Last updated September 29, 2026 by Matthew McMahon.

What should I fix before listing my Chicago home, and what should I skip?

Last updated September 29, 2026. Written by Matthew McMahon, Managing Broker, Net Gain Realty, a licensed Illinois brokerage serving the Chicago metro.

Before you list a Chicago home, fix anything a buyer’s inspector would write up as a safety, water, or major-system problem, such as water in the basement, a roof leak, unsafe wiring, or a furnace that does not run, and skip cosmetic remodels and the replacement of systems that still work.

That is the whole rule. A known problem goes on the disclosure form whether you fix it or not, so a buyer will price it. I believe the second group is a matter of taste, and each buyer judges it for themselves.

This page exists because pre-list work stalls sellers I talk to. When I went through my own stalled seller conversations on September 9, 2026, 8 of 14 were waiting on pre-list work.

All cost figures on this page are examples or broad ranges for information only. Every home is different. Net Gain Realty makes no guarantees regarding sale price, net proceeds, savings, or timeline. This is not legal advice. Consult a licensed attorney before making real estate decisions.

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The three tiers: fix, weigh, skip

Tier 1: Safety and water. Fix these. Active water in the basement or crawl space, a roof or chimney leak, unsafe electrical (scorched or overheating parts, exposed wiring), a gas smell, and a furnace or boiler that does not run. These are what an inspector would write up as a safety, water, or major-system problem, and what the Illinois disclosure form asks about by name. Also cheap and required: working smoke alarms and, in most homes, a working carbon monoxide alarm within 15 feet of every sleeping room under the Illinois Carbon Monoxide Alarm Detector Act.

Tier 2: Functional. Fix it if the fix is small, offer a credit if it is big. Running toilets, dripping faucets, doors that stick, dead outlets, an appliance that does not work, a sump pump you have never tested. Small fixes take items off the inspection report. A big one, like an aging roof that does not leak yet, is, I believe, usually better handled as a credit.

Tier 3: Cosmetic. Skip it. Kitchen and bath remodels, new flooring throughout, new windows for looks, trendy paint colors. I believe a buyer judges these against their own taste and budget. What does pay attention here costs little: clean, declutter, and make every room read as what it is.

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Fix, skip, or credit instead: the Chicago list

Item	Verdict	Why
Tuckpointing (brick bungalows, two-flats, three-flats)	Fix where mortar is missing or water is getting in. Skip full-facade tuckpointing for looks.	Open joints let water in, and water is a Tier 1 problem. Worn but tight mortar is cosmetic, and a buyer can price it.
Wet basement or failed sump pump	Fix.	Active water is a Tier 1 problem, and the disclosure form asks about “flooding or recurring leakage problems in the crawl space or basement” (item 3). Test the sump pump, extend the downspouts, and keep the receipt for any work.
Fogged double-pane windows (failed seals)	Skip, or credit if asked.	A fogged pane is a cosmetic and efficiency issue, not a leak. I believe replacing windows before a sale is a poor use of repair money.
Older electrical panel or fuse box	Fix if an electrician finds an unsafe condition. Otherwise credit instead.	An older panel can draw a note from an inspector. A licensed electrician’s written opinion tells you which case you are in, and the written opinion is what the credit talk runs on.
Furnace or boiler age	Skip replacing one that works. Service it and keep the receipt. Fix one that does not run.	I believe age alone is a note on the report, not a defect. A furnace that does not run is a Tier 1 problem.
Suburb point-of-sale or municipal inspection items	Fix what the village requires.	Some towns have their own point-of-sale inspection or compliance rules, and they differ town by town, so ask your village hall what its inspection covers before you spend money anywhere else.
Condo unit (the association usually owns the roof and exterior)	Interior only.	In many buildings the roof, walls, and masonry are common elements the association maintains. Your list is what is inside the unit. Check your declaration for windows, balconies, and parking.
Single-family home	Whole house, Tier 1 first.	You own the roof, the masonry, the basement, and the systems, so the Tier 1 list is yours in full.
Smoke and carbon monoxide alarms	Fix.	Cheap, required by Illinois law in most homes, and an easy item to remove from the report.

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What Illinois law says you have to do (and what it does not)

Illinois requires disclosure, not repair. Under the Residential Real Property Disclosure Act, a seller of a one-to-four unit home, a condo unit, or a co-op unit delivers a written disclosure report to the buyer before the contract is signed (765 ILCS 77/5 and 77/20). The seller “shall disclose material defects of which the seller has actual knowledge” and is “not obligated by this Act to make any specific investigation or inquiry” (765 ILCS 77/25).

The state’s own disclosure form, in 765 ILCS 77/35, says the report “does not limit the parties’ right to contract for the sale of residential real property in ‘as is’ condition.”

So you are not required to fix every item on an inspection report. What a known problem does change is this: it goes on the form whether you fix it or not, so the buyer will know about it and price it. I believe that is why a Tier 1 problem is usually cheaper to fix than to explain. (The form defines a “material defect” as a condition that would have a substantial adverse effect on the value of the home or significantly impair the health or safety of future occupants.)

