Sell a House As-Is: Greater Philadelphia & NJ

The short version

As-is means you make no repairs and give no repair credits. The buyer takes the house in its current condition, usually after an inspection.
It does not erase your duty to disclose. In Pennsylvania, sellers of one to four unit homes must disclose the material defects they know about on a state form before the agreement of sale is signed, unless the sale is exempt.
In New Jersey, sellers must answer flood-risk questions on the state disclosure form before the buyer is bound. In both states, homes built before 1978 need the federal lead paint disclosure.
Local rules still apply. Philadelphia requires a Property Sales Certification that lists open code violations, and some suburban and South Jersey towns run their own resale inspections.
A cash, as-is offer is usually lower than what a fully repaired house could bring, because the buyer pays for the repairs and takes the risk. Weigh it against what repairs, commissions and months of holding the house would cost you.

What does selling a house "as-is" actually mean?

It means you sell the house in its current condition and will not fix anything, or pay for fixes, before closing. The agreement of sale says so, and the price reflects it.

Three things as-is usually does not mean:

No inspection. Most buyers still inspect. Many agreements give the buyer a set number of days to inspect and to cancel if they find something they will not accept. Read that part of any contract closely.
No disclosure. Known problems still have to be disclosed. Pennsylvania's disclosure law says it does not limit any other duty to avoid fraud or misrepresentation, so an as-is clause is not cover for hiding a problem.
No local paperwork. City certificates, town resale inspections and smoke alarm rules still apply.

Do I still have to disclose problems if I sell as-is?

Yes, in most sales. Selling as-is changes who pays for repairs. It does not change what you have to tell the buyer.

Pennsylvania: the Real Estate Seller Disclosure Law

The law covers sales of homes with one to four units. A seller must disclose every material defect they know about on a property disclosure statement and give the buyer a signed, dated copy before the agreement of sale is signed.

A material defect is a problem that would have a significant adverse impact on the value of the property, or that involves an unreasonable risk to people on the property. An old roof or furnace is not a material defect just because it is near the end of its normal life.

The form asks about the roof, basement, structural problems, water and sewer, plumbing, heating and air conditioning, electrical, termites and pests, hazardous substances, flooding and drainage, title problems and storm water facilities, among other things. You do not have to hire inspectors to fill it out, but you cannot misstate what you know, and you must tell the buyer if something changes before settlement. A seller who willfully or negligently fails to disclose can owe the buyer's actual damages, and the buyer has two years after settlement to sue.

The law does not apply to some transfers, including:

sales by an executor, administrator or trustee while settling an estate or trust (see our guide to selling an inherited house in Philadelphia)
court-ordered transfers, including sheriff sales
foreclosure-related transfers to or by a lender
transfers between co-owners, to a spouse, or to a direct relative such as a child or parent, and transfers between spouses in a divorce
a house the buyer will tear down or convert to a non-residential use, and vacant land

Selling as-is is not an exemption, and neither is selling to an investor.

New for flood risk. Act 74 of 2026, signed October 22, 2026, takes effect 60 days later. Once the state Insurance Department posts its flood information online, Pennsylvania sellers must also give buyers a short written notice about flood insurance, on or with the disclosure form.

New Jersey: the flood disclosure law

New Jersey law requires every seller to disclose, on the state's property condition disclosure statement, whether the property is in a FEMA flood hazard area and anything the seller actually knows about its flood risk, before the buyer becomes obligated under the contract (P.L.2023, c.93). The questions cover past flood damage, flood insurance claims, federal flood aid, current flood insurance and any FEMA elevation certificate.

Beyond flooding, be open about what you know. Put known problems in writing, and have a New Jersey real estate attorney review the contract before you sign.

Both states: lead paint in houses built before 1978

Federal rules require sellers of pre-1978 housing to disclose any lead-based paint or lead hazards they know about, hand over any lead reports they have, give the buyer the EPA pamphlet Protect Your Family From Lead in Your Home, and include a lead warning statement in the contract. Buyers get 10 days to have the house tested, unless both sides agree in writing to change that or the buyer waives it. Keep your signed copy for three years.

What big repairs do older houses around Greater Philadelphia need?

The same big-ticket problems show up again and again in older rowhomes, twins and singles around Greater Philadelphia and South Jersey. Here is what each one means in plain terms.

