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Selling Your House To Someone You Know: Is It A Good Idea? -

Brian Lee BurkeBrian Lee Burke
Feb 14, 2022 5 min read
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Selling Your House To Someone You Know: Is It A Good Idea? -

Selling a home is for sure a tricky thing to do. There will be many items to accomplish, like refitting your home, elevating the curb appeal, taking good photos, etc. It'll require you to make good decisions to get the best deal.

However, how will you decide when a family member or a friend comes to you showing interest in buying your home

Though the desire to buy a house from a family member may sound like the comforting, convenient, and more leisurely route, there are many things to consider before agreeing to it. Doing so will be a significant decision to make or break your property-selling journey and outcome. 

Ready to find your dream home in Colorado?
Let us help you. Call or Text Kenna Real Estate Group at 303-955-4220 to get personalized assistance from our expert real estate agents. Find out what your home is worth in today's market.

Keep in mind that advantages and disadvantages come along with this decision. However, you must assess and ensure that the benefits outweigh the downsides before finalizing a contract with a friend or a family member.

If you're facing the same dilemma, check out the pros and cons of selling your home to someone you know well.

Benefits Of Selling Your Home To A Friend

Selling your home to your friend can give you advantages that can be hard to get when enlisting your real estate on the market. Here are the following benefits:

1. Prevent Costly Repairs

If you plan to enlist your home in the market, you should expect to meet choosy and demanding buyers. With that, you might have to face the need for repairs, which will be additional expenses.

Ready to find your dream home in Colorado?
Let us help you. Call or Text Kenna Real Estate Group at 303-955-4220 to get personalized assistance from our expert real estate agents. Find out what your home is worth in today's market.

In addition, a friend or family member can overlook some property shortcomings, such as being far from essentials like stores and bus routes.

2. A Win-Win Deal Can Be Possible

The price increase is kept at a plateau because of the tough competition in the market today.

With that said, there haven't been significant changes in housing prices. Therefore, in this situation, you and your friend can meet in the middle and decide to have a win-win deal that will benefit you both and help you meet your financial goals quickly.

3. Sell Your Home Faster

Selling your home to someone you know might help you sell your home faster without having to face the hassle of marketing, property tours, extra repairs, and more. 

Because you already have a buyer, this means more money for you. That also means you'll be able to get rid of mortgage payments faster, too. When you have to make a location transfer, this will truly help you move out quickly.

Ready to find your dream home in Colorado?
Let us help you. Call or Text Kenna Real Estate Group at 303-955-4220 to get personalized assistance from our expert real estate agents. Find out what your home is worth in today's market.

Downsides Of Selling Your Home To A Friend

On the other hand, there could also be disadvantages to selling a property to a friend. These are the following.

1. Biased Perspective

When you're on the verge of selling a property, your needs and best interests should be what you prioritize the most. On the contrary, this might be an issue along the way since that person is someone you know and has a good relationship with you. 

You might be scared to step on your toes and fight for what you want because you don't want to offend her or strain your relationship. It's either you make a decision that could offend her or lose the best interest of you.

2. Higher Profit Might Be Gone

It is most likely to happen to real estate in a hot market where buyers could have potential bidding wars to get the property. On the flip side, you might lose the possibility of a higher profit when you finalize the selling to one buyer only. And even though you want to make the most profit and get the best deal for your home, you might hesitate because you prefer to do only some of those at your friend's expense.

Ready to find your dream home in Colorado?
Let us help you. Call or Text Kenna Real Estate Group at 303-955-4220 to get personalized assistance from our expert real estate agents. Find out what your home is worth in today's market.

3. Strained Relationship

Broken relationships are one of the worst downsides of selling a property to someone you know well. Things don't always work well, and that's one possibility you must consider. And when this happens, the relationship is at risk. 

Conclusion

Though selling a property to someone you know, like a family member or a friend, sounds fun and exciting, there's still a 50/50 chance that you will only sometimes get the best possibilities. When going through this route, you should always consider the advantages and disadvantages.

Yes, it's a fantastic decision because you'll be able to sell your home faster, with less hassle of staging it and a minimal possibility for costly repairs. On the other hand, there's also a significant risk of not getting the best value for your property or ending up with broken relationships.

Therefore, before considering this option, you must carefully assess the situation and ensure that the advantages outweigh the downsides. Considering the factors stated above will help you make the best decision. That way, you'll have the most beneficial outcome in your real estate selling journey.

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WRITTEN BY
Brian Lee Burke
Brian Lee Burke
AUTHOR, E-PRO®, REALTOR® BROKER

Brian Lee Burke is the founder and team leader of Kenna Real Estate Group, a real estate team at Keller Williams DTC. A licensed REALTOR® since 2002, Brian helps Colorado buyers and sellers navigate residential real estate, new construction, pricing, and negotiation. He is also the author of The Real Estate Playbook and Mastering Real Estate: Your Guide to Becoming a Top Agent.

View Brian Lee Burke’s full profile.