Before embarking on a fix-up-for-sale project, you need to mentally move beyond the idea that you're fixing your home up for someone else. The sole purpose of sprucing up your home before selling is to net more money for yourself from the sale. Can you sell your home without fixing it up for sale? Yes, but you'll be selling to a more limited market. Most buyers have a difficult time envisioning what a home might look like with when the house they are visiting looks messy, not properly decorated and with a garden that has not been kept up.