Renovate and Sell Together in Maryland

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I’m Evan Weissman. Some Maryland houses are one round of work away from a much better sale: worn floors, an old kitchen, a roof near the end of its life, paint nobody has touched in years. Plenty of owners can see that, but they don’t have the cash for contractors, the time to manage them, or both. Renovate and Sell Together is the route my partner Brian Fitzpatrick and I offer for that spot.

Here’s the short version. We agree in writing on the work and the terms before anything starts. Brian or I line up and pay for the repairs. You keep the deed. When the work is finished, the house goes on the open market, and the agreed costs come back out of the sale at settlement. It takes longer than a cash sale, it often ends at a higher price than selling as-is, and nobody can promise you a number.

Written and reviewed by Evan Weissman, MD License #664574, eXp Realty, LLC. Last reviewed October 2026.

Tell us about the house or call or text (410) 498-7473. We’ll tell you plainly whether this route makes sense or a simpler one fits better.

Talk about my house

How Renovate and Sell Together Works

Think of it as a partnership with a clear start and a clear finish. Every piece below is set down on paper before a single contractor shows up.

Scope and budget first. We walk the house with you and agree on which repairs and updates to make and what they should cost.
We fund the work. Brian or I pay for the agreed repairs up front, so you aren’t writing checks to contractors.
You stay the owner. Title stays in your name through the work and the sale.
Repairs before listing. The house isn’t listed until the work is done, so buyers see the finished product.
Open-market sale. The finished house is listed and sold to a retail buyer, and the final say on accepting an offer is yours.
Settlement. The agreed costs are repaid from the sale proceeds at closing, the way the written agreement spells out.

Who You’ll Work With

Brian Fitzpatrick and I are both licensed Maryland real estate agents with eXp Realty, and we both work every area we serve. Either of us can walk your house, run the repairs, and handle the listing, so you may deal with one of us or both. You won’t be handed off to a call center.

Because we are licensed agents and we stand to gain from the outcome, we tell you so in writing before you sign: our license status and our financial interest in the deal. That disclosure is part of the paperwork, not a footnote. We also ask every seller to have the agreement reviewed by their own attorney first.

When This Route Fits

The house is sound underneath but dated, and finished houses on nearby streets sell for clearly more.
You have equity and want to keep more of the upside than an as-is cash sale usually leaves you.
You’d rather not pay for repairs yourself or spend weekends managing trades.
Your schedule can handle a few months of work plus a normal time on the market.
Title is clear, and everyone who owns the house agrees to the plan.

When It Doesn’t Fit

You need to be out by a fixed date soon. A cash sale as-is is usually the cleaner tool for that.
The repairs would cost so much that they swallow most of the gain.
A foreclosure sale date or a tax sale deadline is close. Start with free counseling and an attorney, covered below.
An estate is still open, heirs disagree, or a co-owner won’t sign.
The house already shows well. Then a straight listing with Brian or me may be all you need.

If one of these sounds like you, say so on the first call. Talking you out of this option is part of the job.

Cash Sale vs Listing vs Renovate and Sell Together

No dollar figures here, because every house and every street is different. This table is about tradeoffs.

	Cash sale to us	Listing with Evan or Brian	Renovate and Sell Together
Repairs	None, we buy it as it sits	Your choice, paid by you	Done before listing, funded by us under the agreement
Ownership until closing	Yours, until a quick cash closing	Yours	Yours, through the work and the sale
Showings	One walk-through	Yes, until it’s under contract	Yes, once the work is finished
Timeline	Usually shortest, you pick the date	Depends on the market	Longest: the work plus time on the market
Price	Below what a finished house brings	Market price for its current condition	Usually higher than as-is, never guaranteed
Costs and terms	No commissions or fees to us	Commission agreed in writing up front	Repair costs repaid at settlement, every term agreed in writing up front
Certainty	A known number, few moving parts	Depends on buyers and their financing	Depends on the work, buyers and their financing

For more on the first two columns, see cash offer vs listing in Maryland.

