Should I sell my Asheville house as-is or fix it up first?

Make the inexpensive, visible repairs an inspector would flag, and skip the big projects. Sell as-is when the work would cost more, or take longer, than it would add.

Asheville is a mix of older and newer homes. In our sample, two of four were built in 1980 or earlier, so an older house competes with newer ones and its condition shows. Older homes there hold more of their value against new construction than the North Carolina median, 22.5 percent against 19.9 percent.

More in Should I Sell My House As-Is or Fix It Up First?

What does it cost to sell a house in Asheville?

Commission first, then transfer taxes, title and closing fees, and the repairs or credits a buyer asks for after inspection. Address District charges no commission.

Federal tax on the gain may not apply at all. If you owned the house and lived in it as your main home for two of the last five years, the IRS lets you exclude up to $250,000 of gain, or $500,000 for a married couple filing jointly.

Line by line in How Much Does It Cost to Sell a House?

What are the benefits of selling my Asheville house off-market?

You skip the listing, the showings and the repairs, and you set the date.

  • No public listing. No MLS listing, no listing photos and no open house.
  • The house as it stands. No repairs, no staging and no deep clean before closing.
  • Your date. Close in a few weeks or a few months, whichever suits your next move.
  • One counterpart. You deal with one buyer, not a run of showings and counteroffers.

The cost is fewer buyers bidding. On the open market, competition can push a price higher, so it is worth weighing both routes. Should I Sell My House Off-Market? explains how.

Is now a good time to sell my house in Asheville?

It depends more on your plans than on the market. The right time is usually when a sale fits your next move, your finances and the state of the house.

The Asheville numbers worth watching are time to contract, price cuts and what similar homes closed at, all of which a local agent or the public sale records can supply.

More in How Do I Know When It’s Time to Sell My House?

How fast can I sell my house in Asheville?

Off-market, on the date you choose, whether that is a few weeks out or a few months, once the title work and the documents North Carolina requires are done.

A listed sale usually takes longer, because the house has to be prepared, shown and negotiated, and the buyer’s inspection, appraisal and loan approval can still undo the deal late in the process.

If you are relocating, read How Do I Sell My House Fast When I’m Moving for Work?

How does selling my Asheville house off-market work?

In four steps, with no listing and no showings.

  1. Send us the address and a few details through the offer form, or get in touch.
  2. A person on our team looks at the house and recent sales nearby, and may ask for a walk-through.
  3. We send a written offer. You are under no obligation to accept it.
  4. If you do, the closing is handled by a title company or closing attorney, on your date.

You will know in writing who the buyer is before you sign anything.

Do I need an agent to sell my house in Asheville?

No. You can sell without a listing agent, by marketing the house yourself or by selling directly to a buyer. You will usually need a title company, escrow company or closing attorney, depending on practice in North Carolina.

Many owners who skip the agent still hire a real estate attorney to review the contract.

What if my Asheville house isn’t selling?

Look at price, condition and exposure, in that order. Few showings usually mean price, and showings without offers usually mean condition.

Before you talk to another buyer, read your listing agreement. Most owe the agent a commission on any sale during the term. More in Why Isn’t My House Selling?

How does Asheville compare with nearby neighborhoods?

Arden, 5 miles away, has six older homes among the 12 we sampled. Fletcher, 6 miles away, counts one older home among the one we sampled. Asheville, 7 miles away, shows one older home among the one we sampled. Asheville ranks tied for 477th nationally for older homes, behind one of them.

Every neighborhood in the index has its own page, and the North Carolina page lists all 69 in the state.

Do older homes in Asheville sell for less than new construction?

In our sample, yes. The average price of older homes in 28803 was 22.5 percent of the average price of new construction in the same ZIP code. The North Carolina median is 19.9 percent, and the index median is 23.1 percent. With two older homes behind it, treat the figure as a rough guide.

The gap reflects size, lot and condition as much as age, so price an older house against recent sales of other older houses nearby, not against new construction.

Asheville by the numbers

Older homes
2
of 4 homes sampled, built 1980 or earlier
Share of older homes
50.0%
North Carolina 58.8%. Index 49.0%.
Older vs new
22.5%
Older home price as a share of new construction
National rank
#477 (tie)
of 1,192 ZIP codes
State rank
#29
of 69 in North Carolina
Minimum lot
19,602 sq ft
As recorded in the source data

Of the four homes in the Address District sample for Asheville (28803), two were built in 1980 or earlier, a share of 50.0 percent. That places 28803 tied for 477th of 1,192 ZIP codes nationally for the number of older homes, and tied for 29th of 69 in North Carolina.

Across the 69 North Carolina ZIP codes in the index, 58.8 percent of the homes sampled were built in 1980 or earlier, against 49.0 percent across all 1,192 ZIP codes.

With four homes in the sample, read these figures as a snapshot of the homes sampled rather than a measure of the whole ZIP code.

How 28803 compares

Share of older homes

Homes in the sample built in 1980 or earlier

28803 Asheville50.0%
North Carolina58.8%
All ZIP codes in the index49.0%

Older home prices against new construction

Average older home price as a share of new construction

28803 Asheville22.5%
North Carolina median19.9%
Index median23.1%

Nearby neighborhoods in the index

ZIPPlaceDistanceRankShare
28704ArdenBuncombe County, NC5 mi15250.0%
28732FletcherHenderson County, NC6 mi883100.0%
28804AshevilleBuncombe County, NC7 mi883100.0%
28739HendersonvilleHenderson County, NC15 mi883100.0%
28751Maggie ValleyHaywood County, NC32 mi883100.0%
29661MariettaGreenville County, SC35 mi883100.0%
28747Lake ToxawayTransylvania County, NC35 mi76250.0%
28736GlenvilleJackson County, NC40 mi47750.0%

The top of North Carolina

State rankZIPPlaceHomesOlder homesShare
127609North HillsRaleigh, NC282485.7%
228209Sedgefield / Madison ParkCharlotte, NC211466.7%
328270Providence Plantation / Matthews edgeCharlotte, NC151280.0%
428211Cotswold / FoxcroftCharlotte, NC271140.7%
527615North Raleigh / North RidgeRaleigh, NC141178.6%
628461Bald Head IslandBrunswick County, NC13861.5%
727607West Raleigh / University ParkRaleigh, NC9888.9%
827587Wake ForestWake County, NC9777.8%
928117MooresvilleIredell County, NC77100.0%
928205Plaza Midwood / NoDa edgeCharlotte, NC77100.0%

All 69 North Carolina ZIP codes in the index ›

About the data. Older homes are homes built in 1980 or earlier. Rank orders ZIP codes by the number of older homes in the sample, then by the number of homes. Full methodology and the complete index. Nothing on this page is legal, tax or financial advice.