{"id":55894,"date":"2025-03-20T08:14:33","date_gmt":"2025-03-20T15:14:33","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.homelight.com\/blog\/?p=55894"},"modified":"2025-12-01T03:14:14","modified_gmt":"2025-12-01T11:14:14","slug":"should-i-replace-water-heater-before-selling-house","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.homelight.com\/blog\/should-i-replace-water-heater-before-selling-house\/","title":{"rendered":"Should I Replace the Water Heater Before Selling My House?"},"content":{"rendered":"

As a home seller, you\u2019ll face some gray-area decisions about what to fix, replace, or leave as-is. A common question that comes up is \u201cShould I replace the water heater before selling my house?\u201d<\/p>\n

If the water heater is working (and not leaking), you might be tempted to ignore it. After all, it\u2019s not as noticeable as other preparations, like painting or cleaning the carpet. But what if it\u2019s older? How old is too old? How might it impact your home sale?<\/p>\n

To help answer these questions, we spoke with Adrian Chu<\/a>, a top real estate agent in Seattle who has more than 15 years of experience advising home sellers. Here\u2019s what to consider before making a decision.<\/p>\n

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Should I replace the water heater before selling my house?<\/h2>\n

\u201cRelative to the home prices in the area, [a water heater] is a smaller expense, so it generally won’t be a deal breaker,\u201d Chu explains. \u201cHowever, it depends on the home, its location, and what else is involved.\u201d Top agents like Chu know that the water heater is just one puzzle piece in a larger picture that can influence a buyer\u2019s decision.<\/p>\n

You obviously want to maximize your home’s sale proceeds<\/a>, but if buyers see an older, inefficient, or shabby-looking water heater, they may start to wonder if the rest of the home has also been neglected.<\/p>\n

Chu says there are two general rules he follows when advising sellers on whether to replace the water heater before listing a home. \u201cIf there are leaks and\/or if the water heater is more than 10 years old.\u201d<\/p>\n

Here\u2019s when replacing your water heater before listing makes sense:<\/p>\n