If you’ve only been vacant for a couple of months… then you’ll have no issues selling it.

However, the problem exists when you have missing/broken items (even small) where no bank will loan on the house. And if a bank doesn’t loan a property, no traditional buyer can purchase it. 

Here’s a list of “property criteria” that a bank needs to see before lending on it:

1. No termites or wood-destroying insects 

2. No damage to the roof

3. No damage to the exterior (cracks in walls, beams showing, compromised wall, etc)

4. No foundation damage

5. No loose writing

6. No exposed electrical

7. All utility functioning properly

8. Must have safe and reasonable access

9. The heating system must be operating normally and heat the house properly

10. No chipping or peeling lead-based paint

11. Adequate access to crawl spaces and ventilation in crawl spaces

12.Properly functioning water heater

13. Access to tap water

14. No mold or any other health concerns (like animal or human feces)

15. No safety concerns (like having a steep staircase without handrails)

16. Must be considered “marketable” (Can it sell? Is it pleasing to buyers?)

If any one of these is “broken”, then can’t get a buyer to get a loan on it until it’s fixed. 

To figure out beforehand, if you need any crucial items fixed before listing…  then, it’s best to get an inspection done (Usually costs anywhere from $250-$500), so you can get a list of things to tackle.