10 Steps in Getting Your Home Ready To Sell

Selling your home doesn’t have to be overwhelming. Follow these ten essential steps to transform your property from "lived-in" to "listed."

Deciding to sell your home is a monumental life moment. It’s exciting, but let’s be honest—it can also feel completely overwhelming. You look around at years of memories (and accumulated stuff) and wonder, "Where do I even start?"

The good news is that preparing a house for sale is a process, and like any process, it can be broken down into manageable steps. The goal isn't just to put a "For Sale" sign in the yard; the goal is to attract the highest offers in the shortest amount of time.

To do that, we need to shift your mindset from thinking of this as "your home" to thinking of it as a "product on the market."

Here are the 10 essential steps to getting your home show-ready and sold.

1. Find the Right Real Estate Agent

Before you lift a paintbrush or pack a box, find your partner in this process. Don't just hire your cousin’s friend. Interview a few agents. Look for someone with a strong track record in your specific neighborhood, excellent communication skills, and a solid marketing plan. A great agent will guide you through the rest of these steps and tell you exactly where to spend your time and money for the best ROI.

2. Declutter, Declutter, Declutter

If you only do one thing on this list, do this one. