Sold from out of town: a Lake in the Hills house, zero trips back
The owner lived out of town. The house was original 1994 inside, with years of heavy pet damage soaked into the flooring. Fixing and listing it from a distance wasn’t realistic — so they sold it to us without ever coming back.
3-bed, 3-bath two-story · 2,568 sqft · built 1994 — 305 Harvest Gate Rd · McHenry County
The situation
What the seller was facing.
Owning a house from out of town means every problem is a phone call and every fix means trusting someone you can’t look in the eye. This 1994 two-story had good bones — vaulted ceilings, a brick fireplace, a full basement — but it was original throughout, and years of heavy pet damage had soaked into the flooring.
Selling it the traditional way would have meant ripping out flooring, treating the odor, repainting, and then running showings — all coordinated from hundreds of miles away, on a house the owner mostly wanted off their plate.
The deal, day by day
From first call to closing.
First call
The owner reached out from out of town. The house had been theirs for years, but the distance had turned every decision about it into a project — and the condition meant a traditional listing would need serious prep work first.
Same week — walkthrough, on video
We walked the house in person and sent them everything: video, photos, and an honest read on the condition — original 1994 finishes and pet damage that had gone through the flooring.
Days later — written offer
A written cash offer, as-is, with the flooring and odor work priced in. They reviewed it from home, no flight required.
Closing — fully remote
Contract, title work, and closing documents all handled remotely. They signed where they live and never had to set foot in the house again.
Our part
How we handled it.
We did the walkthrough for them: video and photos of the real condition, no sugarcoating, followed by a written cash offer within days — with the flooring and odor remediation priced in honestly.
Then we kept the whole transaction where they were: contract signed electronically, title company handled the paperwork remotely, closing done from their home. Zero trips back to Illinois, zero repairs, zero cleanout.
The outcome
Where it left the seller.
The sale closed without the owner ever returning to the property. A house that had been a long-distance burden for years came off their plate in weeks — and got the top-to-bottom refresh it needed for the next family.
After we bought it
We really do fix these houses.
Heavy pet damage means the flooring comes out — all of it. We took this one down to the subfloors and built the interior back up: sealed, refloored, refreshed, and relisted.
- Full cleanout and haul-off
- All flooring removed; subfloors treated and sealed against pet odor
- New luxury vinyl plank on the main level, new carpet everywhere else
- Kitchen refreshed — painted cabinets, new backsplash
- Fresh paint throughout
- Professional photography and an honest MLS listing
Facing something similar with a Lake in the Hills house?
Same process as this one: drop the address, get a written cash offer within 24 hours, pick your closing date. Or call (224) 267-9324 — a real person picks up.
Keep reading