What changes is who takes on the work. The roof, the stone basement that takes water every spring and the wiring from 1952 become the buyer's project, priced in from the start. Many sellers choose this because the repairs cost more than they have, or because they don't want strangers walking through.

You can list as is with an agent or sell as is for cash to a local buyer like us, and it costs nothing to get both numbers.

What selling a house as is in St. Louis means

It means the price already reflects the house's condition and the contract says you won't fix what the buyer finds. What you owe the buyer in information stays the same.

You skip the repairs before listing, the haggling over a repair list afterward and the months of taxes, insurance and utilities while contractors work.

What an as-is home sale in Missouri does not waive

An as-is clause moves the repairs to the buyer. It doesn't make hiding a known defect lawful, and it doesn't cancel the federal lead rules or a town's occupancy inspection.

Missouri's Merchandising Practices Act counts real estate as merchandise. It makes concealing or omitting a material fact in connection with a sale unlawful, whether that happens before, during or after the sale. A buyer who bought for personal or household use and lost money as a result can sue for actual damages.

If you list, Missouri's licensing law adds a second layer: a seller's agent must tell buyers every adverse material fact the agent knows or should have known, including the property's physical condition and material defects.

The Missouri Association of Realtors' Seller's Disclosure Statement says it is not a warranty. It warns that your answers, or the blanks you leave, may have legal consequences even after closing, and signing it commits you to tell the buyer in writing about new problems you learn of before closing.

For a house built before 1978, federal lead rules apply to an as-is sale too. Before the contract is signed, you disclose known lead-based paint or hazards, hand over any reports, give the buyer EPA's pamphlet and include a Lead Warning Statement. The buyer gets 10 days to test, which they can waive in writing.

This is general information, not legal advice. If your case turns on details, such as a problem you only suspect, talk to a Missouri real estate attorney.

Do buyers still inspect an as-is house?

Usually, yes. Selling as is limits what you'll fix. Buyers can still inspect, and the contract decides what they can do with the report.

The Realtors' disclosure form tells buyers they may want to make the offer subject to a professional inspection, and that problems they see or you disclose belong in the price or the contract. So in an as-is listing, the report often comes back as a request for a lower price, and a buyer whose contract allows it may walk away.

A buyer with a mortgage also brings the lender's appraiser. HUD's FHA handbook has the appraiser check for visible frayed or exposed wiring and a panel that looks too small, and the lender can approve the house only after the reported defects are corrected. Fannie Mae won't buy a loan on a house rated C6, its rating for defects that affect safety, soundness or structural integrity, until it is repaired. For a house with major problems, that leaves buyers who pay cash or can close on it as it is.

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What older St. Louis houses turn up

Mostly the wear that comes with age. About 56 percent of the homes in the City of St. Louis were built in 1939 or earlier, according to the Census Bureau's 2024 American Community Survey, and about half of St. Louis County's were built before 1970.

The City's preservation plan says brick became more common in the 1810s, once the town had stripped the timber within ten miles, and German masons later built whole houses of local limestone. On an inspection report, these houses tend to show:

Damp stone basements. For FHA loans, HUD lists standing water against the foundation and an excessively damp basement as reasons to call in a qualified inspector.
Knob-and-tube wiring. The Realtors' disclosure form lists it by name as a wiring type, so it goes on the form if you know it's there.
Lead paint. Nearly nine in ten homes in the city were built before 1980, by the same Census figures, and any house built before 1978 falls under the federal lead rule.

We buy older St. Louis houses as-is, from pre-1930 brick to stone-basement homes. Our Kirkwood page explains how we buy houses with knob-and-tube wiring and stone basements without repairs.

Municipal occupancy inspections in St. Louis

Many towns in the St. Louis area require a code inspection when a house changes hands, and selling as is doesn't skip it. The Realtors' disclosure form asks whether yours does. Rules differ by town, so call your city hall before you list. Three examples:

City of St. Louis: a Certificate of Inspection is required before a vacant unit is occupied, or before an occupied house is sold without one issued in the last 12 months. The application is $120, or $200 if someone is found living there without a current certificate. If the certificate lists violations, the owner has 30 days to fix them.
Maryland Heights: any change of ownership needs an occupancy permit, and permits don't transfer. The $75 inspection includes up to two re-inspections, and violations must be fixed and re-inspected.
University City: sellers are asked to have the house inspected before it goes on the market, at $80 for a home sale. For minor repairs, the city may issue a conditional permit with 60 days to finish them.

Mark's house was in Maryland Heights. He was 58 and laid off. A city inspector was threatening him over a bathroom, the front pillars and a back deck, and he had planned to spend retirement money on the repairs. Our offer met his $160,000 as-is target, and the code items became the buyer's scope. The contract was signed about a week after his first call, and the close fit his plan to be out in about 60 days. Mark's story has the rest.

