A house usually doesn’t need anything big before it goes on the market. It needs the small things fixed, because buyers notice it. Maybe it’s a scuffed-up hallway, a bathroom door that won’t latch, or a smoke detector chirping in the middle of a showing. None of that is a big deal on its own, but it makes people wonder what else got put off.
I’m Jesse, and I’ve spent 15+ years helping homeowners and realtors get houses ready to sell. This is the list I’d go through with you before the listing photos.
Walk through it like a buyer would
Grab a notepad and start at the curb. Walk in the front door like you’ve never seen the place. Open every door and cabinet, flip every switch, run every faucet and flush every toilet. Write it all down, even the things you stopped noticing years ago. If your realtor has already been through, put their notes on the same list.
Walls and paint
Paint shows up in every listing photo, so it’s usually where I’d start.
- Fill nail holes and patch dings in the drywall
- Touch up scuffs on walls, trim and doors
- Repaint the bold colors in something neutral (the purple bedroom can be purple again in your next house)
- Cover ceiling water stains, but only after you know what caused them
Doors, windows and hardware
People touch everything during a showing. If a door sticks or a cabinet handle comes off in somebody’s hand, they remember it.
- Doors that rub, stick or won’t latch
- Loose knobs, hinges and cabinet handles
- Cabinet doors that hang crooked
- Windows that stick or won’t lock, and torn screens
Fixtures and detectors
- Burned-out bulbs and dated or broken light fixtures
- A toilet that runs, rocks or is cracked
- Dripping faucets and loose sinks
- Smoke and CO detectors that are missing, chirping or past their date
Don’t skip the detectors. Inspectors check them, and nobody wants one going off at 2 a.m. the week before closing. If the inspection turns up wiring or plumbing that goes past swapping a fixture, that’s a job for a licensed electrician or plumber. I’ll tell you when that’s the case, and I can subcontract that part to a licensed pro when it makes sense.
Floors
You usually don’t need new floors everywhere. Pick the room that looks the worst and start there.
- Stained or worn-out carpet in a room or two (LVP is one option)
- Loose transition strips and lifted edges
- A stained, beat-up garage floor
The outside
The front of the house is the first listing photo, and it’s the first thing buyers walk past.
- Clean out the beds, trim the shrubs and put down fresh mulch
- Paint or touch up the front door and trim
- Make sure the light by the front door works
- Get rid of the brush pile and whatever’s leaning against the house
Get rid of what you’re not taking
Empty rooms look bigger in pictures, and a packed basement makes buyers think there’s nowhere to put anything. Haul off what you don’t want and move the extra furniture out before the photos. Do this part first. It’s a lot easier to fix a wall when there isn’t a couch in front of it.
What order to do it in
A little planning keeps you from doing things twice. This is the order I’d go in:
- Clear out the junk and the extra furniture.
- Make the repairs: doors, fixtures, drywall, windows.
- Paint.
- Put down any new flooring.
- Clean up the yard and walk through it one more time.
I’d skip any big remodel unless your realtor says it’ll pay off. Fixing what’s broken and freshening up what’s tired is usually a better use of the time you’ve got.
After the inspection
Once you have an accepted offer, the buyer’s inspection usually adds a few more things to the list. Send me the report or your realtor’s repair list and I’ll tell you which items I can take care of.
Every project gets treated like it was done at my own house. That goes for a house you’re about to hand over to somebody else, too.
Send me your list
Your list, your realtor’s notes or the inspection report all work. Add a few photos and I’ll put together a free estimate for the whole thing. Cleanup and haul-away are included.