Home / Situations / As-is
Selling your house as-is in Portland
Selling a house as-is means selling it in its current condition, with no repairs and no obligation to fix anything the inspection turns up. In Oregon, sellers must still complete the statutory property disclosure form. So as-is limits repairs, not honesty about known defects.
Almost everyone who calls us about an as-is sale is worried about the same two things. That they will get taken advantage of because the house is rough. And that somewhere in the paperwork there is a trap.
So let us start with what as-is actually means, because a lot of sellers do not know and a few buyers are counting on that.
What does "as-is" actually mean in Oregon?
As-is is a repair term. You are not fixing anything. The buyer takes the property in whatever shape it is in on closing day. No repair credits, no punch list, no renegotiating after the inspection.
As-is is not a disclosure term. Oregon still requires most residential sellers to complete the Seller’s Property Disclosure Statement, and selling as-is does not get you out of it. Basement floods? You say the basement floods. You just do not have to fix it.
That distinction matters more than anything else on this page. Sellers who think as-is means “I do not have to mention the roof” are the ones getting sued eighteen months later. Sellers who disclose everything and fix nothing are protected.
One more thing. An as-is buyer can still inspect. What they cannot do is come back and ask you to fix what it finds. They can walk, or they can proceed. That is the deal.
What repairs actually cost in Portland
This is the part that decides everything, and most people are working from a number they half-remember. Here is what the big-ticket items actually run in the Portland metro in 2026, at contractor pricing.
| Repair | Portland metro range | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Roof replacement | $12,000–$30,000 | Most standard homes land mid teens to low twenties |
| Whole-house rewire | $8,000–$25,000 | 1,000–2,500 sq ft, 7–14 working days |
| Electrical panel upgrade | $2,500–$7,500 | Typical 100–200 amp swap: $2,500–$4,000 installed |
| Repipe (supply lines) | $190–$315/linear ft | Portland-specific pricing |
| Sewer line repair | $1,388–$10,000 | Full replacement averages ~$150/linear ft |
| Oil tank decommissioning, clean soil | $1,400–$4,000 | Basement access jobs run $2,500–$5,000 |
| Oil tank removal, contaminated soil | $3,500–$8,000+ | Depends on how far sampling goes |
Now add them up, because they do not arrive one at a time. A 1956 Lents house with the original panel, galvanized supply lines, a failing sewer lateral, and a buried oil tank is not a five thousand dollar problem. Panel at $3,000, repipe at $15,000, sewer at $8,000, tank at $3,000, and you are at $29,000 before anyone has touched the roof.
That is on a house averaging 1,405 square feet. The repair bill is a meaningful share of what the house is worth.
Original electrical panel in a mid-century Portland home.
So what does as-is cost you?
Real talk: an as-is cash sale nets less than a repaired listed sale. But most people compare a cash offer to a Zillow estimate, which is not the comparison. Here is the right one.
| Line item | Listing route | As-is cash sale |
|---|---|---|
| Sale price | Higher, fixed up | Lower, current condition |
| Repairs | You pay, upfront | $0 |
| Holding costs while you repair | 4–6 months of mortgage, taxes, insurance, utilities | $0 |
| Agent commission | Yes | $0 |
| Cleanout and hauling | You pay | $0 |
| Risk of what is behind the drywall | Yours | Ours |
| Risk of buyer financing falling through | Roughly 1 in 6 deals | None |
| Time to close | 60–90 days plus repair time | 7–14 days |
Run your own numbers through that and compare the bottom line, not the top one. We show the full arithmetic behind our offer, including a worked example.
Should you sell as-is? Honestly, maybe not.
As-is makes sense when repairs cost more than they add. That is a narrower group than the industry likes to admit. It usually works if:
- The house needs structural, roof, sewer, or full systems work you cannot fund — more here
- You inherited it and you do not live here
- It is a rental you are done with
- There is a deadline, like a foreclosure sale date or a job start
- It is full, and clearing it out is the real obstacle
It usually does not work if the house needs paint, carpet, landscaping, and a deep clean and you can front a few thousand dollars. Cosmetic work returns more than it costs in this market. List it, and we will tell you that on the phone.
Do I have to clean it out?
No. Take what matters and leave everything else. Furniture, the garage, the shed, whatever is living in the crawlspace. People apologize to us about this constantly and they really do not need to. Hauling is a line item we already budgeted, and it is costing you far less than you think.
What about unpermitted work?
Extremely common in Portland, especially in older neighborhoods where somebody finished a basement in 1994 or turned a garage into a bedroom.
Unpermitted work does not stop an as-is cash sale. It absolutely can stop a financed one. The appraiser flags it, the lender may refuse to count the square footage, and a house listed as a four bedroom appraises as a two. The deal dies at day forty. That is one of the main reasons Portland houses end up selling to cash buyers instead of listing. Tell us up front and it is a non-event. Let it surface during title work and everything slows down.
Selling as-is without an agent
You can sell as-is on the open market with an agent, and plenty of people should. You can also go direct, which is what selling without a realtor looks like in practice. Direct means no commission and no showings. It also means nobody is representing your interests but you. Both things are true at once. If your situation is complicated, pay an attorney a few hundred dollars to review the contract. Best money you will spend on this.
Where we buy as-is houses
Across the Portland metro and in Vancouver, Washington. Most as-is calls come from the neighborhoods where the housing is oldest and smallest: Lents at a 1956 median, St. Johns at 1954, Parkrose at 1945, Cully at 1949, and Gresham at 1980.
Every area we buy in.
Questions people ask
Does as-is mean I do not have to disclose anything?
No. Oregon still requires the seller’s property disclosure statement on most residential sales. As-is means you will not make repairs. Disclose everything, fix nothing, and you are protected.
Can the buyer still get an inspection?
Yes. They can inspect and they can walk. What they cannot do is come back asking you to fix what it found or credit them for it.
Will I get lowballed because it is as-is?
You will get less than a repaired house brings. That is the trade. Watch instead for a buyer who gives you a number and then cuts it after you are under contract. Ask any cash buyer whether they retrade, and ask them to put the answer in writing.
What if the house is truly unlivable?
Then as-is to a cash buyer is probably your only realistic option, because it cannot be financed. Fire damage, major structural failure, and severe water damage all land here.
Is it cheaper to fix the house or sell as-is?
Depends on which repairs. A $3,000 water heater and some paint? Fix it and list it. A $29,000 stack of panel, repipe, sewer, and oil tank on a small house? The math flips hard. Use the cost table above and run your own numbers.
This page is general information, not legal or tax advice. Have a real estate attorney review any purchase agreement before you sign.
Cost sources: Jobin Roofing and Pacific Exteriors (roof replacement), Electric Avenue PNW (panel upgrade and rewire), Angi Portland (repipe), Four Seasons (sewer line repair), Alpha Environmental, UST Contractors and Real Estate Agent PDX (oil tank decommissioning). All 2026 figures. Last verified: September 2026.