Should You Make Repairs Before Selling Your DFW Home?

By Justin Croft

Justin Croft has a passion for buying and selling residential real estate that is contagious. He is a skilled negotiator and problem solver who thrives on going above and beyond for his clients.

“Should I fix this up before I sell?”

People will tell you to fix your home first, but nobody tells you that it’s not just about the paint or the countertops. It’s about which buyer you’re quietly aiming your home at, because a home gets sold to one kind of buyer or another, and the repairs are how you pick.

Two buyers are shopping, and they value your home in opposite directions. The one who wants it finished will pay a premium to avoid a project, and the one who wants a deal is counting on the work being left undone. That split shows up in the data. Homes marketed as turnkey sold for about 2.9% more than expected, while fixer-uppers sold for 14% less, according to Zillow. The reason is human enough: hardly anyone wants to close on a house and start writing repair checks the following week, so a clean, move-in-ready home commands more.

Knowing that, the costliest move is refusing to choose. A seller who does half the work but prices the home as though it’s fully finished ends up appealing to neither side. The move-in buyer notices what’s unfinished and walks; the bargain hunter runs the numbers and doesn’t see a discount. What’s left is a home that sits while comparable listings around it close.

It’s also worth remembering that a skipped repair never actually goes away. Pass on it now, and it reappears at the inspection table, except by then the buyer is the one holding the leverage, and the conversation happens on their terms instead of yours.

All of which is why the smart first step costs nothing: decide who your buyer is before you spend a dollar getting ready. If you’re weighing a sale anywhere in the Dallas-Fort Worth area, call or text me at 214-213-7200 or email me at justin@croftrealestategroup.com, or visit blog.croftrealestategroup.com. We’ll figure out which improvements are actually worth it for your home.