Selling A House With Lead Paint

Published on April 3rd, 2023

Lead paint was once a common substance found in most American homes before its ban in 1978 due to research showing its harmful effects on our health. 

According to the CDC, "Homes built in the U.S. before 1978 are likely to have some lead-based paint. When the paint peels and cracks, it makes lead paint chips and lead dust." 



Lead isn't good for our health, and lead paint hazards should be taken seriously by homeowners looking to sell their homes. You have a legal obligation under federal law to disclose if there is lead-based paint within your home to potential buyers. Typically this disclosure to buyers will come in the form of a lead disclosure if your home was built before 1978 or can be found in the property description under the hazardous material section.

And if you are considering moving to a new home, you will want to get this taken care of as soon as possible. Removing lead-based paint can be dangerous and lead to lead poisoning if not done with proper care and tends to be an expensive process for the property owner. What, then, is the best way to sell your home if it has a highly toxic substance like lead paint? Throughout the course of this article, we will discuss five different ways you can sell your home with lead paint and some helpful tips and tricks regarding the presence of lead hazards. 

Selling To A Real Estate Investor That Specializes In Dealing With A House With Lead Paint

A real estate investor is an individual or a corporation that is looking to purchase homes that need work at a reduced price point. They will then invest money into the property for a lead paint test and remove the lead-based paint where it is found.

Once they have repaired the house with lead paint, they will either sell the house for a profit or retain the house as part of their investment portfolio as a rental income, becoming a landlord.

You will still need to disclose the presence of lead paint in your home to all the main parties involved in the sale as prospective buyers due to the lead paint law. However, investors will seek your home out due to the lower price point and know there might be significant repairs needed and a potential health threat - it's all part of the risk of investing for them

Selling Through A Real Estate Agent On The MLS

Selling real estate through a realtor is one of the most common ways to sell property, but is it right for you if your house has lead paint on the walls or window sills?

Top real estate agents in your area can sell your house with lead paint. They will advise that you disclose the areas of your home that you believe to contain lead paint and other areas with lead present. Real estate agents representing a potential buyer will suggest that their buyers conduct a lead paint inspection during their ten-day period (a standard time frame for option periods) by a licensed risk assessor with the environmental protection agency.

If the lead paint issue can be easily resolved, the potential buyer might ask that you, as the seller repair the home before the property transfer. Home buyers also might ask for a reduction in the purchase price, a fresh coat of paint, or a secondary paint inspection to assess the true level of contamination.

You can sell a house with health hazards like lead paint in a traditional manner. Your best bet is to secure a seller's agent who is experienced in these types of situations, conduct your own test, and accept that the sale agreement might be lower than you expected.

Selling your home directly to a prospective buyer without using a real estate agent could be beneficial if you own a house with lead paint. These direct home buyers might not want to get the home tested or have a professional inspection for lead. However, you are still obligated under lead law to disclose the lead paint notification and lead law surrounding your home's year of construction.

Still, having the lead paint professionally removed can increase your home's overall value and limit potential damage to future occupants' other vital organs including their lungs, health problems, and more inhaling lead paint. Home sellers need to carefully consider whether or not they will do repairs to the lead-based paint issue or remove the lead-based paint before selling to a private home buyer with serious health hazards.

Selling A Home Without Removing Lead Paint At An Auction

Buyers go to a home auction expecting a deal. Don't think you will have a standard home offer and purchase and sale agreement for full price, especially if the new buyer will have to remove lead-based paint.

Regular home auction attendees will know what to look for on painted surfaces to discover lead paint in a home. They will consider the cost of removing the paint per square foot of the home by professionals who have to use protective gear to remove the lead paint. They will also have to consider the health issues that might arise if there is enough lead in the paint to make the walls badly deteriorated and what they can do as an interim control until they get licensed professionals there to help with EPA-approved kits.

All of these factors and more will go into the final sale price of your home at an auction - even if the area your home is located in is perfect for urban development.

With the potential risk for lead poisoning and lead dust, you can't simply paint over the problem with new paint. Lead needs to be taken seriously, and if you can't fix it, another great option is to sell your home to a local home-buying company that will come in and "flip" your home.

They will hire professionals to conduct the paint removal and make any other needed repairs, then sell your home for a profit. Again, you will not get full price for your home in this situation, but it can be a good way to move on fast.

For more information on selling your home that has property damage or other issues, check out some of our other articles and the previous post on lead paint.