We Buy Ugly Houses Reviews: What You Need To Know

We Buy Ugly Houses claims to be the number one cash home buyer in the United States. The company has purchased more than 140,000 homes in its 25-year history and has franchises across the country.

They say this is a great alternative to listing your home on the traditional real estate market, especially if your house is distressed, worn down, or needs significant repairs. For many homeowners, We Buy Ugly Houses is seen as a lifeline for selling a financial asset that has now become a burden. 

However, working with We Buy Ugly Houses, which is part of HomeVestors of America, might not be the best option. You might get a better deal by hiring a smaller cash buyer in your area or trying to turn a profit with a regular listing. 

Read We Buy Ugly Houses reviews to see what it’s like hiring this company. While We Buy Ugly Houses might be a good fit for you, it’s important to make an informed decision before moving forward with this brand.  

What is We Buy Ugly Houses?

We Buy Ugly Houses is a cash buyer. The company buys distressed homes, repairs them, and then resells them at a profit. It’s actually in the best interest of We Buy Ugly Houses to find worn-out homes that need significant repairs because this allows them to make lower offers and then quickly turn a profit once the renovations are complete. 

The main pitch that We Buy Ugly Houses gives to customers is that they can sell their homes in as little as three weeks. There are no showings, open houses, or negotiations. Instead, homeowners can sell their homes as-is, move out, and take any profits with them. Considering it takes between 36 to 54 days to sell a house on average, closing on a sale in just 21 days is a major perk. 

In fact, distressed homes can sit on the market for several months without attracting interested buyers. Working with a cash buyer is supposed to be a low-stress alternative and guaranteed option that owners in run-down homes can rely on. 

The team at We Buy Ugly Houses stresses that it is not an iBuyer, or a company that makes an offer on your home using an algorithm. Instead, it is operated by a network of franchisees who visit your home in person one time to gauge its current condition. Once the buyer has that information, they can make an offer to you. If you think the offer is fair, you can accept it and sell your home with limited fees at closing. 

We Buy Ugly Houses has locations across the country, so you can see if there is a franchise near you that can make an offer on your home.

How does We Buy Ugly Houses work?

The team at We Buy Ugly Houses says working with this company will be fast and easy. If you are interested in working with a cash buyer to sell your home, learn more about it. Here’s how it works. 

• Contact the company to sell your home. Let the team at We Buy Ugly Houses know that you have a property that you want to get rid of quickly by completing the online form. 
• A franchisee will reach out to schedule a consultation. They will ask questions about your home and make an in-person appointment to tour the property. 
• Meet with the franchisee at your home. Let your We Buy Ugly Houses representative tour the space and evaluate its current condition. 
• Receive an offer for your home. The representative will estimate the current fair market value of your home and submit an offer to you. You can let them know if you accept or decline this offer. if you accept, they will send over a purchase agreement.
• Move out and close on the sale. You don’t have to wait for a buyer to secure a mortgage or sell their home before they can buy yours. Receive payment for your house in cash and move out quickly. 

After closing, your part is done. You have moved out and have any cash profits from the home sale. However, the work for We Buy Ugly Houses is just beginning. The team will make repairs to your home and invest in upgrades to make it more appealing. They might repaint your house, add new carpet, and install new appliances. From there, the company will sell the house for its new market value with these added upgrades. 

Alternatively, the company might sell your house as-is to real estate investors who are looking to flip it and make these repairs themselves.

Is We Buy Ugly Houses Legit?

We Buy Ugly Houses is a legitimate real estate company. This organization has been in business for more than 25 years and there are hundreds of franchise locations across the country. However, it’s understandable that some people might think this company is a scam. 

For many homeowners, the offer seems too good to be true. While it might seem reasonable that a seller would immediately receive cash offers in a hot market, it’s not the case for distressed houses or almost any home in a slow market. This serves as a lifeline for people who need to sell their properties quickly or don’t have the ability to make repairs. 

