What NOT to fix before selling your home

Stop the Stress: The Ultimate Guide to What NOT to Fix Before Selling Your Home

By Cindy Ulsrud, Your Trusted Real Estate Expert 

Selling your home is exciting, but it often feels like walking a financial tightrope. You want to pocket the maximum profit, but everywhere you look, there's a new "must-do" fix.

The truth is, the average seller has been in their home for over a decade. That’s a lot of potential wear and tear, but fixing absolutely everything is a recipe for wasted money and time.

My job is to help you maximize your return without the unnecessary expense. We’re not going for HGTV perfection; we’re aiming for a strong, profitable sale. Here’s your definitive guide to what you can confidently skip fixing when listing your house.

Big-Ticket Items: When to Put the Hammer Down

In real estate, bigger isn't always better, especially when it comes to renovations. Extensive projects rarely deliver a dollar-for-dollar return. Most major remodels recover only 50-80% of their cost at resale—and they can delay your listing by weeks or months!

Skip these major overhauls and focus your budget on simple updates that buyers will appreciate:

• Kitchen & Bathroom Overhauls: Buyers have their own vision for these spaces. Unless your kitchen or bathroom is actively falling apart, let the next owner spend the money to personalize it.
• Finishing Basements or Adding Space: These are huge time and cash investments that usually don't move the needle enough on the final sale price to be worth the upfront cost.
• New Home Additions (like a deck or sunroom): Focus on maintaining the existing structure rather than building new ones.
  
  
  

Cosmetic Quirks Buyers Will Overlook

Most buyers expect to make some cosmetic changes to personalize their new home—that's part of the fun! Your goal isn’t to achieve flawlessness; it’s to present a well-maintained, clean canvas.

We can save your money by ignoring these minor visual imperfections:

• Minor Wall Dings and Nail Holes: These are expected wear-and-tear items.
• Outdated Paint Colors in Secondary Rooms: Unless the color is truly shocking, let it go. Neutralize main living areas, but don't repaint the kids' bedrooms.
• Dated Light Fixtures that work perfectly.
• Minor Scratches on Hardwood Floors: Perfect floors aren’t necessary. A good professional cleaning/buffing is often enough.
• Minor Carpet Wear in low-traffic areas.

Function Over Fashion: Don't Replace What Works

Just because a feature isn't "on-trend" doesn't mean it needs to be replaced. Buyers often prefer a slightly lower price point that gives them the budget room to make personal style updates after closing.

For example, if your honey oak cabinets from the 1990s are structurally sound and functional, replacing them with white shaker style might cost you $20,000 and only increase your sale price by $10,000. That’s a loss!

The same goes for:

• Old but Working Appliances: Functioning appliances—regardless of age or finish—represent value. Skip the stainless steel upgrade if your existing set is reliable.
• Old Furnaces/Water Heaters: Unless they are actively broken or at the end of their service life, let the home inspector tell you when it’s time for a replacement.

The "Patchwork" Problem: Avoid Partial Updates

Starting a renovation and not finishing it can actually hurt your sale more than doing nothing at all.

Updating just one of three bathrooms, or replacing half the kitchen appliances, creates a disjointed appearance that emphasizes the outdated elements. Buyers prefer consistency throughout a space rather than a confusing mix of new and old features.

Simple Fixes That Can Wait (or are Unnecessary)

When it comes to utilities, safety is paramount. But if it’s a non-hazardous minor issue, leave it for the next owner.

• Minor Plumbing Issues: A dripping faucet or a slow drain typically won't derail a sale. Most home inspections will flag these as easy DIY fixes.
• Superficial Exterior Blemishes: Faded trim paint, minor concrete cracks, or weathered shutters don't warrant expensive fixes that won't significantly boost your sale price. Focus on a neat and tidy exterior instead.
• Elaborate Landscaping Overhauls: Focus on simple curb appeal—mowing, weeding, and trimming. Buyers often want to personalize gardens, so save your money by skipping elaborate new features.

🛑 What You Should Always Fix Before Listing

While many repairs can wait, there are certain issues that will either tank your sale price or scare away buyers entirely. These are the problems that should never be skipped:

1. Safety Hazards: Active water/gas leaks, major electrical issues, or broken security features (like non-locking doors/windows).
2. Structural Damage: Foundation problems, significant roof damage, or evidence of major deterioration.
3. Moisture Issues: Active water leaks, signs of mold growth, or major plumbing issues (like sewer line problems).
4. Evidence of Infestation: Active pests (termites, rodents) that haven't been professionally addressed.
5. Code Violations or unpermitted additions that could cause legal or insurance problems.

Knowing what not to fix when selling a house is just as important as knowing what to fix. By focusing your budget on the issues that truly matter to buyers (safety, structure, and cleanliness), we can maximize your return while avoiding unnecessary expenses.

Ready to list with a strategy?

Contact me, Cindy Ulsrud, your local Realty Executives Cooper Spransy agent, for a customized selling plan that helps you maximize your profit without wasting time and money on unnecessary fixes.