Selling your house as-is in Tennessee: your options and what the law still requires

Selling "as-is" means you're offering the house in its current condition and won't make repairs for the buyer. It's a common choice when a home needs work you don't want to pay for, when you've inherited a property, or when you need to move quickly. In Tennessee you have more than one way to do it, and they can leave you with very different amounts of money at closing.

This guide is general information, not legal, financial, or pricing advice. A Tennessee real estate attorney can tell you what applies to your sale.

What "as-is" does and doesn't mean

An as-is sale sets expectations: the price reflects the home's condition, and you won't agree to fix things the buyer finds. It does not mean:

• The buyer can't inspect. Most buyers still get an inspection. As-is usually means that if they don't like what they find, they can walk away or ask for a lower price, but you aren't agreeing ahead of time to make repairs.
• You can skip disclosure. Tennessee's disclosure rules still apply (more below).
• You're protected if you hide a known problem. An as-is sale protects you from conditions you didn't know about. It doesn't protect a seller who misrepresents or conceals a defect they knew about.

Disclosure still applies

Tennessee's Residential Property Disclosure Act generally requires the owner to give the buyer one of two documents before the purchase contract is signed:

• The Residential Property Condition Disclosure, where you answer questions about the home's condition and note material defects you know about, or
• The Residential Property Condition Disclaimer, which says you make no representations about the condition and the buyer takes the property as-is. It's only allowed when the buyer waives their right to the disclosure.

Many as-is sellers still fill out the full disclosure, because an honest, detailed disclosure is one of the best protections a seller has. Some items, such as sinkholes you know about, must be disclosed separately either way. If the home was built before 1978, the federal lead-based paint disclosure applies too.

Our guide to Tennessee's property disclosure form walks through the form, the extra disclosures, and the common exemptions.

Your three main options

1. Sell to a cash buyer or investor

"We buy houses" companies and local investors buy homes in any condition, often close in a few weeks, and handle the repairs themselves. That speed and certainty are what you're paying for. Their offers are usually well below what the home would sell for after repairs. Many investors work backward from a rule of thumb of roughly 70% of the after-repair value, minus the repair costs.

That trade-off can make sense if you need to be done fast, the house needs major work, or you can't manage showings. It's worth getting more than one offer and comparing each against what the home might bring on the open market.

2. List it yourself, as-is

You can list an as-is home for sale by owner and let the open market set the price. Many buyers look for homes that need work: first-time buyers willing to trade sweat for a lower price, people who want to renovate to their own taste, and investors too. More buyers competing usually means a better price than a single cash offer.

To do it well:

• Price for the condition. Look at recent sales of similar homes nearby, then account for what the work would cost. Our guide on pricing your Nashville home without a realtor covers how to find real comps.
• Get repair quotes for the big items. A buyer who knows the roof is about $12,000 can make an offer. A buyer who only knows "the roof is bad" tends to assume the worst. A handyman or contractor can give you numbers.
• Say "as-is" plainly in the listing, along with what you know needs work. It filters out buyers expecting a move-in-ready house and builds trust with the ones who stay.
• Ask how buyers will pay. Some loans require the home to meet minimum condition standards, and a house that needs major repairs may not qualify. Cash buyers and renovation loans are common for as-is homes.

When you're ready, you can list your home free on Nashville Buys. We don't charge sellers anything. Buyers contact you directly.

3. List as-is with an agent

An agent can also market the house as-is. You'll typically pay a commission at closing, and you may still be asked to pay part of the buyer's agent's commission. Commission is negotiable, so ask what's included and compare.

Watch for wholesalers

Some "cash buyers" never plan to buy your house. A wholesaler signs a contract with you, then sells that contract to another investor for a higher price and keeps the difference. The house you agreed to sell for $200,000 may be marketed to other buyers at $225,000 before you close.

Wholesaling is legal in Tennessee, but since 2025 state law requires a buyer who intends to market their contract to disclose it in the written agreement itself, and to give you at least three business days' notice before assigning the contract (Tenn. Code Ann. § 66-4-403). If a buyer's contract says they can "assign" it, or names the buyer as someone "and/or assigns," ask directly whether they plan to close themselves.

Before you sign with any cash buyer:

• Ask whether they'll buy the home themselves or assign the contract.
• Ask for proof of funds.
• Look for an earnest money deposit held by a closing attorney or title company, not by the buyer.
• Have a Tennessee real estate attorney read the contract. Our attorney directory lists local closing attorneys and title companies.

Which is right for you?

• You need to be done in weeks, or the house can't be shown: get several cash offers and compare them.
• You have some time and want the most money: list it yourself as-is, priced for the condition.
• You want someone else to run the sale: interview agents and compare commission terms.

You can also combine them: list the house yourself for a few weeks and keep a cash offer as your fallback.

Next steps

Start with your numbers: what you owe on the house, what the work would cost, and what similar homes have sold for. Then finish your disclosure before you take offers. The pre-sale checklist keeps the whole process in order, and our guide on selling your house without a realtor in Tennessee covers offers, contracts, and closing.