Fire-damaged house · Hampton Roads, Virginia
Sell your fire-damaged house, smoke, char and all.
Burned rooms, soot in every closet, plywood over the windows and an adjuster who still hasn’t called back. None of it has to be fixed before you sell. Ask for a fair, no-obligation cash offer, fast, on the house in its burned state, and close on the date you pick, once title is clear.
- No obligation
- No rebuild or smoke cleanup
- No agent commissions
- U.S. Navy veteran-owned He knows PCS orders firsthand.
- A contractor’s eye Repairs priced honestly.
- Hampton Roads local Not a franchise or an app.
- As-is, any condition No repairs, no cleaning.
Where you are
The fire is out. The decisions are just starting.
First, the people. If you and your family are safe, that matters more than any house. The house is a problem to solve, and it can be solved.
Right now, though, it probably feels like a second job. The adjuster wants inventories and receipts. The mortgage still comes due. You may be paying for a rental or a hotel while the house sits boarded up, and the smell of smoke clings to everything you managed to save.
Then the rebuild bids arrive. Fire rarely stays in the room where it started. Water from the hoses soaks floors and ceilings, smoke works into ductwork and insulation, and heat can hurt wiring and framing you can’t see. Bids have a way of climbing once the burned drywall comes down.
You don’t have to settle the claim, hire a restoration company or haul out a single load of debris before you learn what the house is worth to us as it stands. A real number lets you weigh rebuilding against selling with clear eyes.
Virginia law
Selling a fire-damaged house in Virginia: the rules to know.
Fire damage by itself doesn’t block a sale. A few Virginia rules matter if a damaged house sits, and for what a buyer is told. Every point links to its Code section.
Educational, not legal advice. This section explains general Virginia rules in plain language, reviewed . Every situation is different, so talk to a Virginia attorney before you act on it.
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A condemned house can face a tax sale sooner
Fire-damaged houses are sometimes condemned. When a property has a condemned structure, or is a nuisance, derelict or declared blighted, and its real estate taxes go unpaid, the wait before a tax sale can start shrinks from the second anniversary of the due date to the first. Some localities can move sooner still in narrow cases, so ask the treasurer where the house sits.
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The disclosure form leaves condition to the buyer
The usual paperwork is the Real Estate Board’s residential property disclosure statement, and most Virginia sellers use it. That form is “buyer beware”: it says the owner makes no representations about condition, and it tells the buyer to arrange their own inspections.
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Late paperwork lets the buyer walk away
Virginia wants any required disclosure in the buyer’s hands before the purchase contract is ratified. If one shows up late, the buyer’s only remedy is to back out, generally within three days after it is handed over in person or sent electronically, or five days after the postmark for mail. Settlement, or another event that comes first, cuts that right off.
Your options
Rebuild, list it, demolish or sell as-is: what each one asks of you.
The right answer depends on how far the damage spread, what your policy pays, and whether you still want to live in this house when the work is done.
| Option | What it involves | A good fit when | Watch out for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rebuild with the claim money | Settle the claim, hire a contractor or restoration company, and live somewhere else while the work gets done. | The policy covers most of the work, and you want to move back in. | Payouts and bids don’t always match, and you manage the crews, permits and inspections from start to finish. |
| Rebuild, then list | Finish the restoration, then list it with an agent like any other house. | You can carry two housing costs until the work is done. | It may sell for more, but you fund the restoration up front and pay commissions at closing. |
| List it damaged | List it with an agent as a fire-damaged house, at a price that reflects the damage. | The fire was small and the damage is mostly surface-level. | A buyer’s lender may balk at open fire damage, which can leave mostly cash buyers at the table anyway. |
| Tear it down and sell the lot | Pay for demolition and debris removal, then sell the land. | The structure is a total loss and the lot itself is worth a lot. | Demolition and permits are paid up front, and the land still has to find its buyer. |
| Our offer Sell it to us, fire damage and all | One cash offer for the house exactly as the fire left it: soot, water damage, boarded windows and all. | You don’t want to run a rebuild, or you have already decided not to move back. | The offer prices in the repairs, so expect less than the house might bring after a full restoration. Set it beside your claim and your bids. |
Lay the settlement, the rebuild bids and a cash offer side by side, and the choice usually gets simpler. Get your cash offer, then decide.
Why sell to us
Why owners call Angel after a fire.
Fire damage is hard to judge from the curb. Pricing it fairly takes someone who knows what sits behind the burned drywall.
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A contractor’s read on the damage
Because he has worked as a contractor, Angel looks past the soot to the roof, framing, wiring and plumbing, and puts a fair number on what is really burned, not on how frightening the house looks.
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Leave the debris where it is
Pull out whatever still matters to you. Burned furniture, wet carpet and ruined clothes can all stay. We buy it as-is, in any condition, with no repairs and no cleaning on your end.
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No loan approval to wait on
A cash sale isn’t riding on a buyer’s bank agreeing to lend on a house that just burned.
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Local, and a Navy veteran
Your call about the fire goes to Angel, a U.S. Navy veteran here in Hampton Roads and the same person who sets the offer. Not a franchise, and not an app passing your address along.
Sellers
In their words
A lifesaver for distressed homes.
Our home had fire damage in the garage, and conventional buyers couldn't get financing for it. Remodeling Investment Group assessed the house, gave us a clear, non-contingent cash offer, and paid all title/closing costs. They made a stressful situation simple.
