There’s a lot that goes into preparing your home for sale. After meeting, vetting, and hiring your Realtor, they’ll likely tell you that you’ve got a lot of work ahead – from cleaning and decluttering to staging and more.
But what if you don’t have a ton of time?
The good news is that with an experienced real estate agent and his team, you don’t have to go it alone.
I’ve put together a day-by-day plan with a handy checklist to get your home ready to show in 10 days or less. Don’t have that tight of a deadline? Take a more relaxed approach and spread out the tasks over a longer period of time. Feeling overwhelmed? Don’t be, I’ve got a team in place to help. We can do this!
What are you waiting for? Let’s start preparing your house for sale.
Day 1 – Gearing up
Gather your paperwork for selling:
- Property tax bill
- Tenancy agreements
- Lease/rental agreements (like for hot water tank or furnace)
- Utility bills
- Renovation bills and permits
- Survey
- Mortgage information
- Condo status certificate
- Get your Realtor to schedule a home inspection and professional cleaning, if they offer these services (we do!)
Buy:
- Copy of your house keys
- Boxes for packing and tape
- New white towels for the bathroom
- New soap dish, bath mat, shower curtain or bathroom accessories
- New, neutral-coloured bedding with fancy pillows – give it a “hotel-look”
- New throw pillows for living room furniture and bedrooms
- Area rugs if your floors are bare and look cold
- Welcome mat
- Neutral-coloured paint and supplies
- Seasonal plants for outside
Day 2 – Decluttering mode
The little-used stuff
- Pack up off-season clothing and equipment
- Store books, dishes, small appliances, kitchen equipment, Tupperware
- Consider renting a storage unit for furniture
- Go through your house, removing and storing all non-essential items
Cleaning the Kitchen
- Clean out cupboards and toss or store dry goods
- Clean the fridge inside and out, removing frost, magnets, photos, calendars, and drawings
- Clean your oven and stove inside and out (don’t forget the burner trays!)
- Make drawers as spacious as possible
Day 3 – Bright and airy
Light check
- Replace burnt-out light bulbs
- Update old light fixtures
- Dust lampshades
- Make sure all table and floor lamps are working
- Clean all curtains and blinds on windows
Dirty duty
- Declutter bathroom drawers and surfaces
- Remove all non-essential items
- Replace caulking if necessary
- Thoroughly scrub floors, walls, and fixtures
Day 4 – Make Room in the House
Bedroom fix up
- Declutter bedrooms, removing everything from surfaces
- Put bulky furniture in storage
- Straighten bookshelves
- Clear out closets, removing at least half of your clothing
- Hang clothes neatly, so hangers aren’t “cramped”.
- Remove personal photographs and knick-knacks
Day 5 – Make More Room
Living room tidy up
- Clean upholstery on couches and chairs
- Vacuum and shampoo rugs
- Remove extra furniture, knick-knacks, magazines, toys
- Organize and minimize media unit wires
- Clean and dust all surfaces
- Straighten bookshelves
Day 6 – Halfway there
Dining room
- Clear off dining room table
- Clean chair upholstery
- Clean and dust sideboards or hutches
- Make the room feel light, airy, clean, and visually-pleasing
Tidying the basement
- Declutter, purge and organize toy rooms and basement
- Sweep and check for cobwebs or bugs
- Remove all non-essential items
- Clean windows and sills
Day 7 – Last of the rooms
Entryway & hallway spruce up
- Remove all off-season coats, umbrellas, shoes/boots
- Declutter the entranceway
- Make it look inviting – add fresh flowers and a welcome mat
- Clean walls and make sure all light fixtures are dusted
Final decluttering of the house
- Comb through the house, looking in any missed areas or hidden corners for things that can be moved to storage
- Empty all closets and storage areas to at least half empty
- Pack away personal items like family pictures, souvenirs
- Stay on top of laundry and dishes
Day 8 – Repair and painting the house
Fix it up
- Leaky faucets
- Wonky railings
- Squeaky doors
- Broken drawers and handles
- Loose door knobs
- Window screens
- Patch holes
Get painting
- Paint over bright colours with neutral, light shades
- Touch up walls, baseboards, and ceilings
- Paint over hole fixes and unwashable scuffs
Day 9 – Almost there!
Get outside
- Think curb appeal! Clean, sweep and evaluate less-appealing outdoor elements
- Weed and landscape the garden and yard
- Paint wooden stairs and railings
- Fix broken fences
- Plant seasonal flowers like potted mums, or add hanging baskets
- Clean eavestroughs and downspouts
- Store toys and bikes neatly
- Check for unwanted doggy deposits
Day 10: Check and rest
That’s the last of it!
- Double check that baseboards, walls, ceilings, curtains, windows, and light fixtures are clean
- Address any lingering smoke or pet odours
- Put out your new bathroom towels and some fresh flowers
- Set up your new bedding
- Do a spot-check walk through with your Realtor or a friend for a second set of eyes
What comes next…
Your home is in “show condition!” Congratulations! Now that you’ve completed preparing your home for sale, the hard part is over. Just don’t forget to leave the house during showings, stay on top of cleaning, and keep your stress levels low. You’re almost there!
Want to know more about how we can help take the stress out of selling? I’d love to help you. Contact me to learn more!