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Fire Damage? Sell Your House Fast for Cash
After a fire you are dealing with an insurer, a restoration crew and somewhere else to sleep, and selling the house as it stands can take all three off your list.
Understanding Fire Damage and What It Does to a Sale
One fire leaves three kinds of damage, and owners who want to sell a fire damaged house usually underestimate two of them. There is what burned, what the smoke reached, and what the hoses soaked.
Smoke and soot travel much further than the flames, through ductwork and open wall cavities, and odor settles into carpet, insulation and framing. A contained kitchen fire can still mean gutting rooms nobody saw burn.
Three damages, one fire
- Structural: framing, roof deck, sheathing, anything that lost strength to heat.
- Smoke and soot: acidic residue and odor in HVAC, insulation, drywall and porous materials well beyond the burn.
- Water and mold: suppression water in subfloor and cavities, which is what turns a two room fire into a whole house job.
Two people you may want before you decide
- A public adjuster works your claim for a fee that Florida caps at 20 percent, or 10 percent on claims from an event the Governor declared a state of emergency for.
- The Florida Department of Financial Services runs a free mediation program for residential property claim disputes under section 627.7015, with the insurer paying the mediator.
- Neither is required, and neither has anything to do with selling to us.
Where we fit and where we honestly do not
- A fit: a sound home, roughly 2002 or newer, with a contained fire, smoke work and some framing to replace.
- Usually a referral: a gutted shell, a collapsed roof structure, or a house already stripped to the studs by restoration.
- We look either way, tell you which one yours is, and can hand you to a renovation buyer we know.
Water is the quiet one. Suppression water sits in subfloor and insulation, and in a Gulf Coast summer a house that is closed up and wet grows mold within days.
On the insurance side, Florida's claim deadlines apply to fire the same as to any peril. Section 627.70132 bars a claim or reopened claim unless notice reached the insurer within one year of the date of loss, and a supplemental claim within 18 months. Section 627.70131 then gives the insurer 7 days to acknowledge, 30 days after your proof of loss to inspect, and 60 days to pay or deny.
The money arrives in pieces, not in a lump. On a replacement cost dwelling policy the insurer pays at least actual cash value first and releases the rest as work is performed, and if you have a mortgage the servicer is normally a payee on the check and pays the contractor in draws after inspections.
Repairs mean permits. Escambia County requires permits for structural, electrical, plumbing, mechanical and roofing work, closes out with a certificate of occupancy or completion, and in a flood zone treats repairs at or above 50 percent of the structure's pre damage market value as substantial improvement with its own compliance requirements.
Disclosure outlives the repair. Under Johnson v. Davis, a Florida seller has to disclose known facts that materially affect value and are not readily observable, and selling as is does not erase that duty on a residential sale, so a past fire is usually one of those facts. Talk to a Florida attorney about how to state yours.
How Selling to Us Helps With Fire Damage
- You stop paying to hold a house you cannot live in while the claim, the contractor bids and the permit reviews all run on their own clocks.
- We buy with the fire damage in place, so no restoration contract to sign and no draw schedule to manage with your mortgage servicer.
- No retail buyer walking at the smell test, and no lender refusing a loan on a house that no insurer will write today.
- You pick the closing date, which helps when the rental you moved into has its own end date.
Why Sell to Us
After a fire the thing worth most is a buyer who does not flinch and does not need a bank.
- We buy and hold: real offers based on long-term value, not flip-margin math.
- Local to Escambia and Santa Rosa counties, not a call center reading a script.
- Upfront about fit: if your home is not right for us we say so, and can refer you to a buyer it is right for.
- No fees, no commissions, ever. We cover standard closing costs.
Simple and fast
How It Works
Three steps, no obligation, and no repairs or cleanup on your end.
Tell Us About Your Home
Share the address and a few quick details by phone or the form. It takes a couple of minutes and costs you nothing.
