In today’s real estate market, basic maintenance outweighs cosmetic upgrades, and even significant price reductions often fail to revive properties that linger on the market. According to Angie Heitzer of Summer House Realty, buyers are increasingly unwilling to consider homes that require immediate repairs, signaling a shift in how sellers should prepare their properties.
“Once something’s hit the market 90 to 120 days, even a big price reduction doesn’t really help. It doesn’t move that needle,” Heitzer said. This challenges the traditional belief that lowering the price can rescue a stalled listing.
The main issue is buyer psychology regarding move-in readiness. “If it is move-in ready, they don’t have to come in and rip out carpets and paint walls and replace appliances, you sell faster and for a better price than if somebody comes and sees it and thinks, I can’t move from Atlanta into this house,” Heitzer explained.
This shift is particularly evident among out-of-state buyers, who are less able to manage renovations from afar. Convenience has become critical, often taking precedence over price within reasonable limits.
Heitzer points to specific maintenance issues that have an outsized effect on buyer decisions: “Roof age, HVAC age, hot water heater age, and really a lot of the deferred maintenance stuff. If somebody’s walking to the house and there’s wood rot on the soffit versus ‘oh look, it looks good,’ deferred maintenance that’s very visual makes a huge difference.”
Her experience in commercial real estate underscores why these factors outweigh cosmetic staging. While traditional advice emphasizes decluttering and depersonalizing, Heitzer notes that buyers focus more on the condition of essential systems and structural elements.
This reality presents a challenge for sellers. Properties needing major maintenance force owners to either spend money upfront or accept longer market times and limited buyer interest. Neither option guarantees a favorable outcome.
Timing further complicates the situation. In a market where well-maintained, competitively priced homes still sell, the difference becomes clear. “You have to compare yourself against what the builders are doing,” Heitzer noted, describing a scenario where new construction undercut a resale property by $20,000 and offered better financing.
For those in this position, Heitzer recommends patience. Advising a client whose home was competing with new builds, she suggested waiting: “This is not the time to put it on the market. If you’re not needing to sell, sit tight. Today’s not the day.”
This approach recognizes that market timing can be as important as price or condition. Delaying a listing can be a strategic decision when market conditions make even well-kept homes seem less attractive.
These trends are shaping the broader market. As buyers become more selective about property condition, the divide widens between homes that are well maintained and those needing work, potentially creating separate market segments with different expectations for price and timing.
One practical improvement still pays off. “You can’t go wrong with a fresh coat of paint, especially right before you list it. When people walk in that first time, they’re like ‘fresh paint, it looks brand new,'” Heitzer said, calling it the most cost-effective upgrade available to sellers.
