Selling a House As Is

So you’re thinking of selling your house, but it’s got problems—like a leaky roof, finicky plumbing, or maybe a 1970s kitchen with ugly orange cabinets.

Maybe you’re not sure it’s even worth the time and money it would take to fix up your home for buyers. And if you’re really honest, maybe you don’t want to fix it up. You’d rather just be done.

We get it. And there’s a potential solution: You can sell your house as is. 

To help you decide whether to sell your house as is, we’ll answer some common questions—like what “as is” actually means, and what the pros and cons are—then we’ll get into how to sell your home as is.

Let’s dive in!

What Does It Mean to Sell My House As Is?

In real estate, selling a house as is means you won’t repair or improve the property before you sell it, and you won’t cover any repair costs for the buyer either. It tells buyers, “What you see is what you get.”

The home won’t be repaired or improved before it’s sold, so it’s priced and marketed to sell quickly. That means you don’t have to pour any extra money into it—and buyers can score a lower price and close quickly.

Should I Sell My House As Is?

There’s no hard and fast answer to this question—it all depends on your individual situation.

To help you get a good idea of what might influence your decision, here are the most common reasons people decide to sell their house as is.

Common Reasons to Sell a House As Is

• Money: Some folks trying to sell a fixer-upper simply don’t have the cash on hand to pay for the repairs. Others don’t think the cost of making a bunch of repairs will add enough value to the home to make it profitable.

• Timeline: Maybe you’re about to move and don’t have time to wait for renovations and repairs. Or you could be wanting to take advantage of a hot local real estate market before it cools off.

• Convenience: Making repairs sounds nice in theory, but it takes lots of time and effort—even if you’re paying someone else to do the work. Selling as is eliminates that hassle.

If one of those scenarios apply to you, then selling your house as is could be the best option. If not, you may want to either complete the repairs before selling or offer to pay for the buyer to take care of them.

Either way, make sure you talk to your real estate agent before making your final decision.

Pros and Cons of Selling a House As Is

Pros

• You save time. You won’t have to wait an eternity for a contractor to finish repairs before you list your home. And because the price is lower, there’s a better chance the buyers will pay in cash. That means the closing process will likely move much faster since you’ll avoid the headache known as the mortgage approval process, which always slows things down.
• You save money. Home renovations can get expensive. When you sell as is, you won’t have to spend a bunch of money—or worse, go into debt—to make major repairs or improvements, which can cost up to $150 per square foot.¹ Imagine, just renovating a 100-square-foot kitchen might cost $15,000!
• You don’t have to negotiate on repairs. Going back and forth with a buyer over which repairs you will and won’t do is exhausting—especially if some of the repairs are nitpicky. And getting all those repairs done in a timely fashion is a headache. Selling as is eliminates that stress.

Cons

• You’ll (probably) get fewer offers. The lower price of an as-is home might attract buyers. But don’t be surprised if the repairs that need to be done scare some of them off. Plus, some lenders won’t even approve buyers for a mortgage on an as-is home. That might limit your potential buyers, and the people who are interested are more likely to be house flippers and real estate investors.
• You’ll make a smaller profit. When you’re selling a house as is, that typically means there’s a lot of work to be done—and the buyer knows they’ll have to eat the cost. Potential buyers will try like crazy to talk you down on price to make up for those repair costs, so don’t expect to turn a huge profit.

How to Sell a House As Is

To sell a house as is, you can pretty much follow the same steps as a standard home sale—you just won’t have to stage the home. But you will have to market it a little differently.

Find expert agents to help you sell your home.

With an as-is home, you have to show everything—flaws and all. Sometimes, that doesn’t matter and the buyer loves the place anyway. Other times, you’ll feel like your house is the kid who gets picked last in gym class.

Now here’s the good news: You can take some steps to help your home get picked sooner. To get a handle on how to market (and sell) your home as is, follow these tips:

1. Get Advice From a Local Real Estate Agent

You might not want to pay for an agent, but it’s always worth the cost to sell with a real estate agent—especially when you’re selling your home as is. For starters, they’ll help you set a realistic price. Sellers’ agents do a comparative market analysis (CMA) to find out what similar homes have sold for in your area. That way, you can set a fair price from the start and help keep your home from sitting on the market for too long.