Another concern that sellers have when considering this option is the average offer amount. While We Buy Ugly Houses claims to offer a fair market value for homes, it often makes a low bid because the company knows the sellers won’t have many other options. It banks on the idea that sellers are willing to sacrifice a little on the sale price for the convenience of a guaranteed buyer. 

We buy Ugly houses isn’t a scam. It just offers a different business model compared to a traditional real estate agent. When you hire a Realtor, their goal is to sell your house for the highest price possible. This means you get more money while they get higher commissions. The goal of We Buy Ugly Houses is to buy your house for the lowest price possible so they can flip it to real estate investors for a higher profit.

We Buy Ugly Houses Reviews

One of the best ways to decide whether this company is a good fit for your needs is to read We Buy Ugly Houses reviews. One of the benefits of working with a national company with decades of history is that it’s possible to find a variety of reviews across the web. This can give you multiple perspectives on the home sale process. Here are a few places to start.

Better Business Bureau

For many customers, one of the first places to start when learning about a company’s reputation is the BBB. You can check both the We Buy Ugly Houses profile and the HomeVestors of America profile to learn about this brand. The company has an A+ rating by the BBB on both profiles; however, it has a lower star rating. HomeVestors has a rating of 1.53 stars out of 5 with 36 customer reviews. There have also been 41 complaints by customers in the past three years. 

Here are a few We Buy Ugly Houses reviews from customers:

• “[They] keep sending postcards to my son wanting to buy my house! I’m still alive, I own this house, and he may not even get it when I die,” – Bev E, one star.
• “I have been telling this company for years to stop harassing me, but they continue even though I was told they would opt me out,” – Wendy R, one star. 

Many of the We Buy Ugly Houses reviews mention the marketing letters from We Buy Ugly Houses and offers to buy properties when the homeowner wasn’t interested. This makes it hard to gauge what it is like actually working with the company itself. 

The BBB also highlights that there is a significant difference between leaving a review for a franchisee and talking about the best practices of the corporate headquarters.

HomeVestors Website 

It’s hard to find objective, unbiased reviews from customers who have worked with We Buy Ugly Houses. Many of the negative comments online talk about the company’s marketing efforts without getting into whether they were offered fair market value for their distressed properties.

On its own website, We Buy Ugly Houses claims to have a 95% customer satisfaction rate and shares more than 1,000 reviews and testimonials from 2019 to the present. Here are a few things that customers have to say.   

• “I was very satisfied with my experience with Jerry and Larry [HomeVestors franchisees] from this company. They not only made me feel very comfortable and secure during the process, but they took away the fears that I did have going in,” – Kelly B, five stars. 
• “I was satisfied with the amount they gave me; however, the local people at HomeVestors delayed the sale more than twice, even asking for a third extension of the closing date, which I refused,” – Janice O, three stars.
• “They pushed me to close 10 days early! I still do not have everything out of my house/garage!” – Suzan P, three stars. 

We Buy Ugly Houses will have more positive reviews on its own website, where it can curate posts, than on an objective, third-party page. However, there are some negative reviews that counter the positive ones. Sellers talk about pushy representatives, low-ball offers, and poor communication.

However, these comments cannot fairly reflect We Buy Ugly Houses as a whole. The company can highlight how those practices are the work of an individual franchisee who is doing poorly and not standard across the board. This is how We Buy Ugly Houses protects its reputation.  

Yelp 

If you want to learn about your local We Buy Ugly Houses franchisee, turn to Yelp. You can read local reviews from people in your area to decide whether this company is right for your needs. This company has claimed many of its Yelp pages. As an example, here are some reviews from the Tampa, Florida page. 

• “I live in Chicago, but [my representative’s] consistent and thorough updates made it so I never once felt removed from the process going on in Florida. He was also true to his word. He was diligent about meeting all of the deadlines we agreed on and clearly invested in making sure my experience was positive.” – Casey C, five stars
• “Received unsolicited offers right after my father passed away. Way to try to take advantage of grieving families,” Pat L, one star

This is a continuing trend across many of the reviews. We Buy Ugly Houses seems to reach out to people who live in distressed properties or want to sell their houses fast.