We buy houses with open code items as-is. The town's permit process is a separate step, so ask the town what it needs before closing, and ask any buyer, us included, how the inspection will be handled at your address.

An as-is listing versus an as-is cash sale

A listing can bring a higher price when the house will pass a buyer's inspection and a lender's appraisal and you have time to wait. A cash sale trades some of that price for no showings, no lender and a closing date that fits your plans.

Price. A listing gets the market price, less what the buyer asks for after the inspection. Our offer starts from what the house would sell for, minus a realistic repair budget and the costs we take on, and you see each line.
Repairs. A listing buyer may come back with requests. Our offer prices the condition before you sign, so there's no repair list to negotiate.
Financing. FHA and conventional lenders can require repairs before the loan closes. A cash sale has no lender.
Prep. A listing means cleaning, photos and showings. We buy with no repairs and no showings.
Costs. A listing carries the commission you agree on with your agent, plus carrying costs while it's on the market. With us there's no agent, no commission and no closing costs passed to you.
Timing. A listing depends on the market and the buyer's loan. We can make an offer within 24 hours. We can close in as little as 7 days when the title is clear; 30 to 60 days is typical.

We're the wrong choice when the house is in fair shape, the code list is short and you have a couple of months; a listing will often net you more. In our FAQ's words: "We pay fair prices, but not always full market value. For houses needing repairs, we calculate fair prices by subtracting repair costs." Our as-is sales for houses that need work fit best when the repairs are big, uncertain or more than you want to manage.

How to sell a house as is with an agent

Disclose early, price for the condition and find out what your town's inspection requires:

Complete the disclosure form in writing before you take offers.
Get one contractor estimate on the biggest item, so you negotiate from a number.
Price against houses that sold in similar condition, not the renovated one down the street.
Ask the town when to order the occupancy inspection. University City wants it before the house goes on the market; in Maryland Heights, a passed inspection holds for 90 days.
Collect more than one offer, since buyers price repairs differently.

How to compare as-is buyers

Ask each buyer the same questions and see what each one can prove:

Where is the office? Ours is at 8711 Watson Rd in Webster Groves.
What does the public record say? We have 372 Google reviews with a 4.9 average and a BBB A+ rating, and the reviews are there to read.
Will they show how the offer was built? How we buy houses walks through ours line by line.
Does the number hold after the walkthrough, or does it change once you're committed?
Who will close? Our FAQ says we may connect a seller "with other trusted buyers," so ask us that too.

Then set the best offer beside an agent's as-is listing estimate, and take the time you need.

Frequently asked questions

Can I sell my house as is in Missouri without disclosing problems?

No. As is covers repairs, and you still disclose what you know. Missouri's Merchandising Practices Act makes concealing a material fact in a sale unlawful, and a seller's agent must disclose the adverse material facts they know of. The Realtors' disclosure form warns that your answers, or the blanks you leave, can have legal consequences after closing. If you're unsure about a problem, ask a Missouri real estate attorney.

Do I have to fix code violations before selling a house as is in St. Louis?

It depends on the town. The City of St. Louis gives owners 30 days to fix violations listed on a Certificate of Inspection. Maryland Heights requires the fixes and a re-inspection, and University City may allow 60 days for minor repairs under a conditional permit. A cash buyer can take on code items in the sale, as in Mark's case. Ask your city hall what it requires before closing.

Can I sell a St. Louis house as is with knob-and-tube wiring?

Yes. If you know it's there, note it on the disclosure form, which lists knob and tube as a wiring type. An FHA appraiser checks for visible frayed or exposed wiring and a panel that looks too small, and the lender can require repairs before the loan closes. We buy houses with knob-and-tube wiring without repairs and price that work into the offer.

How long does an as-is sale take in St. Louis?

A listing depends on the market, the buyer's loan and the inspection. A cash sale to us has no lender. We can make an offer within 24 hours. We can close in as little as 7 days when the title is clear; 30 to 60 days is typical. Leave room for your town's occupancy inspection: the City of St. Louis schedules it between 3 business days and 15 days after you apply.

How is an as-is cash offer calculated?

Ours starts from what comparable updated houses nearby have sold for. We subtract a realistic repair budget and the costs we take on, like closing costs and the months of taxes and utilities while the work happens. You see each line and can question any of it. Set our number beside an agent's as-is estimate and compare what you would take home.

Compare both numbers, no pressure

If you'd like to see an as-is cash offer beside an agent's listing estimate, start with how our as-is sales work. Then send us a message or call (314) 334-1481 when it suits you; the decision stays yours.

Sell a House As Is in St. Louis: What Missouri Sellers Should Know