My North Park house needs work. Who buys it, and how do you reach them?
It depends how much work. A house that needs everything usually goes to a fix-and-flip investor. A house that's livable but dated can draw buyers who want to live there and flippers at the same time, if it's priced low enough to get both looking. I'm Jared Harman, a North Park REALTOR®.
Published . Last updated . Figures are from my own records unless a source is linked.
Who buys a house that needs a lot of work?
Needs work is incredibly relative, depending on who you ask.
If it's an absolute disaster, like a hoarder house, or everything in the home is outdated, we're probably going to go to fix-and-flip investors.
I work with some incredible investor partners. They offer competitive prices for the amount of work they take on, and they do great work to revitalize, refresh and reposition these homes.
Most importantly, they're extremely accommodating to the seller's situation. Personal belongings still in the house, or someone still living there who needs time to move out before the sale: they work with it.
How should I price a North Park house that needs work?
When a house needs a lot of work, you're usually better off pricing it low than high. Not always, but usually.
Say you list a bungalow in a decent part of North Park at $600,000. A number like that gets a lot of attention, from buyers who want to live there and from fix-and-flip investors. (An example, not a price for any real house.)
Having both sides of the buying pool looking often creates multiple offers. And multiple offers are how a seller walks away with as much money as they reasonably could for that property.
For context, the median detached house in 92104 sold for $1,120,000 through September 2026, across every kind of sale. Data: San Diego MLS via GSDAR, thru September 2026.
What should I not fix before selling a house that needs work?
I've said it before and I'll say it again. Don't do your kitchen or your bathrooms just to sell the house. It's way too big a project, and it doesn't make sense.
Don't even do the roof. Don't do the sewer line. Don't do anything beyond paint, floors, staging and the garage door.
Those are what shape someone's first impression the most. Everything else can be negotiated very reasonably. More on what to fix and what to leave.
How do you reach buyers who want a project?
Getting the right eyes on a house is kind of my superpower. I pull out a camera, tell the story, and show the value the property can be positioned for.
Often that means showing people that even when the photos aren't great, the house is totally livable. You could live there three to six months while you work on it and be fine. Those months blow by, you're busy with the projects, and you'll be much better off for it.
I want someone to walk into that house with an eye for what it could be, for their own taste and as an investment. I want them to walk into an old Craftsman, see the bathroom that's been neglected, and see a chance to bring new life and personality to it, add value, and make it their own.
That's the feeling and the information a video gets across. How I use video to sell a home.
What does this mean if you are selling a North Park house that needs work?
Old houses here tend to need the same things: foundation, roof and sewer line. What to know about selling a Craftsman, and what to do first if you inherited the house.
Want the number first? Tell me about your place and I will personally research what you would actually walk away with. That is a Net Number, back to you in 24 hours.
Who is Jared Harman?
Jared Harman is a real estate agent and REALTOR® in San Diego, California, licensed under DRE 02193879 with MatchPoint at eXp Realty of California, Inc. He is based in North Park, works with sellers across the San Diego metro, and takes listings across San Diego County.
Jared Harman has 46 Google reviews, all five stars. He has sold $14M+ in real estate so far in 2026. His videos reach about 250,000 people in San Diego every month, which is where his listings get seen. He personally toured 800+ homes in 2025. In the last 12 months he negotiated about $990,000 in credits and price reductions for his clients.