What Not to Fix When Selling A House

What not to fix when selling a house is just as important as knowing what to repair. Selling a home can feel like a huge task—complicated, time-consuming, and expensive. Before you list your property, you might feel tempted to tackle a long list of updates.

But the truth is, not everything needs fixing. To help you avoid unnecessary costs and stress, here’s a guide to what you can skip when preparing your home for the market.

What Not to Fix When Selling a House

Some home repairs you can eliminate from your list because they’re too much work for the reward, too expensive to earn back in the selling price, or just not feasible with your timeline.

Cosmetic Repairs

Cosmetic changes and fixes, such as changing paint colors or upgrading the landscaping around your home, are relatively easy to do yourself, but may not be worth the extra effort. Most times, it’s better to leave these changes up to the buyers to customize according to their preferences.

If your home has brightly colored walls that are loud and distracting, painting with a more neutral palette might be a useful change to make. However, unless the paint or landscaping majorly detracts from your home’s appearance, don’t place these types of repairs high on the list of priorities. Make sure things are clean and tidy, but don’t feel like you need to completely makeover your home before selling.

Updating Kitchens and Bathrooms: When to Skip the Renovation

Kitchen and bath updates are repairs that make the list of what not to fix when selling a house. Could they help increase your home’s value? Probably, but are these changes worth the time and money? It’s unlikely that you can earn back the costs of these repairs in the sale price for the same time and money you spent.

Leave the upgrades to the next owner, so they can get exactly what they’re looking for in a new kitchen or bathroom.

Halfway Fixes to Avoid When Selling a House

If you can’t afford to make the full repair, don’t do it halfway. Repairing problems with your home with temporary or “creative solutions” are things to not fix when selling a house. It’s better to spend the money to make the repair completely and effectively, or disclose the problem to a buyer than try to do a patch job for a low cost.

What You Should Fix Before Selling a House

If your home needs a lot of work, there might be a few things you should fix to help you sell your home. Some traditional buyers may not make an offer before you have these types of repairs resolved.

Buyers expect you to fix major issues like foundation damage, faulty electrical or plumbing systems, leaking roofs, mold, or water damage before putting your home on the market. While these repairs can be costly, you must resolve anything that makes the home unsafe before selling it.

Major repairs are red flags to buyers. If a home needs a lot of expensive work upfront, buyers will be more hesitant to make an offer, unless they can purchase your home for a very low price to justify the extra cost and effort of repairs.

How to Sell Your Home Without Making Any Repairs

If you don’t want to make any changes to your home at all, or can’t afford the major repairs your home needs, you still have options. You can sell your home as-is or sell to a real estate investor for a quick, cash offer.

Sell Your Home As-Is

In an as-is sale, you put your house on the market in its current condition, without making any repairs or updates to the home. You avoid the time-consuming and expensive changes to make your home ready to sell, and wait for a buyer looking for a project. Be aware that, in order to sell your home as-is, you may need to price it competitively. If your home needs a lot of work, only specific buyers looking for a project may be interested.

Sell to a Real Estate Investor

When you sell your home to a real estate investor, you can sell it as-is. There’s no need to worry about what to repair or what not to fix when selling a house. You can sell without a Realtor and on your timeline — often in as few as five days.

Real estate investors have the time and capital to make the repairs your home needs. They aren’t scared off by outdated kitchens, cosmetic issues, or major problems like a leaking roof or water damage. They’ll make a fair cash offer based on your home’s value. This lets you sell quickly, without the hassle of a traditional home sale.

If your home needs work on critical issues like the foundation, water damage, mold or roofing, a traditional sale may not be right for you. If you’re interested in a fair cash offer based on the market value of your home, Hometown Development can help.

For your free, personalized offer, reach out to us today.

Local Tip for Michigan Homeowners:

If you’re selling a home in Michigan—especially in areas like Grand Rapids, Kentwood, or Holland—major repairs can make or break your sale. Cold weather and moisture issues are common in older Michigan homes, so addressing roof leaks or water damage early can help you attract serious buyers and avoid price reductions.