Vacant house · Arizona
Sell a vacant Phoenix house
An empty house in the Valley has risks an occupied one doesn't: insurance that may stop covering it, summer heat, break-ins, and squatters. Here is how to protect it while you decide, and how to sell it without flying in.
- No repairs, cleaning, or showings
- No commissions. We pay the closing costs
- Close in as little as about 14 days, or later
Get your cash offer
Takes about a minute. No obligation.
Tell your insurer the house is vacant, because many homeowner policies limit coverage after the house has been empty for a set period, often 30 to 60 days. Keep the power on and the AC set to protect the house in summer, and have someone check it often. If you are not going to live in it or rent it, selling sooner usually costs less than carrying it.
Insurance comes first
Read the vacancy clause in your homeowner policy. Many policies stop covering vandalism, glass breakage, or water damage once a house has been vacant longer than a set period, often 30 or 60 days. Ask your agent for a vacant-dwelling policy or endorsement, and keep the proof. A claim denied for vacancy is one of the most expensive surprises an owner can have.
Phoenix summers and an empty house
- Keep the power on and the AC running at a setting that protects the house; many owners use the mid-80s. Heat warps cabinets, cooks electronics, and lets humidity build in bathrooms.
- Keep the water on if irrigation or a pool needs it, but shut off and drain what you can. A slow leak in an empty house can run for weeks.
- Keep the pool chemistry up. A green pool becomes a code complaint and a mosquito problem.
Break-ins and squatters
Make the house look lived in: mow or trim, stop the mail and flyers, put lights on timers, and change the locks after any contractor or tenant has had a key. Have a neighbor or a paid service check it weekly.
If someone moves in without permission, do not confront them. Call the police, and contact an attorney about a forcible detainer action. Arizona's forcible detainer law covers people who take possession without a right to be there (ARS 12-1173), and it includes a process for owners to demand that unauthorized occupants leave.
Code violations and the city
Valley cities enforce property maintenance codes on overgrown weeds, junk, open structures, and stagnant pools. An open violation can turn into fines and, in some cases, a lien. A buyer can usually purchase a house with an open case, but disclose it. See our repairs page for unpermitted work.
Selling from out of state
You do not need to come back. The title company can send documents for remote online notarization or a mobile notary where you are. A buyer can walk the house with a local friend, a property manager, or by video. If the house has septic, an inspection is required within six months before the transfer. More on that on our Cave Creek and Carefree page.
When a cash sale is the wrong choice
If the house is clean, updated, and in a strong neighborhood, a vacant house can be easy to list and show. A listing may net more. A cash sale fits when the house needs work, you are far away, or the holding costs and risk are wearing on you.
How a sale to us works for a vacant house
Give us access through a lockbox, a neighbor, or a property manager. We walk it once and send a written offer, and you sign remotely. We can close in about two weeks or on the date you pick. Leave behind anything you don't want.
Sources
General information for Arizona homeowners, not legal, tax, or financial advice. Huge Cash Offer is a home buyer, not a law firm, lender, or housing counselor. Laws and fees change; check the linked sources.
Straight answers
Read before you decide
How do cash home buyers in Phoenix calculate an offer?
How Phoenix cash home buyers get from a house to a number: after-repair value, repairs, holding and resale costs, and margin, with a worked example.
Read the guideWhat does it cost to sell a house in Phoenix with an agent?
Commissions, Arizona closing costs, repairs, and holding costs on a Phoenix listing, with a worked example of what a seller nets.
Read the guideShould I fix my house before selling in Phoenix, or sell as-is?
How to decide whether a repair pays back before you sell in the Phoenix area, which items financed buyers' lenders care about, and a side-by-side example.
Read the guideHow to protect and sell a vacant house in Arizona
A checklist for an empty house in the Phoenix area: insurance vacancy clauses, summer heat, water, security, squatters, code complaints, and selling from out of state.
Read the guideSelling a house in Sun City or Sun City West
What's different about selling in Sun City and Sun City West: age restrictions, recreation center fees at transfer, the buyer pool, estates, and older homes.
Read the guideQuestions
Straight answers.
Does homeowners insurance cover a vacant house?
Often only partly. Many policies limit coverage after a set vacancy period, commonly 30 to 60 days. Ask your agent about a vacant-dwelling policy.
What temperature should I leave the AC at in a vacant Phoenix house?
High enough to save power but low enough to protect the house; many owners use the mid-80s in summer. Ask your insurer if the policy says anything about it.
What do I do if squatters move in?
Call the police and an attorney. Arizona's forcible detainer law gives owners a way to demand that unauthorized occupants leave and to remove them through the courts.
Can I sell my house while living out of state?
Yes. Most of the closing can be handled remotely through the title company and a notary.
Do I need to empty the house before I sell?
Not for a cash sale. You can leave furniture and belongings.
Is it better to rent a vacant house or sell it?
Compare the realistic rent with the repairs needed to rent it, the management cost, and the carrying costs. If the numbers are thin, or you don't want to be a landlord, selling is simpler.
How it works
- Tell us about the house. About a minute, no obligation.
- Get a written offer. We walk the house once; offer usually within 24 hours.
- Close when it works for you. At a licensed title company, in as little as about 14 days.
Who you are dealing with
- Buying Valley houses since 2012
- Local office: 3602 E Greenway Rd, Suite 105, Phoenix, AZ 85032
- We proudly partner with Great American Title Agency.
- A+ rating with the BBB
“Sold my house in one day. It was very easy, the paperwork was light, and I had my check in two weeks.”
Find out what your house is worth to us.
Get a written cash offer, usually within 24 hours. No obligation and no pressure.
- Houses in all kinds of condition
- A real person calls, usually the same day
- A flexible closing date
Get my cash offer
Takes about a minute. No obligation.