Selling a House As-Is vs. Fixing It Up Before Selling

Many homes are sold as-is, but I would recommend you not box yourself into this mindset. In most markets, buyers have more selection and if you only accept as-is offers, you may need to price the home lower than the competition. Selling the home for $500,000 and investing $10K in repairs will net you more than an as-is sale for $475,000.

If this is a probate sale, you will be exempt from completing the Transfer Disclosure Statement and other informative disclosures that buyers like to gain history on the property. While it's the buyer's responsibility to investigate the home during the contingency period, have some professional inspections done before listing the home. A home inspection, pest inspection, and roof or chimney inspection can all help fill in the gaps for the prospective buyer and encourage them toward an as-is offer.

Negotiating is key, and knowing the market value of the home with or without repairs is vital information to get top dollar for your sale. Purchase agreements can be negotiated to include credit for repairs or some specific items for the seller to address before close of escrow, whether they are as-is or not.

If you live in the bay area and you're not sure how to best market your property, the starting point is a market analysis. We would be happy to provide you with a current analysis that takes into account the condition of your property, other homes for sale in your area, and the value of repairs or remodeling to get top dollar for your home. Click here to conect to our main real estate home page.