While this is essential to grow their business, it can come off as predatory when families are grieving or someone is going through a difficult financial time. This is why many We Buy Ugly Houses reviews claim that it is a scam, even though it is a legitimate company.

Pros of Using We Buy Ugly Houses

The real estate market comes with countless decisions that sellers need to make before they can move. Working with the We Buy Ugly Houses brand is just one option for you to evaluate. Here are a few benefits of contacting a local franchisee. 

• You don’t have to make any repairs. The average seller spends $5,400 on their home to prepare it for sale. You can save time and money by selling your house as-is. 
• There is a guaranteed buyer. This peace of mind often drives sellers to the We Buy Ugly Houses brand. There are no showings, open houses, or negotiations to navigate. 
• The process is fast. If you are on a tight deadline, you can sell your home and move quickly. This is often a preferred option for homeowners facing foreclosure or separating from their partners. 

The We Buy Ugly Houses company values focus on providing convenience to customers. This could be a strong option if you are in a hurry and don’t have time to improve your home to attract buyers.

Cons of Using We Buy Ugly Houses

Despite the convenience of selling your house to a company instead of marketing your home to buyers, there are multiple drawbacks to this option. The biggest concern that homeowners have is selling their properties at fair market value. 

• You might get a lowball offer. While the brand claims to offer houses at prices that match the local real estate market, a We Buy Ugly Houses franchise representative might make a lower offer than you expect. 
• There’s no negotiating. You cannot provide a counteroffer and negotiate a higher price like you could if you listed your home on the open market. 
• You need to trust the local franchisee. The home selling process can become frustrating if you don’t like the person you are working with. 

Another concern to look into is the fees that come with We Buy Ugly Houses. The company claims that sellers can save a significant amount of money by not paying agent commissions. This is a good thing. However, home sellers also need to make sure the organization isn’t charging excessive fees that can equal or exceed agent commissions.

We Buy Ugly Houses Alternatives

There are several alternatives to working with a We Buy Ugly Houses franchisee. Here are a few options to consider if you want to attract buyers and real estate investors to get a quick sale on your home.

FastExpert

Hire a real estate agent who will help you get the market value for your home. Through FastExpert, you can search through a variety of Realtors and choose the best one for your needs. You can find a real estate agent who has worked with run-down homes before and knows how to market them. 

Hiring a real estate agent for a traditional sale significantly increases the chances that you get your home’s fair market value. There’s no incentive to lower the sale price and your Realtor will do their best to market your distressed property to attract buyers. Choose this option if getting the most for your home is your top priority.

iBuyers

We Buy Ugly Houses isn’t the only company that makes cash offers on properties. You can work with companies like Offerpad and Opendoor to sell your home online. The company will look at market trends and photos of your house and make an offer on the property. 

With this option, you might encounter similar problems to choosing We Buy Ugly Houses. Many iBuyer companies are known for making lowball offers that sellers cannot negotiate against. In exchange for convenience, you could lose money compared to working with a real estate agent.

For Sale By Owner (FSBO)

A third option is to skip working with companies and Realtors altogether and sell your house as FSBO. You will have to do your own research on the market value of your property and reach out to real estate investors directly.

While this option gives you the most power, it’s not ideal if you want to sell your house fast. Only choose this option if you have a strong knowledge of the real estate market and know how to advertise your property to buyers.

Consider We Buy Ugly Houses Alternatives Before You Sell

If you are worried about We Buy Ugly Houses scams and other issues that come with hiring this company, your gut might be telling you to go a different route. You deserve a fair price for your home from a buyer who will treat you with respect.

Consider interviewing real estate agents in your area to see how they compare to the We Buy Ugly Houses model. You might find that a good real estate agent can get you a cash offer at a much higher final sale price. 

Try out FastExpert today and see if you can find a Realtor who can help you sell your home.