Your options

Three routes, weighed honestly.

We make cash offers, so you might expect us to say a cash sale is always best. It isn't. Here is how the main routes compare, and when each one tends to make sense.

Route one

List with a real estate agent

This is the traditional home sale. An agent prices the house, markets it, shows it to buyers and negotiates for you.

If your house is in good shape and you can wait, listing can net you more than a cash offer, even after commissions and closing costs. We say that plainly because it is often true.

The trade is time and uncertainty. Most buyers use a mortgage, so the sale usually depends on an inspection, an appraisal and loan approval.

What you gain

Open-market exposure, which usually brings the highest price
An agent handles pricing, marketing and negotiation
Works well for updated, move-in ready houses

What it costs you

Agent commissions and closing costs come out of your proceeds
Showings, cleaning and keeping the house ready
Buyers may ask for repairs or credits after the inspection
A financed sale can be delayed, or can fall through

Route two

Sell as-is for cash

A cash buyer purchases the house in its current condition, without a lender. This is the route Sell Wise DFW can offer you directly.

A cash offer is usually lower than what the same house might list for. The buyer takes on the repairs, the holding costs and the risk of reselling, and the offer reflects that.

In return you may get speed, a closing date you choose and far fewer moving parts. For a house that needs real work, the gap can be smaller than you expect once repairs and selling costs are counted.

What you gain

No repairs, cleaning or showings
No agent commission on a direct sale
Closing often within a few weeks, or later if you need time
No lender or appraisal to wait on

What it costs you

The price is usually below a listed sale price
Cash buyers differ, so read the contract and compare offers
You give up the chance of a bidding contest on the open market

Route three

Fix up, then sell

Here you renovate first and then list the improved house. Done well, this can produce the highest sale price of the three routes.

It also asks the most of you. You pay for materials and labor up front, manage contractors, and keep paying the mortgage, taxes, insurance and utilities while the work goes on.

Whether it pays off depends on the house and the costs involved. Some repairs return more than they cost. Others, especially large structural jobs, may not.

What you gain

Potential for the highest sale price
You decide what gets updated and how
A finished house appeals to more traditional buyers

What it costs you

Cash out of pocket before you see any return
Projects often run over budget or past schedule
Holding costs add up each month
You still pay listing costs when you sell

At a glance

The same three routes, side by side

The traditional home sale

List with an agent

Typical timing

Often two to three months or more, from prep to closing

Repairs

Buyers and lenders may ask for repairs after the inspection

Selling costs

Agent commissions, often around 5% to 6% of the price, plus closing costs

Certainty

A sale can fall through over financing, the appraisal or the inspection

Price

Usually the highest sale price for a house in good shape

Often fits when

Your house shows well and you have time to wait for the right buyer.

The route we can offer

Sell as-is for cash

Typical timing

Often two to four weeks, on a closing date you choose

Repairs

None. A cash buyer takes the house in its current condition

Selling costs

No agent commission. The written offer shows who pays which closing costs

Certainty

No lender and no appraisal, so there are fewer ways for the sale to stall

Price

Usually lower than a listed price, because the buyer takes on the repairs and the risk

Often fits when

The house needs work, the timing is tight, or you want a simple sale.

Renovate first, list after

Fix up, then sell

Typical timing

Often several months of work before the house goes on the market

Repairs

You hire the contractors, pay up front and manage the project

Selling costs

Renovation and holding costs first, then the usual listing costs

Certainty

Budgets and schedules can slip, and the market may move while you work

Price

Can be the highest, if the work costs less than the value it adds

Often fits when

You have savings, time and a contractor you trust.

These are typical patterns, not promises. Commission rates are negotiable, and costs and timing vary with the house and the market.

How to decide

Four questions worth asking yourself

What condition is the house in?

A clean, updated house usually does best on the open market. A house with major repair needs may not qualify for some buyers' loans, which narrows the field toward cash buyers.

How soon do you need to be done?

If a few months is fine, you can afford to list and wait. If a deadline is close, such as a move, a foreclosure date or an estate to settle, speed may matter more than the last few dollars.

How much cash and energy can you put in?

Fixing up first takes savings and attention. If either is short right now, that route can turn into a burden.

What would you net, not just what would it sell for?

Compare what you keep after repairs, commissions, closing costs and the months of carrying the house. A higher sale price doesn't always mean more money in your pocket.

For the tax side of a sale, a CPA is the right person to ask.

Want a real figure to compare?

A written cash offer gives you one firm number to hold up against an agent's estimate. Asking for one costs nothing and commits you to nothing.

Get my cash offer How the process works