We buy older Tampa Bay houses for the landCall or text (727) 353-6206
Our process

How we buy your house, from first call to closing day

Selling a house you have lived in for decades should not feel rushed. Here is exactly what happens when you sell to Tampa Teardown, and where you stay in control.

Quick answer
  • One walkthrough before the offer
  • Written offer with the reasoning explained
  • Closing at a licensed Florida title company
  • You choose the closing date

The first call

Call or text (727) 353-6206. We will ask the address, roughly how long you have owned it, whether there is a mortgage or any liens, and what is going on in your life that has you thinking about selling. There is no wrong answer. Some people are ready to go this month. Some are just starting to think about it and want to know their options before they talk to the kids.

If it already looks like the house would sell for more on the open market and you are in no hurry, we may tell you that on the first call.

The walkthrough

We set up one visit at a time that works for you. It is fine to have a son, daughter, friend or attorney there. We walk the house and the lot, look at the lot lines, the trees, the driveway, the neighbors, and how close things are to the street. We are not judging your housekeeping or the 1978 wallpaper. We are looking at the land and what can be built on it.

Before we make a firm offer, we also look into the things a builder will care about: zoning, lot size from the public records, flood zone, any historic district rules, and any trees that may be protected.

The offer

We give you a written cash offer and walk you through how we got there. On a teardown, the number is based mainly on what the land is worth to a new-construction buyer, minus the cost of demolition and the holding costs and risk we take on. Our page on land value explains this in more detail.

You do not have to answer on the spot. Take it home, talk to your family, get a second opinion, compare it with what an agent thinks you could list for. A good decision is worth a few days.

Picking a closing date around your move

Once you say yes, we sign a simple purchase agreement and open title with a licensed Florida title company. The title company checks for liens, mortgages and back taxes, and those are paid from the sale at closing.

Then the closing date is yours to pick. If you need the money quickly, we can usually close in about 7 to 14 days. If you are waiting on a spot at an assisted living community, a new apartment, or a room at your daughter's house, we can set the date weeks or months out. We will set the closing date around your move, not the other way around. See moving after decades in one home for some ideas on planning the move itself.

Leave what you don't want

Thirty or forty years in one house adds up. Go through it at your own pace. Give the china to your granddaughter, the tools to your neighbor, the photos to whoever wants them. Whatever is left when you hand over the keys can stay: the old couch, the boxes in the attic, the lawn mower in the shed. You do not have to rent a dumpster or hire anyone to haul things off.

Closing day and after

Closing happens at the title company, or the title company can arrange a mobile notary or mail-away closing if that is easier for you or for family members out of state. You sign, the title company pays off what is owed, and you receive your money by wire or check. We pay normal closing costs and there are no commissions.

After that, the house is our problem. Permits, utility disconnects, asbestos checks, demolition, and whatever gets built next are on us. You do not need to be involved, and you will not get calls about it. If you want to drive by in a year and see the new house, you are welcome to.

Tampa Teardown is run by 131 Cash Home Buyers. Questions about any step are answered on our FAQ page.

Questions owners ask

How long does the whole process take?
From a first call to closing can be as quick as about 7 to 14 days. Most of the timing depends on the date you choose and on how quickly the title work comes back.
Do family members need to be involved?
Only if you want them to be. Many sellers like having a son or daughter at the walkthrough or reading the offer. If the house is owned by more than one person or by an estate, everyone with an ownership interest will need to sign.
What if I change my mind after the walkthrough?
Then you do not sell. An offer is just an offer until you sign the purchase agreement.

Read next

How we figure an offer on a teardownHow Tampa Teardown prices an older home on a good lot: land value to a builder, minus demolition, holding cost…Moving after decades in one homeA practical guide for long-time Tampa Bay homeowners: sorting belongings, involving family, timing the closing…Talk to us about your house and lotCall or text Tampa Teardown at (727) 353-6206 or visit our St. Petersburg office. Here is what to have handy a…

General information, not legal, tax or zoning advice. Every lot is different; local rules decide what can be built. Updated November 2026.

After 30 years

When it’s time, it should be simple.

You don’t need to fix the roof, empty the garage, or figure out zoning. Tell us about the house. We’ll look at the land the way a builder does, make a written offer, and close when your next home is ready.

Our offer is below what a fully updated house would list for, because we buy as-is and pay to clear the lot. If listing would clearly put more in your pocket and you have the time, we’ll tell you.

Call (727) 353-6206

What’s your lot worth?

Send the address. Alex will call you, usually the same day, and tell you plainly what we can pay and why.

Free. No obligation. Nobody will pressure you.

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