Selling a home is a big job. It feels even bigger when you look around and see things that are broken, dated, or worn out. You might stare at that water stain on the ceiling or the scratch in the hardwood and panic. You wonder if anyone will buy your home the way it looks right now.
This is the most common struggle homeowners face. You want to get the best price possible. But you also don’t want to spend all your savings fixing up a house you are leaving. It is a tricky balance.
If you spend too much, you lose money. If you don’t do enough, the house sits on the market for months. The secret is knowing what to fix before selling a house and what to leave alone.
Here is an easy guide to help you decide whether to sell my house as-is or fix it up.
Before you pick up a hammer, you need to think about money. In real estate, very few renovations pay you back dollar-for-dollar. If you spend $25,000 on a new kitchen, you probably won’t increase your sale price by $25,000.
Smart sellers focus on cheap, easy fixes that make the house look cared for. They skip the expensive projects that buyers might not even like.
Let’s start with the things you can ignore. These are the projects that cost a lot of money and cause a lot of stress but rarely help you sell for more.
You watch TV shows where they gut the kitchen and install marble countertops. Real life is different. What not to fix when selling a house starts with major remodels? Buyers want to choose their own style. If you pick white cabinets and they want blue, you just wasted your money.
New windows are great for energy bills, but they are terrible for your wallet right before a sale. Unless a window is shattering or leaking water, leave it alone. Clean the glass and make sure they open and close. That is enough.
Walkways and driveways get cracked as the ground settles. This is normal. Unless the concrete is heaving up and people might trip, do not repair your driveway. Pressure washes it instead.
If your hardwood floors have scratches, don’t pay to refinish them. If the carpet is a little worn but clean, don’t replace it. Buyers often rip out flooring immediately and install what they like.
If the stove is from 2005, but it bakes a pizza perfectly, keep it. You don’t need stainless steel appliances to sell a house. Selling a home that needs repairs is functional, not a luxury.
Now that you know what to skip, let’s look at the home repairs to make before selling. These are “must-dos.” They are usually cheap, but they stop buyers from running away.
This is the number one rule. Patch the holes from picture frames. If a room is painted a crazy color, paint it a neutral white or light gray. Fresh paint smells like a new home.
Dark homes look small and dirty. Replace every single burnt-out light bulb. If a room is dim, add a brighter bulb. This is the cheapest way to make a room look better.
You cannot ignore water. If a faucet drips, fix it. If the toilet runs, fix it. If there is a water stain on the ceiling, you must fix the leak and paint over the stain. Water damage scares buyers more than anything else.
First impressions happen the second a buyer pulls up to the curb. If the outside looks messy, they assume the inside is too. You don’t need to hire a fancy landscaping crew. Just run the mower, trim back any overgrown bushes, and sweep off the front porch. A tidy yard goes a long way.
This technically isn’t a repair, but it pays off like one. It’s time to use some elbow grease. Scrub the grout lines in the shower, wipe down dusty baseboards, and wash the windows. When a house sparkles, buyers automatically feel like the home has been well-cared for.
You might be “nose blind” to the smell of your own pets or cigarette smoke, but a buyer will notice it immediately. Bad smells are a huge deal-breaker. You can’t just spray air freshener to hide it. You need to steam clean the carpets or use a special primer on the walls to seal the smell away for good.
If the handrail is loose, tighten it. If there are exposed wires, cover them. Home inspectors will flag these things anyway, so you might as well fix them now.
You might look at that list and think, “I don’t have time for this.” That is okay.
You must decide if you want to be a project manager or just be done with the house. How to sell a house that needs major repairs usually comes down to two paths.
Path 1: The Traditional Route. You do the repairs. You paint, clean, and stage the house. You hire an agent. You pay commissions. This path might get you a higher sales price, but it costs money upfront and takes months.
Path 2: The “As-Is” Route. You decide to sell a house as is or fix it up, nothing at all. You sell the home in its current condition. This is the best way to sell a house that needs work if you are short on cash or time. You accept a slightly lower offer, but you walk away without lifting a finger.
Sometimes the problems are big. We are talking about a bad roof, foundation trouble, or outdated electrical systems.
If you are wondering how to sell a house that needs repairs of this magnitude, honesty is your best policy. Do not try to hide a bad foundation. You must disclose it.
In this situation, your best buyer is usually an investor. Regular buyers depend on bank loans. Banks often refuse to lend money to homes with structural damage. Cash buyers don’t need bank approval. They buy the house, fix the big problems themselves, and resell it. This is often the only way to move severely distressed property.
Once you decide on your strategy, how do you know if it works?
Good signs your house will sell appear in the first few days.
If you have no showings and no calls, the price is too high for the condition of the house.
Avoid the trap of over-improving. Do not borrow money to fix the house you are selling. Do not take advice from friends who are not in real estate. And most importantly, do not take bad offers personally.
Selling a house that needs repairs is a business transaction. Keep your emotions out of it.
Does the idea of painting, patching, and cleaning sound exhausting? You are not alone. Many homeowners prefer to skip the hassle. If you want to sell your house without spending a dime on repairs, you have options. You can sell your house exactly as it sits right now. No contractors. No open houses. No stress.
At Redhead Home Properties, we buy houses in any condition. Whether it needs a new roof or just a deep clean, we can make you a fair cash offer.
Deciding what to fix and what not to fix when selling a house is about protecting your profit. Focus on the small things that make the house shine. Fix the leaks, change the bulbs, and clean everything. Leave the big renovations for the next owner. If the work is too much, remember that selling “as-is” is a valid and smart strategy for many sellers.
Focus on the cheap fixes. Paint over stains, fix leaky faucets, replace burnt-out light bulbs, and make sure the house is clean. These are the top home repairs to make before selling. How do I know if my house will sell fast?
Signs your house will sell fast include getting lots of showing requests in the first week and receiving calls from agents with questions. If the phone rings, your price is good.
Yes. You have two options. You can pay to fix the key issues, which are expensive. Or you can sell it to a cash investor. They buy properties with big problems like bad roofs or foundations.
Only if it is ruined. If it is just old, hire a professional cleaner. Buyers usually want to choose their own flooring, so don't spend thousands on new carpet that they might tear out.
You can sell it directly to a home-buying company. This saves you from paying agent commissions. It is a simple way to handle selling a house that needs repairs without open houses or waiting on banks.
