2026-11-06 · 6 min read
Understanding pay-at-close: how home preparation costs are settled
Marv Nicholson
Managing Broker · eXp Realty
Most sellers expect to spend money out of pocket to get a home ready to sell. Pay-at-close flips that expectation: the preparation happens first, and the costs are settled from your sale proceeds at closing. Here is how it works.
What pay-at-close means
Before any work begins, the preparation plan is itemized and agreed in writing. Every repair, paint job, floor, and staging detail is listed with its cost. Nothing is added later without your approval.
The work is then completed by Refreshify, the family construction company Marv Nicholson runs with his son. When the home sells, the agreed preparation costs are settled from the proceeds at closing.
Why it protects your cash
The biggest advantage is timing. Your cash stays yours while the home is being prepared, which matters for sellers who are also timing a move, a purchase, or a renovation budget.
It also keeps the value of the work in the right place. Because costs are settled from the proceeds of a completed sale, the preparation is aligned with the outcome you care about most: selling your home.
The client-before-commission difference
Not every preparation is worth doing, and a plan that respects you says so. The readiness assessment flags what will add value and what to leave alone, and pay-at-close removes the pressure to spend before you see the result.
The mantra at Marv Nicholson Group is simple: client before commission. If you would like to talk through what pay-at-close looks like for your home, reach out for a no-pressure consultation.
Client before commission.
Have a question about your market or your home? Send it our way for a straight, no-pressure answer.