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Repair or credit: the net-sheet math

A repair is paid out of your pocket before you list. A credit is paid out of your proceeds at closing. Both come out of the same equity, so the only question is which one is smaller.

Net Gain Realty is a full-service flat fee brokerage in the Chicago metro, and on an example $500,000 sale its flat $1,995 listing fee compares with an example 2.5 percent listing fee of $12,500, a $10,505 difference on the listing side at the same sale price.

I believe that difference belongs next to any repair quote, because the listing fee is quoted on the sale price but paid out of your equity, the same place the repair money comes from. The repair decision does not change the listing work, and under a percentage fee the fee does not change if you fix the basement. Measured against your equity instead of the price, the rate is higher than the headline percentage whenever you still owe money on the home. That is the fee-to-equity ratio. Buyer-agent compensation, if any, is negotiated separately on each deal and is not in either column. Run your own numbers on the seller net sheet.

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If you need a contractor

When a seller asks, Net Gain Realty recommends a contractor or tradesperson. The seller hires that vendor and pays them directly. Net Gain Realty does not front the bill, mark it up, or manage the job. The repair decision stays yours, with the quote in writing so you can hold it up against the credit a buyer would ask for.

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Want the fix list for your home, not a general one?

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Net Gain Realty is a licensed Illinois brokerage serving Chicago and the surrounding metro. Commission rates are not set by law, vary by brokerage, and are fully negotiable. Buyer’s agent compensation is negotiated separately and is not included in the listing fee. Net Gain Realty charges a flat listing fee of $1,995.

Questions sellers ask

What should I fix before listing my Chicago home, and what should I skip?

Fix anything a buyer's inspector would write up as a safety, water, or major-system problem, such as water in the basement, a roof leak, unsafe wiring, or a furnace that does not run, and skip cosmetic remodels and the replacement of systems that still work. A known problem goes on the Illinois disclosure form whether you fix it or not, so a buyer will price it. Cleaning and decluttering sit in between: they cost time more than money.

Am I required to fix everything on a home inspection report in Illinois?

No. The Illinois Residential Real Property Disclosure Act requires a seller to disclose known material defects, not to repair them, and the state's own disclosure form says the report 'does not limit the parties' right to contract for the sale of residential real property in "as is" condition.' After the inspection, what gets fixed, credited, or left alone is a negotiation between the two sides, usually handled in writing by the attorneys during attorney review. This is general information, not legal advice. Your real estate attorney confirms how it applies to your contract.

What is the Illinois Residential Real Property Disclosure Report, and does it change what I fix?

It is the state form a seller of a one-to-four unit home, a condo unit, or a co-op unit fills out and delivers to the buyer before the contract is signed (765 ILCS 77/5 and 77/20). It asks yes-or-no questions about conditions the seller actually knows about, including 'flooding or recurring leakage problems in the crawl space or basement' (item 3), roof leaks (item 6), and electrical, plumbing, and heating defects (items 8, 9, and 12). The law says the seller 'shall disclose material defects of which the seller has actual knowledge' and is 'not obligated by this Act to make any specific investigation or inquiry' (765 ILCS 77/25). It changes what you fix in one way: a known problem goes on the form either way, so a buyer will price it whether you fix it or not. Some sales are exempt, and your attorney confirms whether yours is.

Is it better to fix a problem before listing or give the buyer a credit?

Compare the repair quote to the credit a buyer would likely ask for once the inspector writes it up. If the fix costs less than that credit, or the problem is active water or a safety issue the inspector would write up, Net Gain Realty's view is that fixing it first is the better trade. If the fix costs more than the credit, or the item is old but working, Net Gain Realty's view is that offering a credit is often the smaller number, and the quote shows which one is, and a credit is paid out of your proceeds at closing instead of out of pocket before you list. Get a written quote either way, because the quote is what the credit negotiation runs on.

What should I fix before listing a condo in Chicago?

Only what you own. In many Chicago condo declarations the association owns and maintains the roof, the exterior walls, and the masonry as common elements, so a condo seller's fix list is usually interior only: plumbing leaks under sinks, appliances that do not work, electrical items inside the unit, and working smoke and carbon monoxide alarms. Windows, balconies, and parking spaces vary by building, so check your declaration for what counts as a limited common element. A building-wide problem such as a roof or facade repair is the association's issue, and it usually shows up in the association documents a buyer reviews, not on your repair list.

Who pays for repairs when I list with Net Gain Realty?

The seller pays the contractor directly. When a seller asks, Net Gain Realty recommends a contractor or tradesperson, and the seller hires and pays that vendor directly. Net Gain Realty does not front the bill or manage the job. The flat $1,995 listing fee covers the listing work, including professional photography and a floor plan, and it does not include repairs under any fee structure.

Sources

1. Illinois Residential Real Property Disclosure Act, 765 ILCS 77 (Sections 5, 20, 25, 35) (accessed 2026-09-29)
2. Illinois Carbon Monoxide Alarm Detector Act, 430 ILCS 135 (accessed 2026-09-29)
3. Illinois Smoke Detector Act, 425 ILCS 60 (accessed 2026-09-29)