Free tool
Fix it first, or sell it as it is?
Repairs raise the price but cost money, time, and risk of overruns. This tool compares the net from renovating and listing against selling as-is now, using your numbers.
Results
Enter your numbers and press Calculate. Nothing here is an offer or an appraisal.
How it's calculated
The math, in plain language
Formula
- Repair-and-list net = repaired sale price − (repair estimate × (1 + overrun)) − (repair months + selling months) × holding cost − selling costs.
- As-is net = as-is price − as-is selling costs − months to close × holding cost.
- Return on repair dollars shows how much extra net you'd gain per dollar spent — negative means repairs don't pay back.
Assumptions and limits
- Defaults are illustrative. Your repair quote, timeline, and the price a renovated house would fetch are the numbers that matter — get real ones.
- The overrun allowance is a judgment call; budget and schedule overruns are common in renovation, especially on older Houston homes where foundation, plumbing, and electrical surprises are frequent.
- This tool is for general planning only. It is not an offer, an appraisal, or legal, tax, or financial advice. Results depend entirely on the numbers you enter.
FAQ
Common questions
Which repairs usually pay back?
Cleaning, decluttering, paint, and small fixes. Big-ticket items — foundation, roof, re-piping — mostly make a house financeable rather than raise its price. See our repairs guide.
What if I can't afford the repairs up front?
Then the repair path may not be available regardless of the math. Selling as-is or getting a cash offer to compare costs nothing.
Does this account for my time and stress?
No. Managing contractors for months has a cost that isn't in the numbers; only you can weigh it.
Keep going
Related tools and guides
More free tools
- As-is offer estimator
Work backward from after-repair value to see what an as-is offer range looks like and why.
- Cash offer vs. listing calculator
Side-by-side net proceeds: a cash offer today versus listing with an agent after costs and time.
- Cost to sell a house
Every common selling cost itemized — commission, closing, prep, concessions, holding — and your resulting net.
Houston guides
- House that needs repairs
Fix-and-list versus sell-as-is: which repairs pay back, which don't, and how to compare the two honestly.
- Sell house as-is
What “as-is” means in Texas, what you still have to disclose, and what condition really does to the price.
- Foundation problems
Why Houston foundations move, what it does to a normal sale, and how to sell without repairing it first.
Want to discuss an actual offer?
The calculator uses your guesses. We use real comparable sales and a walkthrough. Enter the address — it's free and there's no obligation.