Repair and List vs. Sell As-Is: A Maryland Seller Cost Comparison

Should you fix the house up and list it, or sell it as it is? Sale prices alone can’t answer that, because the two paths have different costs and take different amounts of time. The fair comparison is what lands in your bank account at the end of each path. This worksheet lays out every line so you can fill in your own numbers.

The worksheet

Subtract every cost line from the sale price in each column. The column with the larger result keeps more money, before you account for time and risk.

When Maryland House Pros buys a house, we pay the seller’s closing costs. Other buyers may handle this differently, so check each offer’s terms.

Transfer and recordation taxes, with current rates

Maryland’s state transfer tax is 0.5% of the price (Tax-Property §13-203). For an owner-occupied home bought by a qualifying first-time Maryland homebuyer, the state rate drops to 0.25% and the seller pays all of it. The Department of Legislative Services’ FY 2025-2026 table lists Prince George’s County’s transfer tax at 1.4% and its recordation tax at $2.75 per $500. Other counties use different rates.

On a hypothetical $300,000 sale in Prince George’s County, the taxes add up as follows:

These numbers are an example, not a quote. Exemptions and first-time buyer rules can change them, and your settlement statement will show the real amounts.

Costs that are easy to miss

• Holding time runs twice. On the listing path you carry the house while repairs are done and again while it is on the market and under contract.
• Repair surprises. Opening walls or floors can uncover more work. Unpermitted work can also bring penalties; Prince George’s County warns of fines of up to $1,000 a day for work without a permit.
• Inspection renegotiation. A financed buyer’s inspection and appraisal can lead to repair requests or a lower price after you are under contract.
• Disclosure still applies. Under Real Property §10-702, a seller must deliver the Maryland disclosure or disclaimer statement on or before signing the contract, whether or not the house is sold as-is.

Time and certainty: the columns a worksheet can’t show

A higher net on paper may still not be the better choice. If you can’t pay for repairs up front, are facing a deadline such as a tax sale or foreclosure date, are handling an estate from far away, or don’t want contractors and showings in the house, the as-is path may be worth a lower number. If you have the cash, the time and a house that needs mostly cosmetic work, repairing and listing often comes out ahead. Run the worksheet both ways before deciding.

For heavier projects such as roofs, foundations or systems, the guide to selling a Maryland house that needs major repairs goes further. If repairs are tied to open county notices, see selling a house with code violations. To see how buyers arrive at an as-is number, read how cash buyers price Maryland houses.