Sell As-Is or List It? Compare What You'd Actually Keep

Often, but not reliably — it depends on the house. A retail-ready home in a strong market usually nets more listed, even after commission. A house needing major work, sitting far away, or still full of belongings often nets the same or less listed once repairs, cleanout, and months of carrying costs come out — while taking months longer. That's why this calculator compares nets, not headline prices.

Cash offers typically land meaningfully below retail market value because the buyer takes on the repairs, the risk, and the carrying period, and still needs a margin. The honest comparison isn't offer vs. market value — it's offer vs. what you'd keep from a listed sale after everything listing costs. Competition among several buyers is what pushes the as-is number toward the top of its range.

Sellers commonly spend several thousand dollars before photographs are even taken — cleanout, paint, flooring, landscaping, minor repairs — and then concede more after the buyer's inspection. On dated or inherited homes the make-ready bill can reach tens of thousands. Whatever your number is, it belongs in the comparison, which is why this calculator asks for it.

A cash as-is sale generally closes in two to four weeks through a title company. A listed sale typically runs three to five months from decision to closing — prep, marketing, contract, buyer financing, and the closing itself — and every one of those months carries the house's holding cost, which the calculator counts.