Situations
Sell a house that needs repairs.
Roofs, foundations, fire and water damage, failed systems, and unfinished renovations are the properties DL Solutions buys most. Repairs are priced into the offer, not required before it. We evaluate what the work will actually cost to complete and buy the property with that in mind.
Who this fits
This fits owners whose property needs work they cannot or do not want to fund: a roof at the end of its life, a foundation with movement, systems that have failed, or damage from fire or water.
It also fits the unfinished project. If a contractor walked off mid-job, we can pick up where the property is today. Permits pulled and never closed are part of the evaluation, not a reason to stop the conversation.
How we approach it
We evaluate what the work will actually cost to complete and buy the property with that in mind. The walkthrough is one visit, usually under an hour, and it is looking at structure, roof, and systems, not at finishes.
The offer prices the work in, which means you do not need bids, contractors, or a punch list before we talk. We do not renegotiate because of things we could see on the walkthrough.
What the transaction looks like
Address, property, conversation, options, closing. Most of the time is spent on the conversation: what happened to the property, what has been done so far, and what you need from the sale.
Closing runs through a licensed title or settlement company. Code violations, condemnation notices, and open permits are worked through with the title company as part of the transaction.
DC, Maryland, and Virginia notes
Each jurisdiction runs its own enforcement regime. The District requires owners to register vacant buildings (D.C. Code § 42-3131.06) and taxes vacant and blighted ones at sharply higher rates (D.C. Code § 47-813). Prince George's and Montgomery counties run active code-enforcement and vacant-property designation programs (Prince George's County Code §§ 13-1120.02 et seq.; Montgomery County Code §§ 26-20 to 26-26). Virginia localities enforce the Virginia Maintenance Code against existing buildings, occupied or not (Va. Code § 36-105(C)).
Open cases and registration status are part of the public record we review before writing an offer, so nothing surfaces at the table as a surprise. This is general information, not legal advice; the title company confirms what attaches to your property.
How we calculate the offer
1.What it will be worth finished
The value the property reaches once the repairs are complete, measured against recent sales of similar finished homes near it.
2.What the work will cost
The real cost of completing whatever the property needs — roof, structure, systems, the half-finished project — priced from the walkthrough rather than a checkbox list.
3.What it costs to hold
Taxes, insurance, and utilities while we own it, title and transaction costs, plus the cost of the money for however long the work runs.
4.What remains is the offer
The finished value minus the work and the holding costs. We show the math if you ask.
Where this comes up
Related situations
Questions
How do you price a house that needs major work?
Three numbers set it: what the property is worth once the work is done, what the work will actually cost to complete, and what it costs to hold the property until resale. The offer is what remains after the second and third come off the first — and we walk through the math with you if you ask.
The renovation is half finished. Does that matter?
An unfinished project is a starting point, not a disqualification — properties where a contractor walked off mid-job are common in what we buy. We evaluate the property where it sits today and price the remaining work into the offer.
Are code violations or open permits a problem?
Permits pulled and never closed, code violations, and condemnation notices are part of the conversation, not a reason to stop it. We review the public record before writing the offer so nothing surfaces later.
Should I fix anything before you see the property?
Nothing you fix between our conversation and closing changes the number, so there is no reason to spend on the property. Save the money; the work is already priced in.