Get a Real, No-Obligation Offer
We look at your home and the local Pensacola market and come back with a genuine cash number. Already have an offer? Bring it and we will try to beat it.
You Pick the Closing Date
If it works for you, we close with a local title company on the day you choose. Need two weeks or two months? Your call.
Your options, side by side
Agent vs Wholesaler vs Us
Three ways to sell a Pensacola home in good condition. Here is how they compare.
| Traditional Agent | Wholesaler | Selling to Us | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Time to close | 60 to 90+ days | Fast, but then they resell it | As fast as 7 to 14 days, your date |
| Fees and commissions | About 5 to 6 percent | None to you, markup is hidden | None, we cover closing costs |
| Repairs and cleanup | Often required to list | None | None, sell as-is |
| Showings and open houses | Yes, ongoing | No | No, private sale |
| Typical price | Highest, if you can wait | Lowest, they need room to flip | More than a wholesaler for the right home |
| Best for | No rush, home is market-ready | Heavy fixers and distressed homes | Good homes, sold fast, fair price |
We Buy Fire Damaged Homes Across Pensacola and Nearby Areas
If you need to sell your house fast after a fire in Pensacola, we come look in person, whether the house is in Ferry Pass, Bellview or out toward Cantonment. We buy across Escambia and Santa Rosa counties, and we will tell you in that visit whether it is our kind of house or a referral.
Areas We Serve · We Buy Houses in Ferry Pass · We Buy Houses in Bellview · We Buy Houses in Cantonment
Fire Damage FAQ
What Counts as Fire Damage, Exactly?
More than the burned rooms. Insurers and contractors treat one fire as three losses: heat damage to structure, smoke and soot residue through ductwork and wall cavities, and water from putting it out. The smoke and water portions usually cost more than the burn, because they reach rooms that look untouched.
How Fast Can You Buy a Fire Damaged House?
We can usually look within a couple of days and give you a number right after. Closing is generally 7 to 21 days once title is clear. If your claim is open or your servicer is holding proceeds, say so up front, because that is what usually sets the real timeline.
Do I Need to Fix Anything First?
No. Do not start restoration to make the house sellable to us. Board it up, keep it secure and dry so the damage stops spreading, hold on to your claim paperwork and photos, and leave the repair to whoever owns it next. We price it in the condition it is in.
Do I Have to Disclose a House Fire When Selling in Florida?
Under Johnson v. Davis, a Florida seller must disclose known facts that materially affect value and are not readily observable, and an as is contract does not remove that duty on residential property. A fire, repaired or not, usually qualifies. Ask a Florida real estate attorney how to word it for your situation.
What Does the Process Look Like for a Fire Damaged Home?
You tell us what burned and where the claim stands. We walk the house, look at framing and the smoke line, and give you an offer or an honest pass. If you take it, title work starts and you choose the date. We never ask you to sign anything about your claim.
Are There Fees or Costs Involved?
None from us. No commission, no repair holdback, no demolition or cleanout invoice, and nothing owed if we look and pass. Your payoff, taxes and any recorded liens still come out at closing the way they would in any sale, and the title company shows every line.
What If the House Burned Too Badly for You?
Then we say it plainly rather than tie your house up. We hold homes long term, so a shell or a structure with a failed roof is not ours to buy. We know renovation buyers who do exactly that work and will connect you, at no cost, whether or not you ever sell to us.
Do You Buy Fire Damaged Homes Everywhere You Serve?
Yes, anywhere in Escambia and Santa Rosa counties: Pensacola, Ferry Pass, Bellview, Cantonment, Pace, Milton, Gulf Breeze and Navarre. The location does not change the answer as much as the extent of the structural damage and what the smoke reached does.
Other Situations We Help With
Bring Us Your Best Offer
If your Pensacola home is in good shape and you need to sell fast, let us take a look. Worst case, you get a real number to compare. Best case, we beat what you already have.