They’ll also know how to find the best buyer. An agent has access to the Multiple Listing Service (MLS)—a home-listing database that’s only operated by real estate professionals. They can use the MLS to hook you up with legit buyers who are actually interested in purchasing an as-is home.

And finally, your real estate agent can help you market your home’s positive features—like location, size and floor plan—so you can actually sell it for a reasonable price. And when you get an offer, your agent will step in to help you get a fair deal at the negotiating table.

 

2. Disclose Defects

Selling your house as is doesn’t mean creating a booby trap for the next buyer. You’ll have to tell potential buyers what they’re getting themselves into before making a deal. It’s the right thing to do, and in many cases, it’s the law.

Some states legally require you to give the buyer a report (called a “seller’s disclosure”) that shows buyers all the problems with your house ahead of time so they don’t try to back out of the deal later.

Here are a few examples of problems you might have to disclose to potential buyers:

• Foundation damage
• Plumbing problems
• Electrical issues
• Water intrusion
• Mold

Other states have a caveat emptor rule, which is just a fancy way of saying, “Let the buyer beware”—meaning it’s up to your buyer to learn the defects of your house.

Every state has different laws about disclosure reports, so check with your agent to find out what you’re legally obligated to disclose.

3. Do a Home Inspection Before Listing

So how do you avoid getting slapped in the face by your state’s disclosure laws? Get a home inspection done before you list your house. It usually only costs around $300–400.² That’s a small price to pay compared to losing a deal or getting sued for failing to disclose a serious defect.

The inspector will tell you what’s wrong with your house—including some stuff you may not even know about—so you can put it in the disclosure. Plus, having a professional inspection done proves you have nothing to hide, which could help you sell your home faster.

And again, talk to your real estate agent. They can help you find an inspector, and they’ll be able to help you market your home’s best features, even if you have to disclose some stuff that isn’t so great.

4. Get Cost Estimates for Potential Repairs

Wait, I thought the whole point of an as-is home sale was to avoid paying for repairs? Yes, you are correct. However, you still need to know the ins and outs of what’s wrong with your house and what it would cost to fix everything. If you get accurate cost estimates from local contractors, you’ll have more negotiating power if buyers try to lowball you on price.

Plus, you might find that some repair costs actually do fit in your budget. And if you make the repairs, you’ll have a better chance of earning more money at the closing table. So, make a list of what work needs to be done and get busy gathering cost estimates for each one.

Here are some average costs of common home remodeling projects:

Project	Job Cost
HVAC Replacement	$7,0003
New Roof	$9,5004
Basement Remodel	$22,8005
Bathroom	$12,1006
Kitchen	$27,0007

5. Set a Realistic Price

Setting a price is about more than just knowing what your home needs—it’s also about knowing what your home already has going for it!

To make sure potential buyers aren’t just staring at a bunch of defects when they see your listing, you’ll want the help of an expert real estate agent. They’ll help you set an honest price for your home, based on both its good and bad features. That way you don’t have to worry about scaring off buyers or not earning your fair share of the deal.

How Much Do You Lose Selling a House As Is?

In 2024, the average cost of a fixer-upper home (which are often sold as is) was $283,000—while move-in ready homes sold for 29% more.⁸ That’s a bummer. But sometimes, selling as is does make more sense mathematically than doing home improvements to boost value.

Here’s an example: Let’s say you’re wanting to sell a home that needs a new roof, an exterior paint job, carpet installation, and repairs to the foundation. You learn that, as is, your home could sell for $300,000. But if you completed those repairs, the value would jump to $315,000.

So, you sit down and do the math on how much the repairs would cost:

• Roof replacement: $9,500⁹
• Exterior paint: $3,200¹⁰
• Carpet: $1,800¹¹
• Foundation repairs: $5,100¹²

Altogether, the repairs come out to $19,600—$4,600 more than they would add to your home’s value. That means, if you paid for the repairs instead of selling the house as is, you’d actually lose money.

At the end of the day, the amount of money you’d lose—or save—by selling a house as is depends on your individual situation. That’s why it’s super important to do your research and work with an agent.