Selling in 30 days: the prep checklist we give every client

Most homes that sit on the market didn’t have a pricing problem or a market problem. They had a preparation problem. The good news: preparation is the part you control. Here’s the exact list we hand every seller before we list — the same one that gets well-prepared Austin homes to contract in around three weeks.

Start with the photos

Buyers meet your home online before they ever stand in it. The photos are the first showing, so everything else serves them. Before the photographer arrives, we clear counters to almost nothing, take down about half of what’s on the walls, and let the light in — open every blind and turn on every lamp.

Depersonalize just enough that a buyer can imagine their life here, not study yours. Family photos down, fridge cleared, pets and their bowls tucked away for the shoot. It feels like a lot. It reads, in the photos, like a home people fight over.

Price where buyers are looking

Price is a magnet, not a wish. We set it from recent sales on your street and the price bands buyers are actually searching — not a round number that feels nice. A home priced right to the market draws more eyes in the first weekend, and the first weekend is when the best offers come.

Overpricing doesn’t get you more. It gets you fewer showings, a stale listing, and a price cut you’ll make anyway — from a weaker position.

We’d rather launch a touch competitive and let demand do the work than chase the market down week after week.

Repairs worth doing

Spend where buyers notice. These earn back more than they cost, and they keep small issues from becoming negotiation leverage later:

• Fresh, neutral paint anywhere it’s scuffed or bold
• Deep clean, including carpets, grout and windows
• Fix the obvious: dripping taps, sticking doors, dead bulbs
• Tidy landscaping and a clean, welcoming front door
• Swap dated light fixtures for simple modern ones

Repairs to skip

Just as important is knowing where not to spend. These rarely return their cost before a sale — let the next owner make them their own:

• Full kitchen or bathroom remodels
• Major landscaping or a new deck
• Room additions or reconfigurations
• High-end finishes a buyer may rip out anyway

Launch week

We don’t trickle a listing out. We coordinate the debut across every major portal, line up the first weekend of showings, and host an open house while interest is at its peak. Then we read the response — views, saves, showing feedback — and adjust fast if we need to. Most of the momentum in a sale happens in the first seven to ten days, so launch week is where preparation pays off.

The checklist

Here’s the short version to pin to your fridge:

• Declutter and depersonalize every room
• Deep clean top to bottom, carpets included
• Touch-up paint and fix the obvious small stuff
• Boost curb appeal and the front entry
• Pro photos, video and a 3D tour
• Price to the market, not to a wish
• Coordinate a strong launch week

Do these and you’re not hoping for a fast sale — you’ve engineered the conditions for one. Want the full version tailored to your home? That’s what the free valuation and a 20-minute call are for.