Stop fixing the house. Start moving up.

The HVAC is from 2004. The deck needs $8,000. The gutters are held together by a prayer. Every fix opens up two more, and the house is still too small. Here's how to stop bleeding money into a starter you're ready to leave.

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Top 1% of agents in Lincoln · Marine veteran · Acreage specialist

You've been "just about to handle it" for two years

The roof has a soft spot. The basement smells faintly of mildew after every hard rain. The kitchen faucet drips. The bathroom fan has never worked. The garage door springs sound like a death rattle.

None of it is an emergency. All of it is exhausting.

So you keep meaning to handle it. And it keeps not getting handled. And the list keeps getting longer.

Meanwhile, the house is also too small. The kids share a room. There's no dining room. Your home office is half the living room couch.

You're paying twice: in the form of a house that doesn't fit AND a maintenance list that won't stop growing.

The contrarian truth: don't fix it before you sell it

Most agents will tell you to fix the house before you list it. That advice costs Lincoln families tens of thousands of dollars a year.

Here's the math: if you spend $15,000 fixing a house to list at $325,000, you might net $310,000 after commissions and closing costs, same as if you'd listed at $310,000 as-is. The fix didn't move you forward. It just moved cash around.

The right play is targeted prep: only the work that meaningfully moves the price. Not the whole list. Not your honey-do backlog. Just the things that actually return more than they cost.

That's what HomePrep+ is for. I walk your house and tell you exactly what to fix and what to skip. Then I front the cost of the work that's worth doing: up to $8,000, out of my own pocket. You write no check before listing.

How HomePrep+ actually works

Step 1: I walk your house with you. Sixty minutes. I tell you what to fix, what to skip, and what each item costs in real Lincoln contractor dollars.

Step 2: We agree on a prep budget. Up to $8,000 covered through HomePrep+.

Step 3: I project-manage the work. My contractors. My invoices. My cash up front.

Step 4: Listing photos when the house actually shows well. Pro photographer. Real marketing. Real buyers.

Step 5: At closing, HomePrep+ is reimbursed out of your sale proceeds, line-itemed on the settlement statement. No surprises, no markup.

Why most agents won't do this

It's a real risk on my end. I'm putting my own money into your house before it sells. If the sale falls through, I'm out the prep money.

Most agents won't take that risk. They're running on volume: list thirty houses, take whatever closes, move on. A house that needs prep is friction.

I run differently. Fewer listings. More work per listing. And I'll back the prep with my own cash because the system works.

That's where I come in.

Get the Lincoln move-up homes list

On our first call I'll tell you what's worth fixing on your current house and what to leave alone. HomePrep+ covers up to $8,000.

Goes straight to Wade. Usually replies same day.

Common questions

What if my repair list is bigger than $8,000?

We talk through it. The $8,000 cap covers most cosmetic prep: paint, carpet, light fixtures, the punch list that's held you back. Major systems (HVAC, roof replacement, foundation) are different conversations and we usually decide together whether to fix them or price the house accordingly.

Will I have to pay for the HomePrep+ work if my house doesn't sell?

That's on me. The way I structure these deals, my prep money is at risk if the sale falls through. I'm only doing it because I've done it many times and the system works. We price right, we prep right, the house sells.

How do you decide what's worth fixing?

I price your house both ways: as-is and prepped. If the prep work adds more value than it costs, we do it. If it doesn't, we skip it. I won't talk you into prep that doesn't pencil out.

What about the bigger items: HVAC, roof, deck?

Depends on the situation. Sometimes the right move is to credit the buyer at closing instead of fixing it. Sometimes it's worth fixing because it removes friction from the sale. We walk through your specific items on our first call.

How long does the whole process take?

From first call to listing is typically 2–4 weeks if prep is involved. From listing to under contract is usually 10–30 days in Lincoln's current market. Closing is another 30–45 days after that. Total: 8–12 weeks start to keys in your new place.

Stop fixing. Start planning.

Free walk-through. No pressure. I'll tell you exactly what's worth fixing, and what you can stop worrying about.

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That's where I come in.