Sellers ask me what to fix. The honest answer is: less than you think, but the right things.
Do these, in this order
Paint. Interior first, in a current neutral. Nothing else on this list returns as much per dollar. It also photographs better, which matters more than the in-person effect.
Anything that leaks, drips or does not work. A running toilet, a dead outlet, a sticky door, a leaking hose bib. Individually trivial, collectively they tell a buyer the house has not been cared for.
Flooring, if the carpet is worn. Buyers deduct far more for tired carpet than replacing it costs. This is one of the few places where spending real money pays.
Curb appeal. Mulch, trimmed shrubs, edged beds, a clean front door, working exterior lights. This is your first photo and your first impression.
Deep clean and declutter. Cheapest thing on the list, biggest effect on photos. Rent a storage unit if you need to.
HVAC service and a fresh filter. Cheap, and it heads off an inspection note.
Central Texas specifics worth handling
Drainage and grading. If water pools near the slab, fix it. It is inexpensive now and it is the first thing a savvy buyer or inspector looks at in clay soil country.
Roof. Get it looked at. In a hail region, buyers and their insurers care a great deal. If it needs replacing, you have a real decision — but you want to make that decision before a buyer's inspector makes it for you.
Foundation, if there are visible signs. Get a structural engineer's opinion before you list. A clean engineer's letter is a powerful thing to hand a buyer. Guessing and hoping is not. What inspectors actually look at.
Do not bother with these
A full kitchen or bath remodel. You will not get it back, and your taste is unlikely to match the buyer's. Paint the cabinets and change the hardware instead.
Major upgrades that outrun the neighborhood. A home with finishes far above its street does not get credit for them.
Replacing a system that works. A fifteen-year-old HVAC that runs is a disclosure item and a negotiation item. It is rarely a pre-listing expense.
Pools, landscaping overhauls, additions. Not before selling.
The disclosure wrinkle
This is the part people miss. In Texas you complete a seller's disclosure notice, and you must disclose known defects. Finding out about a problem does not let you unknow it.
That cuts two ways. If you get a pre-listing inspection, you will learn things you then have to disclose. That is not a reason to avoid inspecting — but it is a reason to be ready to either fix what you find or price for it. What you cannot do is learn about it and stay quiet. Here is how disclosure actually works.
The framework
Fix anything that is cheap, visible, or signals neglect. Fix anything that is a safety or water issue. Disclose and price for anything large.
Buyers forgive an old roof that is disclosed and reflected in the price. They do not forgive a house that feels neglected, and they punish that far beyond what the repairs would have cost.
If you want me to walk your house and give you the actual list — what to do and what to skip — I do that for free.
