Tyce Ortman REALTOR

By Tyce Ortman | July 16, 2026

Every seller who calls me with a dated or tired house asks some version of the same question: do I sink money into repairs first, or just sell it as-is and move on? It’s a fair question, and the honest answer is that “as-is” almost never means “for the same price.” It means faster and easier in exchange for a lower number.

The real decision isn’t repair everything versus repair nothing. It’s figuring out which repairs actually pay you back, which ones to skip, and where selling as-is genuinely makes sense. Here’s how I walk Sioux Falls sellers through it.

What selling as-is really costs you

Selling as-is is legal, common, and sometimes the right call. But you’re trading dollars for convenience, and it helps to know the size of that trade.

If you sell to a cash buyer or a “we buy houses” company, the discount depends entirely on who’s writing the check:

• An individual cash buyer in a reasonable market often comes in just 2-5% under list.
• Investors and flippers typically offer 15-30% below market — they’re pricing in the repairs plus their own profit margin.
• On average, cash buyers pay roughly 9-10% less than a financed buyer would.

On a Sioux Falls home near the current median sale price of about $335,000, a 10% haircut is roughly $33,000. That’s the money you’re weighing against the cost and hassle of doing some work first.

Here’s the part sellers miss: as-is doesn’t have to mean selling to an investor at all. Sioux Falls is still a reasonably healthy market — sellers received about 98.6% of their list price in June, inventory is down sharply from a year ago, and homes are sitting a bit longer than they did in 2021 but still moving. You can list an as-is home on the open market, disclose its condition, price it for the work it needs, and often net more than an investor would ever offer. About 92% of South Dakota buyers get an inspection anyway, so on an as-is listing your price and your disclosure do the heavy lifting, not fresh paint.

Which repairs are actually worth it

If you do decide to invest before listing, spend in the right order. Not all repairs pay you back, and a few actively lose money.

Fix the safety and structural issues first. Roof leaks, foundation cracks, electrical hazards, and active plumbing leaks are non-negotiable. They’ll show up in the buyer’s inspection no matter what, and when they do, they either kill the deal or trigger a credit request bigger than the repair would have cost you. Handle these before anything cosmetic.

Then spend on cheap, high-visibility work. The best returns before a sale are almost always small and surface-level, because buyers form an opinion in the first thirty seconds:

• Fresh paint — interior repaint routinely returns around 100% of its cost, and it’s the single highest-impact dollar most sellers spend.
• Curb appeal — mowing, trimming, mulch, and a clean entry can lift perceived value noticeably for a few hundred dollars.
• A new garage door or entry door — these consistently rank among the highest-ROI projects nationally, because they’re inexpensive relative to the punch they pack.
• Minor kitchen and bath touch-ups — new hardware, a faucet, caulk, and paint go a long way; a light kitchen refresh returns close to its cost.

Skip the big remodels. A full kitchen or bathroom gut rarely earns back what you put in when you’re selling — a major upscale kitchen remodel can return well under half its cost. One 2026 wrinkle: federal tariffs added roughly 25% to the cost of cabinets and vanities and 10% to lumber, so a lot of sellers who once replaced cabinets are now painting them instead. That’s the right instinct. When you’re selling, you want the cheapest change that reads as “well cared for,” not a renovation you’ll never recoup.

The middle path most sellers land on

For most of the homes I list, the answer isn’t all-or-nothing. It’s this: fix the safety issues, spend a little on paint and curb appeal, and then handle the smaller inspection findings with a credit at closing rather than trying to fix them yourself.

A repair credit is usually the cleanest way to deal with inspection items. It keeps the deal on schedule, it lets the buyer choose their own contractor and oversee the quality, and it spares you from scrambling to find someone to do a rushed, cheap fix in the middle of a transaction. Buyers tend to prefer it too. Save your pre-listing repair dollars for the high-return cosmetic work and any defect ugly enough to scare a buyer off before they even make an offer.

