What to Fix Before Selling a House in Maryland (2026): Repairs, Pre-Listing Inspections and Required Disclosures

Every home and market is different, and we do not quote return-on-investment percentages for specific projects. A practical order of priorities:

• Safety and function first: active leaks, electrical hazards, broken heating or cooling, missing handrails, and smoke and carbon monoxide alarms.
• Items a lender's appraiser or a buyer's inspector is likely to flag: roof leaks, peeling paint on older homes, water in the basement, damaged steps or decks.
• Deferred maintenance that is cheap to fix: dripping faucets, sticking doors, burned-out bulbs, loose fixtures, caulk and grout.
• Clean and declutter: deep cleaning, fewer items on counters and in closets, and a tidy yard and entry.
• Cosmetic updates only where they clearly help: fresh neutral paint in worn rooms, for example. Ask our team before starting a large renovation, because buyers may prefer to choose finishes themselves.
• Keep receipts and permits for any work. Buyers and appraisers often ask, and permits matter for work like additions, electrical and plumbing.

Maryland home inspectors must be licensed by the state commission, so check the license before you hire one. If you are unsure whether to get a pre-listing inspection, talk to our team and, for disclosure questions, a Maryland attorney.

Under Maryland Real Property 10-702, the seller of a home with 1 to 4 single-family units must give each buyer either a written residential property condition disclosure statement or a written disclaimer statement, on the standard form from the Maryland Real Estate Commission.

The disclosure statement covers defects and information the seller actually knows about, including water and sewer systems, insulation, structural systems such as the roof, foundation and basement, plumbing, electrical, heating and air conditioning, wood-destroying insects, land use matters, and hazardous materials such as asbestos, lead-based paint, radon and underground storage tanks. It also asks about smoke alarms and, for homes with fuel-burning appliances, carbon monoxide alarms.

The disclaimer statement says the home is sold as is, except as the contract provides. Even with the disclaimer, the seller must disclose latent defects the seller actually knows about that a careful visual inspection would not reveal and that pose a direct threat to health or safety.

Deliver the form on or before contract signing. If the buyer does not receive it, the buyer can cancel in writing before receiving it or within 5 days after, and get the deposit back. Some sales are exempt, such as certain new homes, foreclosure and court-ordered sales, and transfers by a fiduciary administering an estate or trust.

• Federal law requires sellers and their agents, before the buyer signs a contract, to give the buyer the EPA pamphlet Protect Your Family From Lead in Your Home, disclose known lead-based paint and hazards, and provide any available records and reports.
• The contract includes a Lead Warning Statement, and buyers get a 10-day opportunity to do a lead inspection or risk assessment, unless they agree in writing to change or waive it.
• If repairs will disturb painted surfaces in a pre-1978 home, EPA recommends hiring a lead-safe certified contractor, and contractors paid to do that work must be certified under EPA's renovation rule.
• If the home is a rental, Maryland's separate lead registration and certificate rules for landlords also apply.

Radon is one of the hazardous materials listed on Maryland's disclosure form. In Montgomery County, most single-family homes and townhouses (not condos or co-ops) need a radon test within one year before settlement, with results given to both buyer and seller. The seller must test or let the buyer test, and if the buyer declines, the seller must do it. The law does not require the seller to fix high radon, so buyers who want mitigation negotiate it in the contract. Some municipalities and certain transfers are excluded.

• Baltimore City: sellers must disclose in the contract if the property has a Vacant Building Notice. The city urges buyers to ask, and says potential purchasers can walk away from the contract if the property has a VBN. A VBN is removed only after the required permits and a final use and occupancy permit.
• Montgomery County: the radon testing requirement above.
• Condos and HOAs: you must provide resale documents from the association. Request them early, because the condo council has up to 20 days to provide its certificate.
• Ground rent: in Baltimore City and Baltimore County, check whether the home has a ground lease so your title company can address it.
• Other cities and counties may have their own rules. Ask our team and your title company what applies to your address.

This is general information, not legal advice. Confirm your disclosure obligations with a Maryland attorney before you list.