Step by Step

First call. Tell us about the house, your timeline, and what you owe on it. We’ll tell you honestly whether this route is worth a visit.
Walk-through. Brian or I look at the house with you and note what buyers on your street are likely to pay for.
Comparable sales. We check recent sales of finished and unfinished houses nearby to decide which repairs earn their keep.
Written proposal. You get the scope, the budget, how costs are repaid, what happens if the house doesn’t sell, and how you can cancel, along with our written license and interest disclosure.
Attorney review. Take the agreement to your own attorney before you sign. There’s no rush on our side.
The work. The agreed repairs get done, with permits pulled where they’re required, and we keep you posted as it goes.
Listing and sale. The finished house goes on the market, and you decide which offer to accept.
Settlement. A Maryland title company closes the sale. The agreed costs are repaid from the proceeds, and the settlement statement shows every number before you sign.

Risks and Honest Tradeoffs

No guaranteed outcome. The market decides the sale price. Updates often help, but there’s no promised price or profit.
A longer road. Repairs come first, then the listing. Work can run long, and a listing can sit.
Your ongoing bills. As the owner, you keep paying the mortgage, property taxes, insurance and utilities while the work and the listing run. Ask your insurer whether the repair work or a vacant house changes your coverage.
Market shifts. Prices and interest rates can move while the house is being worked on.
Seller disclosures still apply. You remain the seller, so Maryland’s disclosure or disclaimer rules apply to you.
The fine print matters. Know what happens if costs change, the house doesn’t sell, or you want out. If the agreement doesn’t answer those questions, don’t sign it yet.

Behind on Payments?

If you are behind on your mortgage or facing foreclosure, start with free help before you decide anything. A HUD-approved housing counselor costs nothing and can walk you through options with your servicer, such as catching up, a repayment plan, forbearance, or a loan modification. The Maryland HOPE hotline, 1-877-462-7555, connects homeowners with those counselors. If you have court papers or a sale date, I also recommend talking with a Maryland attorney. I can’t promise to stop a foreclosure, and I won’t pressure you. If you and your counselor decide a sale makes sense, I’ll put a cash number next to a listing plan so you can compare. More here: behind on mortgage or facing foreclosure.

Renovate and Sell Together is rarely the right first move when a foreclosure date is close, because the work and the listing both take time. Maryland’s Protection of Homeowners in Foreclosure Act (PHIFA) puts extra rules around deals with homeowners in default, so if you are behind, please have a Maryland attorney review any agreement before you sign, ours included.

Where We Work

Brian and I work with owners across Maryland, including Carroll County towns like Hampstead and Westminster, and Baltimore County communities such as Towson, Parkville and Dundalk. Every area is listed on our Maryland counties and towns page.

Renovate and Sell Together FAQ

Who pays for the repairs?

Brian or I do, up front, under the written agreement. The agreed costs come back out of the sale proceeds at settlement, so you don’t fund the work out of pocket.

Do I still own the house while the work is being done?

Yes. The deed stays in your name the whole time, until the house sells to a buyer on the open market.

Will my house sell for more this way?

It often sells for more than it would as-is, but that is not guaranteed. The market sets the price, and no one can promise you a number or a profit.

How long does Renovate and Sell Together usually take?

Longer than a cash sale. Plan for the repair period plus a normal stretch on the market. The exact time depends on the scope of work and how buyers respond.

Why do you disclose your license and your interest in writing?

Brian and I are licensed Maryland agents, and in this arrangement we have a financial stake in how the sale turns out. You should know that clearly before you sign, so it goes on paper.

Should my own attorney review the agreement?

Yes. We ask every seller to have their own attorney read it before signing. If you are behind on your mortgage, that review matters even more.

What happens if the house doesn’t sell?

That is one of the questions the written agreement has to answer before you sign, along with what happens if costs change or you want to cancel. Don’t sign anything that leaves those points vague.

Can I still pick a cash sale or a regular listing instead?

Of course. We’ll lay all three side by side and you choose. Brian or I can list the house as it is, or we can make you a cash offer as-is.

Let’s Talk It Through

If you think your house could bring more with work you can’t pay for right now, we’ll look at it with you and give you a straight answer, even when that answer is a simpler route.

Start the conversation, or call or text (410) 498-7473.

Real Estate Wanted, based in Hampstead, MD 21074, serving homeowners across Maryland

Licensing note: Evan Weissman (MD License #664574) and Brian Fitzpatrick are licensed Maryland real estate agents with eXp Realty, LLC. When we make a cash offer, we’re buying for our own investment and don’t represent you as your agent. If you list with Evan or Brian, that agent represents you under a written listing agreement. In a Renovate and Sell Together arrangement, we disclose our license status and our financial interest in writing before you sign. This page is general information, not legal or tax advice.