Know All Your Options After a Fire: When To Restore or Sell
A cash offer is a data point. It is a free price for your home as it stands. No obligation. Ask for one on day 3 or year 3.
We have evaluated 3,500+ fire-damaged homes in three years. Below: what homeowners face, and when they choose to sell, at every phase.
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Where Are You Right Now?
Find yourself below. Every stage is normal. No stage is too early or too late for a free offer.
| Your stage | What you are thinking | What helps most |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Just survived | "I can't think past today." | Get safe. Call your insurer. Decide nothing yet. |
| 2. Sizing it up | "How bad is this? What does it mean?" | Learn the damage, the claim, and the clock. See Phases 1 to 3. |
| 3. Seeing options | "Should I rebuild or sell?" | Compare side by side. See the table below. |
| 4. Comparing buyers | Who can I trust? An agent? A cash buyer?" | Check any buyer. See "Is This a Scam?" |
| 5. Ready | "What would I get for it?" | Get your offer. It takes minutes to start. |
Not sure which stage you are in? That is stage 2.
Phase 1: First 72 Hours
What hits you: Shelter. Insurer calls. Contractors and buyers who show up fast. About 1 in 5 homes in our files had a roof opening from the fire response.
Who sells now: Homeowners with no insurance (73% of those who contact us), a total or major loss (78%), an out-of-state home, or a rental. About 1 in 3 reach out within 3 days, mostly asking for help.
Do now: Get safe. Call your insurer. Photograph everything. Keep receipts. Sign nothing on the spot.
Need help, not a buyer? One homeowner needed air-quality testing for a family member's health. We connected her with four vetted testers. We did not buy her home.
Phase 2: Weeks 1 to 4
What hits you: Adjuster visit. Mitigation bills. Mortgage still due. Aid can be limited.
Who sells now: No insurance and no money to tear down. Total losses. Rentals. Mitigation bills outgrowing the claim. One Ohio family sold in under a month and paid off what they owed.
Do now: Get the written scope and your housing-coverage end date. Keep mitigation invoices. Get 2 to 3 repair estimates. Get one offer to compare.
Phase 3: Months 2 to 3
What hits you: A 60+ page estimate. Claim disagreements. Bids that slip. Rebuilds of 8+ months. Mortgage plus housing.
Who sells now: A baby on the way. Retirement. An investment property. A realtor who may not list the home. One couple with a newborn used the sale for a down payment. One retired couple closed early and moved near their kids.
Do now: Ask: Can I afford it? Do I have the time? Do I want to? Any no, get an offer. Many homeowners settle their claim, then sell as-is. Check with your insurer or an attorney first.
Phase 4: Months 4 to 9
What hits you: A late contractor. A tarp still up. You, as project manager. Liens. A mortgage on a home you cannot live in.
Who sells now: Blown budgets. Progress that did not match the work. No time left for work and family. One homeowner rebuilt for 4 to 5 months, then sold. She wished she had decided sooner.
Do now: Read your contract and ask an attorney before ending it. We buy gutted, half-built, tarped, and open-permit homes.
Phase 5: Months 9 to 24
What hits you: Housing coverage (ALE) limits vary by policy. Some end near one year. Then a mortgage and a rental at once, for a restoration timeline that may stretch. City notices. Code enforcement. HOA deadlines. Claim disputes that may need an attorney.
Who sells now: Coverage ending. A court order or code deadline. Payments behind. One family, weeks from eviction, needed a decades-old mortgage payoff record. We worked with the title company until it was found, and closed before the eviction.
Do now:
Tell us your deadline. Many homeowners close in 7 to 21 days.
Phase 6: Two Years and Beyond
About 1 in 8 homeowners reach out more than 90 days after the fire. Some wait years.
What hits you: A burned house in the weather. Taxes. Liability. Probate. Zoning that may no longer allow a rebuild.
Who sells now: Homeowners who cannot afford a teardown. Heirs splitting the value. Families tired of carrying it. One probate sat unfinished for five years. We hired an attorney to speed it up and closed in 90 days.
Do now: Get your offer. It is never too late.
Why Homeowners Sell
- They cannot rebuild. Age, health, a big family.
- The money does not reach. No insurance, no demolition money, a payout below the repair bill.
- The process wore them out. Contractors, claims, and cities at once.
- They are already gone. Moved away or retired elsewhere.
- They want a clean start. A baby, a job, a new chapter.
- They run the investor math. Time and capital work harder elsewhere. Ask your tax pro about a 1031 exchange.