Carlos G. Saved me from a huge headache!
I inherited a property that needed a massive amount of work—roof leaks, outdated plumbing, you name it. I didn’t have the time or funds to fix it up before putting it on the market. Remodeling Investment Group came through with a fair cash offer within 24 hours. The process was smooth, transparent, and we closed in under two weeks. Couldn't recommend them enough!
Marcus T. Seamless experience from start to finish.
I had to relocate for a new job on short notice and needed to sell my home fast without dealing with endless open houses or repair demands from retail buyers. Remodeling Investment Group made a direct cash offer, handled all the paperwork, and let me pick my closing date. Truly stress-free!
Elena R.
How it works
Selling a house after a fire, one step at a time.
You can walk away at any step. Nothing binds you until you sign.
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Tell us about the fire
Send the address and a few words on what burned. Photos help but are optional, and you never need to go inside to take them.
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Get your cash offer
Angel prices the house in its current state, smoke and water damage included, and comes back with a fair, no-obligation cash offer, fast.
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Loop in your insurer and lender
Let your adjuster and mortgage lender know you plan to sell, so the claim and the loan payoff are sorted out before closing.
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Close when you’re ready
Pick the date, and we close then, once title is clear. Standard closing costs are on us, and no agent commissions come out of your proceeds.
Before you call
What to gather (if it survived the fire).
You can get an offer without any of it. If the originals burned, copies can be requested later.
- Your claim number. Plus the adjuster’s name and how to reach them, if one is assigned.
- The fire report. Or the report number, if the fire department gave you one.
- A posted unsafe-building notice. Or any condemnation or board-up letter the city sent after the fire.
- Mortgage details. Your lender and a rough balance, so the payoff can be handled at closing.
- Restoration bids. Any estimates you have collected so far.
- Photos. The adjuster’s or the fire department’s are fine. Don’t go in unless it has been cleared as safe.
Missing most of it? Start with just the address, and the rest can follow.
Questions
Selling a fire-damaged house in Virginia: questions and answers
Can I sell a fire-damaged house as-is in Virginia?
Yes. We buy fire-damaged houses across Hampton Roads as-is, from one scorched kitchen to a house that has to come down to the studs. You don’t clean, repair or rebuild anything first.
Can I sell my house before the fire insurance claim is settled?
Yes, you can get an offer and sell before the claim is settled. What happens to the claim money after a sale depends on your policy and your mortgage lender, so check with your adjuster and an attorney before you sign.
Do I have to tell a buyer the house had a fire?
When you sell to us, you just tell us what happened, because we are buying it knowing it burned. For a sale to anyone else, the standard Virginia statement is “buyer beware,” with the owner making no representations about condition (Va. Code § 55.1-703), and any required disclosure has to be delivered before ratification (§ 55.1-709). Other duties can still apply, so check yours with a Virginia attorney.
The city says the burned house is unsafe. Can I still sell it?
Yes. A posted notice doesn’t stop a sale. Va. Code § 15.2-906 lets a Virginia locality adopt an ordinance requiring owners to remove, repair or secure buildings that might endanger public health or safety. If the owner and lienholder haven’t acted after reasonable notice and a reasonable time, the locality may do the work itself and bill the owner, and an unpaid bill becomes a lien on a parity with unpaid local real estate taxes. Forward the notice to us, and the offer accounts for it.
What happens if a burned house sits with unpaid property taxes?
It can head toward a tax sale faster. Under Va. Code § 58.1-3965(A), a property with a condemned structure can reach a tax sale once taxes are delinquent past the first anniversary of their due date, not the second. If you sell first, the delinquent taxes are paid out of the proceeds at closing.
Should I rebuild after a house fire or sell?
It depends on your payout, your bids and whether you want to move back. If the claim covers the rebuild and you love the house, rebuilding can make sense. If not, a cash offer gives you a firm number to weigh against the cost and the wait of construction.
Do I have to clear out the debris and smoke damage first?
No. Leave the burned contents, the debris and the smell. Rescue the photos and papers that matter, and everything else becomes our problem after closing.
Educational, not legal advice. Answers about Virginia law cite the Code section they rely on.
Related
Dealing with more than one of these?
A fire often brings company: a city notice, back taxes or a repair list that keeps growing. All of it can go into one as-is sale.
Burned or smoke-damaged, we buy it in all seven Hampton Roads cities
Sources
- Va. Code § 58.1-3965 (opens in a new tab)
- Va. Code § 55.1-703 (opens in a new tab)
- Va. Code § 55.1-709 (opens in a new tab)
- Code of Virginia § 15.2-906: Authority to require removal, repair, etc., of buildings and other structures (opens in a new tab)
Code sections link to the official text. Last reviewed . Laws change; we re-check these sources when the page is updated. Educational, not legal advice.
As-is · After a fire · No obligation
Get a cash offer on the house, just as the fire left it.
Send the address and a line about the fire. Angel reads the damage the way someone who has worked as a contractor does, then comes back with a fair, no-obligation cash offer, fast. Put it next to your claim and your bids, and make the call that’s right for your family.
- Send the address and a few details. A few minutes, no obligation.
- Get a fair cash offer. For the house as-is.
- Pick your closing date. We close on it once title is clear.
Rather talk it through? Call (757) 386-0307 or send a text.