“As-is” usually means you’re not agreeing upfront to make repairs, but you still must disclose known defects honestly. Risks include a smaller buyer pool, lower offers, longer time on market, and potential legal trouble if you hide issues or fail to disclose properly.

Schedule a licensed pest inspection if your area or loan type commonly requires it, or if you suspect issues like termites. If problems show up, complete recommended treatments and keep the report and clearance letter handy for buyers and their lenders.

A pre-appraisal can give you an independent value opinion, which may help in unique properties or when pricing is tricky. However, appraisers hired by buyers’ lenders aren’t bound by your report, so many sellers rely instead on a strong comparative market analysis (CMA) from an experienced agent unless there’s a

There’s no official “pass” or “fail,” but a bad report can cause buyers to renegotiate, request repairs or credits, or walk away under their inspection contingency. You and your agent can review the report, get your own bids, and decide whether to fix key items, offer a credit, or go

Fresh, neutral paint is one of the highest-ROI updates you can make before selling because it instantly makes rooms feel cleaner, brighter, and move-in ready. Prioritize high-impact areas like entry, living room, kitchen, and primary bedroom, and cover bold or dark colors that could turn buyers off.

If your HVAC is very old, unreliable, or clearly near the end of its life, replacing or doing major repairs can help avoid scaring buyers and derailing negotiations. If it’s working well and just older, a tune-up, filter change, and documented maintenance may be enough, since full replacements rarely return