Repair, List As-Is, or Sell Direct?
Informational use only. All content is strictly for informal informational purposes only and is not professional advice.
Compare estimated sale cash and effort across three routes. Use your own estimates, quotes and written offers. Nothing entered here is sent to SPS or stored by this page. Do not enter account numbers or private identifiers.
How to use it: Enter whole-dollar amounts for each route. Use seller costs you would actually pay, and expected debt payoff at that route’s closing date. Then stress-test your assumptions. Print or save a PDF from your browser when finished.
| Enter your assumptions | Repair + list | List as-is | Sell direct |
|---|---|---|---|
| Expected sale price / written offer ($) | |||
| Repairs and preparation ($) | |||
| Repair contingency ($) | |||
| Selling costs, credits and concessions ($) | |||
| Monthly carrying cash ($) | |||
| Months until closing | |||
| Debt payoff at expected closing ($) | |||
| Other obligations / deductions ($) | |||
| Cash needed before closing ($, reference only) | |||
| Total carrying cash | |||
| Proceeds before debt / other | |||
| Estimated remaining sale cash |
Keep the comparison consistent
- Formula: price − repairs − contingency − selling costs − (monthly carrying cash × months) − debt payoff − other obligations.
- Cash needed before closing is a planning reference, not an extra deduction. Its components may already appear above.
- If your mortgage payment includes escrowed taxes or insurance, do not enter them again in monthly carrying costs.
- Use a separate payoff estimate for each closing date. A full mortgage payment includes principal, so this is a cash-planning comparison, not economic profit or a tax calculation.
- Count a credit or expense once. Confirm which party pays each cost in the written agreement.
- Negative results mean the entered deductions exceed proceeds; ask the appropriate professionals about options before committing.
Run a downside scenario
Save or print your starting version. Then lower the anticipated sale price, increase the repair budget and add holding months. Use the revised result to ask: could I fund this outcome, and is the extra effort worth the possible difference? No route is automatically the right choice.
Compare the nonfinancial terms
- How confident am I in the price and repair assumptions?
- Who manages contractors, access, belongings and local coordination?
- What contingencies, deposits and termination rights are in the contract?
- What happens if closing is delayed?
- Which ownership, tenant, tax or disclosure questions still need professional advice?
Want to compare a direct purchase offer?
Tell us about your property. Our acquisitions team can review the information and discuss whether a purchase is a fit. There is no obligation to accept an offer.
Disclaimer: All content, articles, worksheets, examples and estimates are strictly for informal informational purposes only. They are not legal, tax, financial, investment, real estate brokerage, appraisal, engineering or construction advice, and do not establish a professional advisory or representation relationship. Information may be incomplete or become outdated. Examples are hypothetical, not valuations, purchase offers or guarantees of results. Obtain advice from appropriately qualified professionals for your circumstances. Requirements vary by property and location. Offers are subject to review and separate written agreements. The principal of Sensible Property Solutions, LLC is a licensed Florida real estate sales associate; this page describes our private-investor purchase service.