Repair prices vary widely by house and contractor. Get two or three written bids, or a home inspection, before you decide.
Problem	What it looks like	Why buyers care
Roof	Stains on the top-floor ceiling, soft spots, patched seams on a flat rowhome roof	Leaks spread into plaster, framing and wiring
Foundation and walls	Cracks, a bowing basement wall, a rear wall or porch pulling away	Structural work can mean an engineer, permits and a big bill
Sewer line	Slow drains, backups at the basement floor drain, roots or broken pipe on a camera scope	In Philadelphia, the pipe from the house to the public sewer is the owner's to fix
Knob-and-tube wiring	Old cloth-covered wires on porcelain knobs in the basement or attic, two-prong outlets	It has no ground wire and is usually replaced, which means opening walls
Galvanized pipes or a lead water line	Low water pressure, rusty water, dull gray metal pipes	New supply lines; in Philadelphia the water service line is also the owner's responsibility
Buried oil tank (South Jersey)	A fill or vent pipe in the yard, an old oil burner in the basement	A leaking tank can mean digging out contaminated soil
Mold and a wet basement	Musty smell, stains, damp walls, peeling paint	Mold usually means a water problem that has to be fixed first
Fire or water damage	Soot, charred framing, fallen ceilings, an open insurance claim	Often means gutting and rebuilding with permits

If you plan to stay, you may not need to sell to solve the problem. Philadelphia offers free emergency repairs for electrical, plumbing, heating, structural and roofing emergencies in eligible owner-occupied homes, minor repairs and modifications for homeowners 60 and older, and low-interest Restore, Repair, Renew loans for income-eligible homeowners. The Water Department's HELP program makes zero-interest loans for water and sewer line repairs, including replacing a lead service line, on residential properties with up to four units.

Will code violations or a town inspection stop an as-is sale?

Usually not, but they change who fixes what, and when. The rules depend on where the house is.

Philadelphia

The city says Pennsylvania law requires a Property Sales Certification to sell real estate in Philadelphia. It shows the property's zoning classification and last established use, and discloses uncorrected housing, building, safety and fire violations. L&I charges $139 and says processing takes five business days. You can check a property's L&I violations yourself on atlas.phila.gov.

Because open violations are on the certificate, the buyer knows about them before closing. You can fix them first, or sell to a buyer willing to take them on. A buyer who wants to rent the house cannot get a rental license until they are cleared, so expect them to show up in the price. Our guide to selling with L&I violations walks through Philadelphia's process step by step.

Pennsylvania suburbs

Some townships and boroughs require a resale use and occupancy (U&O) inspection before a house changes hands. Ambler Borough in Montgomery County, PA, for example, now checks the sewer lateral, sidewalks and smoke and carbon monoxide detectors on a resale.

A 2016 state law (Act 133) keeps these inspections from blocking an as-is sale. If the inspection finds problems, the town must still issue a temporary certificate: a temporary U&O when the violations are less serious, or a temporary access certificate when a violation makes the house unfit to live in (no one may live there until those items are fixed). The town cannot demand an escrow or bond to issue it, and the buyer generally has 12 months to fix the cited items.

South Jersey

New Jersey's fire code requires one- and two-family homes to meet its smoke alarm, carbon monoxide alarm and portable fire extinguisher rules before a sale. Homes that rely on battery smoke alarms need the 10-year sealed battery type. Plan for that inspection before closing.

Some towns go further. Deptford Township in Gloucester County, for example, inspects the whole house for a continued certificate of occupancy on a resale, and its application says an owner may not sell a unit with an open compliance order or notice of violation until the repairs are made. Call your town's code office as soon as you decide to sell, so a surprise repair list does not push back your closing.

How do repairs affect the price?

Every needed repair comes off the price one way or another. The real question is who does the work and who carries the risk.

When you list a house that needs work, buyers subtract what they think the repairs will cost and usually add a cushion for surprises. Some buyers can fold repair money into their mortgage with an FHA 203(k) renovation loan: the Limited 203(k) covers up to $75,000 in repairs, and the Standard 203(k) is for major rehab. That keeps more buyers in the running for an as-is listing, but those loans come with consultants, bids and inspections that take time.

A cash investor buys the house as it stands. The offer has to cover the repairs, the cost of holding the house during the work (taxes, insurance, utilities and financing), the cost of selling it again, and a profit for the risk of surprises behind the walls. That is why a cash, as-is offer is usually below what the same house would bring fully repaired. What you save in return: repair bills, months of carrying costs, agent commissions, repair credits after an inspection, and the risk that a financed buyer backs out late.

Should I fix it up or sell as-is?

Run the numbers on at least two of these before you decide.

