Here’s the data point I keep coming back to. In the 2025 Remodeling Impact Report from the National Association of REALTORS and the National Association of the Remodeling Industry, the projects with the best estimated cost recovery at resale were small ones: a new steel front door at 100%, a closet renovation at 83%, a new fiberglass front door at 80%. When REALTORS were asked what they recommend before a sale, the top answers were painting the whole home (50%), painting a single room (41%) and new roofing (37%). Small, visible, and fixes that a buyer would otherwise worry about.
8 things to fix before you list
Any active roof leak
A stain on the ceiling makes buyers imagine the worst. Have a roofer fix the leak, keep the invoice, and then deal with the stain. If the roof is near the end of its life, get a written quote anyway. A real number is easier to negotiate than a buyer’s guess.
Water heading toward the basement
Clean the gutters, make sure downspouts carry water away from the foundation, and check that the ground slopes away from the house. In older Rochester-area homes, a damp basement is one of the first things buyers and inspectors look for.
Smoke and carbon monoxide alarms
New York law requires working smoke alarms in one- and two-family homes, placed so they can be heard in every bedroom, and the seller signs an affidavit at closing that they’re installed. Carbon monoxide alarms are required too, in homes with fuel-burning appliances or an attached garage. Any new or replacement battery smoke alarm sold in New York has to have a sealed 10-year battery, or be hardwired. Cheap, fast, and it’s the law.
Missing GFCI protection near water
Inspectors routinely note outlets without ground-fault protection in kitchens, bathrooms, laundry areas, garages, basements and outdoors. Have a licensed electrician add it, and fix missing cover plates or open junction boxes while they’re there.
Loose handrails, broken steps and trip hazards
A wobbly railing on the basement stairs or a cracked front step shows up on every inspection report. These are usually small jobs, and they change how a buyer feels walking through.
Peeling paint, carefully if the home is pre-1978
Most homes in the City of Rochester and many in the inner-ring towns were built before 1978, when lead paint was still in use. If you hire anyone to scrape, sand or repaint in a pre-1978 home, federal rules require a lead-safe certified firm. If you do it yourself, the EPA’s advice is to use lead-safe work practices, which keep dust down and contained. You’ll also give buyers the federal lead disclosure and a chance to test.
Fresh, neutral paint
It’s the top pre-sale recommendation in the NAR report for a reason. Clean walls photograph better, show better, and tell buyers the house was cared for.
The front door and the first ten steps
A solid, clean front door was the top cost-recovery project in the 2025 report. Add working lights, a clear walkway, trimmed shrubs and house numbers buyers can read from the street. Buyers decide a lot before they reach the kitchen.
Small stuff counts in bulk
Dripping faucets, a running toilet, burnt-out bulbs, sticky doors. None of it matters alone. Twenty of them on an inspection report makes a buyer wonder what else was skipped.
5 things to leave alone
A big kitchen or bath remodel right before you sell
Major remodels rank high for owner enjoyment in the NAR report, but you won’t be the one enjoying it. You carry the cost, the delay and the risk of picking finishes the next owner would change. Clean, repair and paint instead.
Replacing systems that work just because they’re older
An older furnace or water heater that runs fine is usually better handled with an accurate price and its service records. Buyers expect older equipment in older homes.
Starting a permit project you can’t finish
A half-done addition or basement finish creates more questions than value. If a project needs a permit, either finish it and close the permit before listing, or leave it.
Ripping out original character
Original woodwork, built-ins, leaded glass and good hardwood floors are selling points in Rochester’s older neighborhoods. Clean them and show them off. Don’t paint over oak trim to make it look “modern.”
Cosmetic cover-ups
Painting over a water stain without fixing the leak, or hiding a crack behind a shelf, isn’t a repair. Inspectors find it, and it can turn a small issue into a trust problem in the middle of your deal.
Virtual staging, honestly
Sometimes the best fix is helping buyers see what a space could be. A clearly labeled, virtually staged photo can show how an empty room or an odd space might work, without buying furniture. The rule we follow: every virtually staged image is labeled, we always show the real photo too, and we never use it to hide a defect. See how we did it on a Rochester home where the garage sold the house.
Fixing is not hiding
Disclosure still applies
Since March 2024, New York sellers of most one- to four-family homes must deliver the Property Condition Disclosure Statement before the buyer signs a contract. The old $500 credit option is gone, and the Department of State’s current form has been required since July 1, 2025. Fixing something doesn’t erase your duty to answer the form honestly. Ask your attorney how to answer anything you’re unsure about.
Printable checklist
- Roof leaks repaired, invoice saved
- Gutters cleaned, downspouts extended, grading checked
- Smoke alarms working in sleeping areas (10-year sealed or hardwired if replaced)
- Carbon monoxide alarms installed if you have fuel-burning appliances or an attached garage
- GFCI protection near water, cover plates on, no open junction boxes
- Handrails tight, steps solid, trip hazards gone
- Peeling paint handled lead-safe in pre-1978 homes
- Fresh neutral paint where it’s needed
- Front door, lights, walkway and house numbers in good shape
- Small repairs done in one weekend
- Service records gathered for furnace, water heater and roof
- Property Condition Disclosure Statement reviewed with your attorney
Questions sellers ask
Should I get a pre-listing inspection?
It can help, especially on an older home, because you find problems on your schedule instead of the buyer’s. Remember that what you learn may need to be disclosed. Talk it through with your attorney.
Should I replace my roof before selling?
If it leaks, fix the leak. If it’s simply old, a written quote and an accurate price often work better than a new roof the buyer didn’t get to choose. New roofing was one of the top pre-sale recommendations in NAR’s 2025 report, so it depends on the house. Let’s look at yours.
Is it better to fix something or give a credit?
Often a credit is simpler, since the buyer picks their own contractor. Loan programs limit how much a seller can credit, so we check that before we negotiate.
Do I need carbon monoxide alarms if I have electric heat?
New York requires them where a home has appliances or systems that can give off carbon monoxide, or an attached garage. If you’re unsure, install them. They’re inexpensive.
Can I paint the trim myself in a 1920s house?
Yes, the federal certification rule generally doesn’t apply to owners working on their own home, unless part of it is rented. The EPA still recommends lead-safe work practices, because scraping and sanding old paint can spread lead dust. If you hire anyone, federal rules require a lead-safe certified firm for pre-1978 homes. The EPA’s guidance is linked below.
Sources
- National Association of REALTORS and NARI, 2025 Remodeling Impact Report (released April 9, 2025): nar.realtor
- NYS Executive Law § 378 (smoke and carbon monoxide alarms, seller affidavit): nysenate.gov
- NYS General Business Law § 399-ccc (10-year sealed battery smoke alarms): nysenate.gov
- NYS Department of State, Property Condition Disclosure Statement: dos.ny.gov
- US EPA, real estate disclosures about potential lead hazards: epa.gov
- US EPA, Renovation, Repair and Painting Program: epa.gov
This guide is general information, not legal, engineering or contractor advice. Use licensed professionals for electrical, roofing and lead work.
Not sure what to fix first?
I’ll walk your home and tell you which repairs pay back and which to skip, before you spend a dollar.
Related: How we sell · What it costs to sell · Selling a city home · All guides