- The clock hit. Coverage ending, a court order, an HOA deadline, eviction.
- They want someone honest. Some homeowners told us trust came first.
Why not list with an agent? Fire-damaged homes often take longer to list. Buyer loans can fall through. Strangers walk through an unsafe property.
Restore or Sell
| Restore | Sell as-is | |
|---|---|---|
| Time | 8+ months is common. Claim disputes can stretch it to 2 years. | Many homeowners close in 7 to 21 days. |
| Your job | Project manager: contractors, permits, inspections. | We handle paperwork, title, and open permits. |
| Cost risk | Overruns, delays, possible liens. | A set price before you sign. |
| Certainty | Low until the last nail. | A signed price and a closing date. |
| Best when | You love the home and have time, money, and a trusted contractor. | Time, money, or energy ran out. Or you want a fresh start. |
An offer does not close the restore door. Get one, compare, keep rebuilding if it fits.
Start fresh. Many homeowners combine their insurance settlement with the cash offer and start over. Check with your insurer or an attorney first.
The Honest Numbers
These are median averages from our own records in 2026. Your price depends heavily on the level of fire damage. A smoke-damaged home and a total loss are priced very differently.
| What homeowners can expect | Median |
|---|---|
| Sale price vs. a pre-fire Zillow or Redfin estimate | About 25-50% |
| Time to close your sale | 7 to 21 days |
| Homes with probate, title issues, or many owners | Can take longer, but we will patiently work on your timeline |
Hired an attorney to fight your insurer? We have kept escrow open for as long as 15 months.
Why the gap? Zillow and Redfin do not price in demolition, a new roof, smoke cleanup, permits, or carrying costs. A real person walks you through how we reached your price.
What an Offer Is, and Is Not
It is: a price for your home as it stands. Free. Built on the real damage. Explained by a real person.
It is not: a contract, a deadline, a fee, or a push to stop rebuilding.
- Tell us about the property. A few minutes.
- We look. Photos, records, or a visit. You do not need to be there.
- You get a price and the reasons.
- You decide. Yes, no, or not yet.
If yes, you pick the closing date. Phone, text, or email works. One homeowner closed in fewer than 15 emails.
Real Stories
Day 1 to 3. A daughter needed help, not a sale. We pointed her to vetted help. She kept her job.
Week 3. An Ohio family's mitigation bills grew. They sold in under a month at a price that worked for them.
Month 3. A couple with a baby on the way chose a clean exit. The sale became a down payment.
Month 5. A homeowner rebuilt, saw she was a full-time project manager, sold, and moved near family.
Year 1. A Florida couple spent over a year in a long claim dispute, then sold as-is. The closing was smooth.
Any time. A homeowner in her 90s felt other offers were too low. She got a fair price and weekly updates.
• Any time. A busy landlord closed by email, then used the sale and insurance money to buy his next property.
Check Any Buyer, Including Us
BBB
As of October 2026, our profile shows accreditation, an A+ rating, and 26 reviews, all 5 stars.
Proof of funds
A real buyer shows it.
A real title company
Never wire money to a buyer.
No fee for an offer
Walk away if asked.
Track record over price
Compare reviews, a BBB profile, and history before you trust any price.
A real team
Names, reviews, press. Our CEO has been quoted by Realtor.com.
Out-of-state is normal
Fewer local buyers focus on fire-damaged homes.
Ask for the reasoning
A real buyer explains the price.
Quick Answers
Will you pressure me?
No. Yes, no, or not yet.
Does an offer cost anything?
No.
Do I need to repair or clean?
No. We buy as-is: smoke, water, tarps, teardowns, open permits.
Can I sell with an open claim?
Many homeowners settle their claim and sell. Talk to your adjuster or an attorney first.
What if I still owe a mortgage?
The closing pays it off from the sale. Tell us early.
Probate or several owners?
We have closed these. One sale with four owners, one overseas, still closed.
Do I have to be there?
No. We work remotely.
How fast?
Many homeowners close in 7 to 21 days. Probate and title problems take longer.
What if I keep rebuilding?
Keep the offer as Plan B.
Is it too late?
No. We have bought homes years after the fire.
Know Your Price
No pressure. No fees. No deadline from us.
This guide is general information, not legal, tax, financial, or insurance advice. Every claim, policy, and home is different. Stories reflect what individual homeowners told us. Figures are median averages from our own records and vary with the level of fire damage and each homeowner's situation. Closing timelines and offers vary. Please talk with your insurer, an attorney, or a tax professional before making decisions about your claim, your rebuild, or your sale.