Our cash sale vs. listing comparison lays out the costs side by side.
Option	Works well when	Trade-offs
Repair everything, then list	You have the cash or credit, the time and a contractor you trust	The highest possible price, but you pay for repairs up front, carry the house for months, pay a commission, and repairs often uncover more work
Fix one or two key items, then list	A single problem, like a roof leak or a dead heater, is scaring buyers off	Costs far less than a full rehab, but you still pay a commission and wait out showings and the buyer's inspection
List as-is with an agent	The house is livable and the area draws buyers	More buyers bidding than an off-market sale, but expect inspection requests, price cuts and buyers who need financing
Sell as-is to a cash investor	Repairs are big or unknown, money is tight, or you need a firm closing date	A lower price than a repaired house would bring, but no repairs, no cleaning, no commission, no repeated showings, and a closing day you choose
Get repair help and stay	You want to keep the house and qualify for a city or utility program	Programs have eligibility rules, and you keep the house and its upkeep

How do repairs factor into a cash offer?

A serious cash buyer should be able to show you the math. Most start from what the house could sell for after repairs, then subtract the repair estimate, the holding and closing costs, the costs of reselling, and their profit. When two cash offers are far apart, it is usually because the buyers see different repair bills.

Ask every buyer to list the major repairs they priced in. If one buyer is assuming a new roof and you just replaced it, show them the receipt. We walk through our own numbers on how we calculate our offer. Before you sign with anyone, read our guide on how to check any cash buyer.

What should I do this week?

Write down what you know. List every problem you are aware of: leaks, past repairs, violation notices, insurance claims, flooding. You will need it for the disclosure form.
Gather your paperwork. Your deed, any L&I or town notices, permits, warranties, lead reports, and flood insurance or claim records.
Check the local rules. In Philadelphia, order the Property Sales Certification. In the suburbs and South Jersey, ask the township or borough what a resale requires.
Get real numbers. Two or three contractor bids or a pre-listing inspection, an agent's opinion of value, and at least one written cash offer.
Read the as-is and inspection terms. Have an attorney review any agreement before you sign, especially in New Jersey.
Decide with everything in front of you. Compare what each path leaves you with after repairs, commissions, carrying costs and time.

How can Vivid help?

Vivid Properties is a local, family-owned real estate investment company in Philadelphia. We buy rowhomes, twins, singles and small 2 to 4 unit buildings in any condition, as-is, across Philadelphia, its Pennsylvania suburbs and South Jersey. You do not repair or clean anything. If the house also has tenants, our guide to selling with tenants in place covers that side.

You get a fair cash offer, usually within 24 hours. There are no agent commissions and no fees from us, and you pick the closing day. We pay all the closing costs, and your written offer shows exactly what you walk away with before you sign. You will still complete any disclosures the law requires, and if listing with an agent would net you more, we will tell you.

Get my cash offer Text or call (267) 551-5554

Frequently asked questions

Can you sell a house as-is in Pennsylvania?

Yes. You can sell any house as-is, but unless the sale is exempt, you still have to give the buyer a property disclosure statement listing the material defects you know about before the agreement of sale is signed. Philadelphia also requires a Property Sales Certification, and some suburban towns require a resale inspection.

Is selling a house as-is in New Jersey different?

Some of the rules are. New Jersey sellers must answer the state's flood-risk questions on the property condition disclosure statement before the buyer is bound, and one- and two-family homes must meet the fire code's smoke alarm, carbon monoxide alarm and fire extinguisher rules before a sale. Some towns add their own resale inspection, so check with yours early.

Do I have to fix code violations before I sell?

Not always. In Philadelphia, open violations show up on the Property Sales Certification, so the buyer knows about them before closing, and you can fix them first or sell to a buyer willing to take them on. In Pennsylvania towns that require a resale U&O, state law makes the town issue a temporary certificate so the buyer can fix the items, generally within 12 months. Some New Jersey towns are stricter, so ask your town's code office.

Do I have to disclose problems if I sell to an investor?

Yes, in most cases. Pennsylvania's disclosure law applies to sales to investors the same as any other sale, unless an exemption such as an estate sale by an executor applies. The New Jersey flood questions and the federal lead paint disclosure for pre-1978 homes apply too.

What if I don't know the condition of the house?

In Pennsylvania, you disclose what you actually know. The law does not make you investigate, and if information is unknown or unavailable, you can answer based on the best information you have. If you inherited the house and are selling as the executor or administrator, the disclosure law does not apply to that sale.

Is it worth it to sell a house as-is?

It depends on the repairs, your cash and your time. If the work is small and you can carry the house, fixing and listing usually brings the highest price. If repairs are big, unknown or unaffordable, the gap between an as-is offer and a fixed-up sale can shrink a lot once you subtract repair bills, commissions and months of holding costs. Get real numbers for both before you choose.

This guide is general information, not legal or tax advice. For your situation, talk to a Pennsylvania or New Jersey attorney or tax professional.

How to Sell a House As-Is in Greater Philadelphia and South Jersey