Where your specific home lands on that spectrum depends on its condition, your timeline, and how much cash and energy you have to put in up front. That’s exactly the conversation I have with sellers before we ever set a list price — walking the house, sorting the must-fix from the skip-it, and running the numbers on what prep actually buys you.

You still have to disclose — even as-is

This is the one that trips people up, so it’s worth being blunt: in South Dakota, selling as-is does not free you from disclosure. There are no exemptions.

You still complete the Seller’s Property Condition Disclosure Statement, and you complete it based on your actual knowledge of the home. If a material fact changes before closing — something breaks, you learn something new — you have to amend the disclosure in writing and give it to the buyer. “As-is” tells the buyer you won’t be making repairs. It does not let you hide what you know.

The good news is that honest disclosure works in your favor. A seller who truthfully completes the disclosure is generally protected from liability for the conditions they disclosed. The seller who gets sued after closing is the one who knew about a problem and stayed quiet. Disclose it, price it in, and let the buyer decide with clear eyes.

When you reach the closing table, a Dakota Title company here in Sioux Falls handles settlement, and the South Dakota real estate transfer fee ($0.50 per $500 of the sale price) comes out of the seller’s side — about $335 on a $335,000 home. None of that changes whether you sell polished or as-is; it’s just part of the math on your net.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I have to disclose problems if I sell my house as-is in South Dakota?
Yes. Selling as-is means you won’t make repairs, but it does not remove your duty to disclose. You still complete the Seller’s Property Condition Disclosure Statement based on your actual knowledge, and if a material fact changes before closing you have to amend it in writing. Disclosing honestly protects you; hiding a known defect is what exposes you to a lawsuit after closing.

How much less does an as-is home sell for in Sioux Falls?
It depends on who’s buying. An individual cash buyer in a decent market often comes in only 2-5% under list, while investors and flippers typically offer 15-30% below market because they’re pricing in the repairs plus their profit. Nationally, cash buyers pay around 9-10% less on average. On a $335,000 home, that spread is real money, so compare an as-is offer against what a lightly prepped listing would bring.

Which repairs are worth making before selling a house?
Fix safety and structural issues first (roof leaks, foundation cracks, electrical hazards, active plumbing leaks) because they surface in the buyer’s inspection either way. After that, the best returns come from cheap, high-visibility work: fresh paint, curb appeal, a garage door, a new entry door, and minor kitchen or bath touch-ups. Skip full kitchen and bath remodels; major renovations rarely earn back their cost at sale.

Is it better to fix repairs or offer a credit at closing?
For most inspection items, a repair credit is cleaner than fixing the work yourself. It keeps the deal on schedule, lets the buyer control the quality and hire their own contractor, and spares you from rushing a cheap fix. Save pre-listing repairs for the high-return cosmetic items and any safety issue that would scare a buyer off before they make an offer.

Can I sell a house that needs major repairs on the open market in Sioux Falls?
Yes. You don’t have to sell to a cash-for-homes company to sell as-is. You can list on the open market, disclose the home’s condition, and price it to reflect the work it needs, which often nets more than an investor offer. About 92% of South Dakota buyers still get an inspection, so price and disclosure matter more than cosmetics on an as-is listing.

Selling in Sioux Falls?

The repair-or-as-is question almost always comes down to a middle path: fix the safety issues, spend a little on paint and curb appeal, handle the rest with a credit, and disclose honestly. Do that and you capture most of the upside without pouring money into a remodel you’ll never recoup.

If you’re buying or selling in Sioux Falls or the surrounding area, I’m happy to walk your house with you and sort the repairs worth making from the ones to skip. Reach out anytime at tyceortman@gmail.com.

About Tyce Ortman

Tyce Ortman is a real estate agent with eXp Realty serving the greater Sioux Falls, South Dakota area and the Madison community. He specializes in helping first-time home buyers and sellers, with a focus on pricing properties right and finding each client the perfect home. Connect with Tyce at tyceortman@gmail.com.