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The house is empty. The bills are not.

Taxes, insurance, utilities, lawn service, maybe HOA dues. A vacant house charges you every month and gives nothing back. You do not have to clean it out to sell it, and you do not have to sell it at all. I will show you the real numbers for every path. I am James Konvalinka, a licensed Texas Realtor, and I put the math in writing.

Get My Written Offer or call or text (512) 368-1487
Real homes we've renovated & sold Completed exterior of the McGregor renovation in South Austin
90+ real-estate transactions Active Austin investors Licensed Texas agent #831102 MODUS Real Estate

Your Real Options

Three ways to handle an empty house

1

Sell it as-is for cash

I make a cash offer on the house exactly as it stands. No cleanout, no repairs, no staging. Take the photo albums and leave the furniture, and we write into the contract that anything you leave behind conveys to me at closing. You pick the target closing date, and we close as soon as the title company clears title. You see the full math behind my number before you sign anything. A cash price runs below list price, and I will show you that gap in writing instead of hiding it.

2

List it for top dollar

If the house shows decently, or the numbers say a light make-ready pays for itself, listing on the open market usually nets the most. I run both versions, sold as-is and sold after paint and cleanup, and show you which one actually puts more in your pocket after the work and the extra months of carrying costs.

3

Keep it, but protect it

Keeping the house can be the right call. If you go that route, do it deliberately: ask your insurer about a vacancy rider since many insurers limit coverage on vacant homes, set up yard service so tall grass never gives code enforcement a reason to send a letter, and have someone walk the house regularly. Then total the monthly cost so holding is a decision, not a drift.

The Math

What an empty house costs, and how a sale actually works

Most vacant houses I see are in Travis and Williamson County, and the pattern is the same everywhere: the house quietly costs money until someone decides. Here is the plain version of the costs and the process. This is general information, not legal advice. For title problems, inherited property questions, or anything involving a court, use a Texas real estate attorney.

The meter runs every month

Property taxes, insurance, utilities, lawn care, and HOA dues do not care that nobody lives there. Write each one down, add them up, and you have your true monthly cost of waiting. Most owners have never seen that math on one page.

Check your insurance policy

Many insurers limit coverage on homes that sit vacant, and some restrict coverage or decline to renew after a stretch of vacancy. Read your policy or call your agent, and ask about a vacant home policy or rider if you plan to hold. Do this whether you ever talk to me or not.

Cleanout is optional

You can sell a vacant house with everything still in it. In a cash sale, take what matters to you and leave the rest, and we write into the contract that whatever stays conveys to me at closing, so the cleanout becomes my job. If you list instead, we decide together what is worth clearing and what is not.

Verify me on TREC first

Look up license #831102 on the TREC website before you talk to anyone, including me. You will find James Konvalinka, sponsored by MODUS Real Estate. Run the same search on anyone who mails you a postcard and see how many come up.

Every option comes with a net sheet

Cash, list, or hold, you get the same one-page math: what you walk away with, what it costs to get there, and what waiting costs per month. You compare the numbers and you pick. I do not talk anyone into a path.

Sometimes the answer is keep it

If the numbers say holding the house serves you better, I will say so and help you set it up safely. I would rather lose a deal than earn the reputation of the people mailing you those yellow letters.

Real Projects

Real homes. Real work. No stock photos.

These are houses this team actually bought, renovated, and sold in Austin. It matters here for one reason: when someone tells you a house needs $60,000 of work, you want that coming from people who have paid that bill themselves.

Completed exterior of the McGregor renovation in South Austin

2609 McGregor · South Austin

Leveled, re-roofed, rewired, replumbed. Bought as-is, closed July 2026.

Finished McGregor kitchen with gray cabinetry and stone counters

McGregor · Kitchen

Taken back to the studs and rebuilt.

Finished open living room at the McGregor project

McGregor · Living room

Reworked layout, new flooring throughout.

Finished primary bathroom with walk-in shower and double vanity

McGregor · Primary bath

Walk-in shower and a double vanity.

Completed exterior and backyard of the Westbury project in Georgetown

515 Westbury · Georgetown

Targeted fixes, not a teardown. Closed March 2026.

Finished Westbury kitchen with large island and updated fixtures

Westbury · Kitchen

New lighting, hardware and cabinet work.

Staged Westbury living room with fireplace and open layout

Westbury · Living room

Paint, flooring and staging.

Completed exterior of the Croftwood project in South Austin

7729 Croftwood · South Austin

Flooring, cabinetry, tile, tankless heater. Closed 2026.

Staged Croftwood living room with modern finishes

Croftwood · Living room

Move-in ready at handover.

James Konvalinka of Sell Smart Austin at a home entrance
James Konvalinka
Founder · Realtor® · Active Investor

Before you trust anything on this page, verify me. Search TREC for license #831102 and you will find me, James Konvalinka, sponsored by MODUS Real Estate. I am licensed in Texas and Wisconsin, and I invest in Austin myself, flipping some houses and keeping others, so I know what a vacant house costs because I have paid those bills. If your best move is to keep the house and protect it, that is exactly what I will tell you.

90+ Transactions · 15+ Home Renovations

James Konvalinka, Licensed Texas Sales Agent #831102, sponsored by MODUS Real Estate. Every conversation comes with full disclosure and no obligation.

Before You Reach Out

Straight answers to the usual questions.

Can I sell a vacant house in Austin without cleaning it out?
Yes. In an as-is cash sale you take the items you want and leave everything else, furniture included. We write it into the contract that anything you leave behind conveys to me at closing, so the cleanout becomes my job, not yours. If you choose to list instead, some clearing usually helps the sale, and we would decide together what is actually worth doing.
How much does a vacant house cost per month?
Add your annual property tax divided by twelve, your insurance premium, base utilities, lawn service, and any HOA dues. For many Travis and Williamson County homes that lands in the hundreds of dollars every month before a single repair. Your exact number takes ten minutes to work out, and I will do it with you.
Should I renovate an empty house before selling it?
Usually not fully. Big renovations on a vacant house often return less than they cost once you add the extra months of carrying costs. Light make-ready like paint, cleaning, and yard work sometimes pays for itself, and sometimes selling as-is nets nearly the same. I run both versions on paper so you can see which wins before you spend anything.
What happens if a house sits empty for a long time?
The costs keep running and the risks build slowly. Many insurers limit coverage on vacant homes, so check your policy. Tall grass and broken windows draw city code enforcement letters, and unsecured houses attract vandalism and sometimes squatters. None of that means panic. It means either protect the house properly or decide to sell, instead of letting it drift.
How fast can I sell an empty house in Austin?
A cash sale is usually the fastest path because there are no showings, no lender, and no repair negotiations. We put your preferred closing date in the contract, and the title company closes once title is clear. A listing takes longer but often nets more. I will not quote you a closing date before the title work is done, and you should be skeptical of anyone who does.

Start Here

One address. We take it from there.

Tell us where the property is and how to reach you. You don't need photos, a repair list, or a cleanout to start. James will go look at it and come back with a written number within 24 hours. No pressure and no obligation.

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