SELLER TOOL

Repair Cost Worksheet

Build a realistic repair scope for your house and see which items actually block a financed sale. You enter your own quotes — this tool will not invent local prices.

Roof

Blocks financing when an insurer declines coverage — the most common single reason a financed sale fails.Foundation and structure

Blocks financing. An engineer's report showing movement will usually stop a lender.HVAC, electrical, and plumbing

Blocks financing where a system is missing or unsafe. Aluminium wiring and polybutylene piping can also cause an insurance decline.Water, mould, and remediation

Blocks financing. Active moisture or visible mould is an appraisal condition.Kitchen and bathrooms

Cosmetic for financing purposes, but the largest driver of resale value.Flooring, paint, and interior finishes

Cosmetic. Affects price, not whether a loan closes.Windows, siding, and exterior

Mixed — broken windows and rotted structure are appraisal items, appearance is not.Cleanout, hauling, and landscaping

Not required at all if you sell as-is.

Result

Roof	$14,000
Foundation and structure	$12,000
HVAC, electrical, and plumbing	$18,000
Water, mould, and remediation	$9,000
Subtotal — items that can block a financed sale	$53,000
Kitchen and bathrooms	$22,000
Flooring, paint, and interior finishes	$12,000
Windows, siding, and exterior	$8,000
Cleanout, hauling, and landscaping	$4,000
Subtotal — value and presentation items	$46,000
Total repair scope	$99,000
Minimum to make the house financeable	$53,000

Of $99,000 in total scope, about $53,000 is the part that decides whether a mortgage-financed buyer can close at all. The rest affects price. If funding the whole scope is not realistic, that split is the decision: spend the $53,000 to open up the financed market, or sell as-is and spend nothing.

This runs entirely in your browser. Nothing you type here is sent to us or stored. It is an estimate for your own planning, not an offer, and not legal, tax, or financial advice.

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Why this tool asks for your numbers

Repair costs vary enormously by market, by contractor availability, and by the specific house. A roof in Houston and a roof in Asheville are not the same price, and a calculator that asserted a national average would be confidently wrong.

So this worksheet does something more useful: it organises the scope, tells you which items actually gate a mortgage, and totals figures you supply from your own quotes. If you have not got quotes, use your best estimate and treat the output as a range.

Financing-blocking versus value-adding

This is the distinction that matters most and the one sellers rarely draw. Lenders and insurers care about a narrow set of things: is the roof sound and insurable, is the structure stable, do the mechanical systems work and are they safe, is there active water intrusion or mould. Those are conditions that stop a loan.

Kitchens, bathrooms, flooring, paint, and landscaping do not stop a loan. They change the price. A house can be ugly and still finance; it cannot have a failed roof and still finance.

What that means for your decision

If the blocking items are affordable, repairing only those opens the property to financed buyers without a full renovation.
If they are not affordable, the financed market is largely closed to you and a cash sale is the realistic route.
Partial repairs can backfire: work done without permits, of unknown quality, sometimes worries an inspector more than an untouched house.
Selling as-is means spending nothing on any of it, including the cleanout.

Frequently asked questions

Do cash buyers purchase houses needing major repairs?

Yes. That is the core of it. No repairs, estimates, or contractor quotes are needed before a cash sale.

Which repairs stop a mortgage?

Broadly: an uninsurable or failed roof, structural or foundation movement, missing or unsafe mechanical systems, and active water intrusion or mould. Cosmetic condition affects price, not loan approval.

Should I do partial repairs before selling?

Sometimes. Repairing only the financing-blocking items can open up the financed market. Partial cosmetic work rarely pays for itself, and undocumented work can make an inspection worse.

Why does this tool not estimate costs for me?

Because local prices vary too much for a national figure to be honest. It organises the scope and does the arithmetic on your numbers instead.

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