A week from now we have appointments lined up to show our house (eeeeek). At one point that felt so far away but now it’s basically here and I have so many emotions. Mostly excited, but I’d be lying if I didn’t say I had a little anxiety about people walking through our house, deciding if it’s the house for them. We’ve been go, go, go, wrapping up loose projects around the house including the front entrance, the laundry room, the fauxdenzia (must I go on?), but we’ve also been decluttering, cleaning, patching, painting, caulking, and more to get the house ready to list.
Paint Color: BM Graphite, Sconce
We were originally going to swap out this window over the kitchen sink when we did phase 2 of the kitchen, but since that’s not happening anymore, we’ve ordered a new window. Unfortunately it’s not going to be here in time for showings, so we’re painting it in the meantime (we painted the inside during phase 1 of the kitchen here). This is just one of the things on our “Before You List” list.
When we were getting our previous home ready to sell, we made a list of things to do before you list, so we re-purposed it and made a new PDF for you (and honestly us) to download and refer to, if you’re ever getting ready to list a house. Several of our team members are getting their homes ready to list as well, and we’re all checking things off the list.
Print the house prep PDF here.
For our last move, I made a big list of all the little tasks that had to be done and I gave ourselves a week to work on them. I think that’s kind of key here. You could spend months getting your house ready to sell and it still wouldn’t be perfect because what does perfect even mean?
That being said, decluttering is a great place to start. When do you generally start clearing things out? Even if your listing date is months out, it’s never too early to declutter (in my opinion). A great place to start is closets. Here in Idaho, we’re just barely starting to box up some of the winter boots, hats, and gloves (which honestly still might be too soon because it’s supposed to snow today). I’m anticipating people opening up our closets because when we were house-hunting in Raleigh, I opened up every single closet. Pack it up, clear it out, and show how spacious your closets are. You can really level-up your house just by clearing the clutter, and the good news is, there’s no money spent in that.
No matter how well-kept your house is, there’s probably plenty of touch-up painting or re-caulking to do. I tend to move art around a lot, so we have some nail holes that need filling and painting. Check out this video to learn how to patch holes big and small. And don’t under-estimate a good deep-cleaning too. I’m the kind of person that wants to walk into a house and smell how clean it is. Now is the time to clean inside and outside like it’s your job.
I could go on and on about this, but make sure your light bulbs are showing your house in its best light. I like my lighting temperature to be the same throughout the house (3000K), but that’s just preference. One house that we walked through in Raleigh just felt off and we realized the lighting was too cool. It was a turn off and honestly felt pretty sterile. If you’re unsure of what lightbulbs to use, check out this blog post where I dive in and explain Kelvin, Lumens, and share my go-to bulbs we use in our house.
We’re not going into staging a house too much in this, but if you’re wanting more insight on how to stage for walk-throughs, be sure to check out this blog post where we list our 10 Home Staging Takeaways when we were house hunting in Raleigh. It’s jam-packed with tips (some of them you might be surprised by) that will leave a solid impression on potential buyers.
We put together a round-up of all the things you could need for prepping your home to list. So print out the PDF above, shop below, and get to work!
1. 34″ Round Mirror – Hanging a mirror in a small corner or hallway can make it feel bigger
2. Checkered Doormat – Place a fresh doormat
3. Wire Basket – Cute way to store blankets or toys
4. Floor Lamp – Every Light on is the way to go
5. Caulk – Don’t forget around the countertops and cabinets. They tend to shift a bit, and need re-caulking
6. Pressure Washer – Get your exterior looking its best with a good deep clean
7. Trim Paint Brush – For all of your touch-up painting needs
8. Paint Rollers – If you have any bigger painting jobs
9. Paint Roller Frame – Don’t forget the roller!
10. Putty Knife – To patch any holes
11. Spackling – This one goes on pink and turns white when it’s dried
12. Light Bulbs – My go-to light bulb these days
13. Microfiber Towels – So nice to clean with
14. Storage Containers – Store away things you don’t need out in the open right now
15. Magic Erasers – If you’re not using these to clean walls and baseboards, and everything else, then it’s time to start
16. Drywall Sanding Sponge – You’ll need this when you’re filling those holes
Will you have a cleaning crew come in and do a deep cleaning before you show it?
I’ve been doing that a little every day, but we’ll likely have one come after we move out!!!
I worry that the potential buyers you have lined up could also be labelled as “Nosey Parkers”. I certainly hope not, but how do you weed them out if you’re selling privately(?)
Wishing you all the best for a quick sale, at the price you want, to a family who will love it and care for like you did.
I enjoyed the ride…now onto the next!
You just have to have a pre-approval to schedule an appointment!
This is great, and like others have said, a great seasonal checklist just for keeping your home fresh FOR YOU! :)
Two things we did when we listed our last house that people said helped it stand out were:
1 – leaving snapshots in various rooms to show how the view or the room looked in different seasons (like the spring view from the front window full of bright azaleas, or the living room with a fire going and a Christmas tree in the corner, when our house was for sale in the summer!)
2 – leaving a list of things we were willing to leave, with the right sale circumstances (like the aforementioned giant Christmas tree, a too-heavy-to-move piano, and a sectional we had had custom-made for a small sunroom.) People love freebies, especially when they are items that would be expensive or complicated to replace!
Excited for you guys, and can’t wait to watch the new home come to life for your family!
Your first suggestion sold us on our house! It has a beautiful Mountain View, but we saw the house on a rainy PNW day so we couldn’t see it during our booking. The seller had a photo album set out on the dining table with a picture of the view. We were sold!
I would love to see the process of moving, I mean, how to organize the to-do list of the new house. Like you, I am going through a process of giving up my current house and moving into a new one. But we cannot make all the arrangements I would like at the same time. How I know that it should be a priority, I don’t know if you understand me. this process is so overwhelming. But any help will do. Hugs from DR!
Our house goes on the market in 3 weeks and there’s been no better push to finish allll the projects we left at 80-90% complete. I think I’m most overwhelmed by emptying closets, but we’ve been doing it slowly for months. All this lock-down time was good for decluttering!