The fight for fixer-upper homes in the Philadelphia region
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More homebuyers in the Philadelphia region are chasing fixer-uppers than four years ago, when mortgage rates were lower and houses were more affordable.
Why it matters: For first-time buyers, fixer-uppers (smaller, older homes that need work) can offer a cheaper entry point. For flippers, they're a chance to profit.
The big picture: The Philly metro is one of the country's hottest home markets, so there's a lot of competition for our limited housing stock, making fixer-uppers a good option for some homebuyers.
- As of July, fixer-uppers accounted for nearly 8% of the region's share of homes for sale, per Realtor.com.
By the numbers: In the Philly region, the median listing price of a single-family home was about $517,000 in July 2025 — but those who opted for fixers-uppers saw nearly a 38.1% discount on those prices (or a savings of nearly $197,000), a spokesperson for Realtor.com tells Axios.
Zoom out: Nationally, the median fixer-upper was priced at $200,000 as of July, less than half the $436,250 median for all single-family homes.
Trending: Keyword searches for "fixer-upper" have more than tripled since 2021, even as those listings become a bit harder to find, according to the real estate site's analysis.
- Fixer-uppers now draw 52% more page views per property than similarly aged, affordable listings.