Short answer: Most sellers do best in the middle. Fix anything that scares buyers, do the cheap updates they notice right away, and skip the big remodel. The goal isn't a perfect house. It's a house buyers don't have a reason to walk away from.
If you're getting ready to sell, you've probably stood in your kitchen and wondered how much to fix first. Do too little and buyers may pass or come in low. Do too much and you spend money you won't get back, and you push your move back by weeks.
Here's how I help sellers sort it out. Every repair goes into one of three piles, and each pile gets a different answer.
Key takeaways
- Sort every repair into three piles: things that scare buyers, things buyers notice right away, and big projects you'd do for yourself.
- Fix pile one (leaks, water stains, anything that looks like a hidden problem). Those are the items that end deals at inspection.
- Pile two (paint, lighting, yard) is cheap and changes first impressions. In NAR's 2025 report, 50% of Realtors recommended painting the whole home before listing.
- Skip pile three before a sale. In our region, a midrange major kitchen remodel recouped about 54% of its cost in the 2025 Cost vs Value Report.
- Selling as-is in Tennessee usually still means filling out a property condition disclosure about known defects.
Should I fix up my house or sell it as-is?
For most homes, the answer is to fix some things and leave others. It depends on which fixes buyers will actually pay for, and that's what the three piles sort out.
Selling completely as-is can make sense when the repairs are too costly, the home needs a full renovation, or your timeline is very short. Just know that buyers will price the work into their offers, and many will price it in at more than it would cost you. Most homes I see don't need either extreme. They need a short, smart list.
Which repairs should I always fix before selling?
Fix anything that scares buyers. That means roof leaks, water stains on ceilings, plumbing leaks, electrical problems and anything else that looks like a big hidden problem.
These items matter because of how buyers think. A water stain on the ceiling might be an old, fixed leak, but a buyer standing under it pictures rotten wood and mold. Their inspector will flag it, and now the deal is being renegotiated or falling apart. Taking care of these items before you list, with receipts in hand, takes that fear off the table. If you want to go a step further, my post on home inspection tips for sellers covers how to get ahead of the inspection.
What cheap updates do buyers notice right away?
Paint, lighting and the yard. They cost little, and they change a buyer's first impression of your home more than almost anything else.
In the 2025 Remodeling Impact Report from the National Association of Realtors and the National Association of the Remodeling Industry, painting the entire home was the project Realtors most often recommended before listing (50%), followed by painting a single interior room (41%). Bright bulbs in every fixture, a trimmed and edged yard, and a clean, working front door all belong in this pile. For more on the first few seconds of a showing, see what buyers notice first.
Which projects usually don't pay off before a sale?
Big projects you'd do for yourself, like a whole new kitchen or a full remodel. Before a sale, you often won't get that money back.
The 2025 Cost vs Value Report from the Journal of Light Construction estimates what common projects cost and how much value they add at resale. In the East South Central region, which includes Tennessee, the smaller projects came out far ahead of the big ones.
Table: What remodeling projects return at resale (East South Central region, 2025)
| Project | Average cost | Cost recouped |
|---|---|---|
| Garage door replacement | $4,288 | 210.6% |
| Entry door replacement (steel) | $2,319 | 186.0% |
| Minor kitchen remodel (midrange) | $27,034 | 104.7% |
| Bath remodel (midrange) | $23,409 | 85.1% |
| Roof replacement (asphalt shingles) | $25,939 | 81.0% |
| Window replacement (vinyl) | $20,328 | 70.4% |
| Major kitchen remodel (midrange) | $77,908 | 53.6% |
| Major kitchen remodel (upscale) | $153,105 | 36.7% |
Takeaway: small, visible updates tend to pay for themselves, while large remodels return about half or less of what they cost. Source: Journal of Light Construction, 2025 Cost vs Value Report, East South Central region, which includes Nashville.
One note on the roof. A new roof recouped 81% of its cost in this report, so it isn't a money-maker on paper. But if your roof is leaking, it belongs in pile one anyway, because a bad roof is one of the fastest ways to lose a buyer at inspection. These numbers are regional averages from a national report, so your home and your street can be different. I always look at what actually sold nearby before recommending a project.
What does selling as-is mean in Tennessee?
Selling as-is means you're telling buyers up front that you don't plan to make repairs. It does not usually let you skip the disclosure form.
