repair the drywall from the old leak. Then we made a deliberate decision not to touch the kitchen, bathrooms or flooring. Those projects would have cost him a significant amount, with no guarantee that every dollar would come back at closing.
Here, the right strategy was to price the home honestly for its condition and let buyers who were comfortable taking on a project see the opportunity.
The Market Responded Right Away
The home had several showings on its first day, and that same day we received an offer above the asking price.
But an offer is only the start of a negotiation. Because our seller wasn't under pressure to sell quickly, he could negotiate from a position of strength. We went back and forth with the buyer several times before landing on terms that worked well for him, and the home ultimately sold for more than the original asking price.
Navigating the Inspection
As you'd expect with an older home, the inspection turned up a list of items, and the buyer's first repair request was more than our seller felt was reasonable.
We didn't simply agree to everything, and we didn't let the deal fall apart. We kept negotiating until we reached a fair repair list. We also tied that agreement to the appraisal, so he wasn't committing to expenses before he knew where the home would appraise.
The Result
- He didn't have to travel back and forth to Alabama.
- He didn't have to find contractors.
- He didn't have to manage a renovation.
- He didn't have to become a landlord six hours away.
- And he didn't have to spend heavily on updates just because the house was older.
He made a few smart repairs, sold for more than asking, and walked away from the closing table with a check and one less thing to carry. For him, that was the win.
What This Means If You've Inherited a Home
An inherited home doesn't automatically need a full renovation before it can sell. Sometimes improvements pay for themselves, and sometimes they don't. The difference comes down to the home's condition, what buyers in today's Saraland and Mobile County market actually value, and which repairs will truly move the price.
If the estate is still being settled, we're glad to work alongside your attorney so the sale fits that timeline.
Before you spend money getting your home ready, let me help you decide what is worth doing and what is not.
Talk With Kelli About Your Inherited HomeResults described reflect one client’s transaction and are not a guarantee of similar outcomes. Camellia Real Estate Group, brokered by eXp Realty.
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