the calculator compares two nets for the same home, as-is net and after-fix net, using one formula and the inputs you enter. The higher net wins on numbers alone, and time and risk are shown next to the money.
The formula
Net = sale price, minus mortgage payoff, minus commission, minus transfer tax, minus other closing costs, minus seller concessions, minus fix-up cost, minus carrying cost multiplied by months to sell. Fix-up cost is zero on the as-is path. The calculator runs the same formula on both paths, so the difference is the extra price, minus the extra tax, minus the work, minus the extra months.
The inputs
You enter: as-is sale price, after-fix sale price, mortgage payoff, commission percent, other closing percent, transfer tax percent, concessions, carrying cost per month, months to sell as-is, months to sell after fixes, and a fix-up list with a cost for each job. State pages give a starting transfer tax figure, and item guides give planning cost ranges, but both are editable. Enter your own quotes and your county tax figure wherever they differ.
What the tool does not do
The tool does not set a sale price for you, does not add a hard-coded price uplift for any job, does not apply a discount for selling without an agent, does not appraise your home, does not check title, permits, or condition, and does not predict how long your home will take to sell. It also does not store your inputs. If a job needs a permit, an inspection, or a contractor quote, that work sits outside the tool.
How to read the verdict
Fix pays only if after-fix net beats as-is net after the work, the tax on the higher price, and the extra months. If the difference is small, time and risk matter more than the arithmetic. A job that delays listing into a slower season, needs a permit, or uncovers a systems problem can cost more than the spreadsheet shows. See the Fix Up Before Selling Calculator, a state page such as Texas or Pennsylvania, and an item guide such as Interior Paint for a worked example.
Frequently asked questions
Why do two states give different answers on the same prices? Because transfer tax, and sometimes local tax, differs by state and county, and the tax is charged on the higher after-fix price too.
Why is my agent estimate different from the calculator? Because an agent estimate uses local comps, condition, and market timing, while the calculator uses only the inputs you enter. Use both, and ask what drives the gap.