Under the Tennessee Residential Property Condition Disclosure Act, sellers of most homes must give buyers a property condition disclosure statement that covers material defects known to the owner. The law also allows a disclaimer statement saying the home is sold "as is," but only when the buyer waives the disclosure. Some transfers are exempt. Buyers in as-is sales also commonly still get an inspection, and what it finds can still come back to the negotiating table.
So think of as-is as a way to set expectations about repairs, while still being honest about what you know. If you have a legal question about your own situation, talk with a real estate attorney.
How should I pay for repairs before I sell?
A home equity line of credit (HELOC) is usually my first choice. You draw only what the repairs cost and pay it back from your sale proceeds at closing.
Some contractors offer to wait and be paid at closing. I treat that as a last resort. They're taking on risk by waiting, and that risk tends to show up in a higher price. If a HELOC isn't an option for you, we'll talk through the choices before any work starts.
How I help you decide what to fix
Before you spend a dollar, I walk your home with you, room by room, and we put every item into one of the three piles. Pile one gets fixed. Pile two gets a short, low-cost to-do list. Pile three gets crossed off, unless it's something you want for yourself. Then I pull the homes that recently sold near you in Sumner County, so we can see what buyers paid for homes that were updated and homes that weren't.
Whatever we decide on repairs, every listing I take gets full professional photography, video and drone, a coordinated go-live, and my personal outreach to agents with active buyers, so the right buyers see your home once it's ready.
Sources
- Journal of Light Construction, 2025 Cost vs Value Report, East South Central region (2025 report; viewed Nov 9, 2026).
- National Association of Realtors, "Top Remodeling Projects for Homeowner Satisfaction and Cost Recovery Revealed in NAR Report" (2025 Remodeling Impact Report; released April 9, 2025).
- Tennessee Code § 66-5-202, Residential Property Condition Disclosure Act (via Justia, 2025 code; viewed Nov 11, 2026).
- Nolo, Tennessee home seller disclosure obligations (viewed Nov 9, 2026).
Frequently asked questions
Is it better to sell a house as-is or fix it up?
For most homes, the best answer is in the middle. Fix anything that looks like a big hidden problem, do the low-cost updates buyers notice right away, and skip large remodels. Selling fully as-is can make sense when repairs are too costly or time is short, but expect buyers to price the work into their offers.
What repairs should I make before selling my house?
Start with anything that scares buyers, like roof leaks, water stains, plumbing leaks or electrical problems. Then handle the cheap things that change first impressions, such as paint touch-ups, lighting and yard cleanup. In NAR's 2025 Remodeling Impact Report, painting the entire home was the project Realtors most often recommended before listing.
Do I have to fill out a disclosure form if I sell as-is in Tennessee?
Usually, yes. Tennessee law requires sellers of most homes to give buyers a property condition disclosure statement covering known material defects. An 'as is' disclaimer statement is allowed only when the buyer waives that disclosure, and some transfers are exempt. For legal questions about your situation, talk with a real estate attorney.
Should I remodel my kitchen before selling?
Usually not. In the 2025 Cost vs Value Report for our region, a midrange major kitchen remodel recouped about 54% of its cost at resale. A minor kitchen refresh recouped about 105%, so smaller updates like paint, hardware and lighting are usually the smarter move.
How should I pay for repairs before selling?
A home equity line of credit (HELOC) is usually my first choice, because you pay it back from your sale proceeds. Contractors who wait to be paid at closing are a last resort, since they tend to charge more for the risk they take on.
Will buyers still get an inspection if I sell as-is?
In most sales, yes. Selling as-is tells buyers up front that you don't plan to make repairs, but buyers commonly still inspect the home. If the report finds something serious, it usually comes back to the negotiating table, which is why it pays to deal with the scary items first.
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Trevor Barber is a Realtor and Affiliate Broker with Benchmark Realty, LLC, based in White House, TN. With 68 homes sold and a 5.0 rating on Google, he helps families buy, sell, downsize and move up across Sumner County and Middle Tennessee. More about Trevor
Keep reading: See how I sell your home · What buyers notice first · Home inspection tips for sellers · What Buyers Notice First When You Sell Your Home · Home Inspection Tips for Sellers: How to Get Ahead of It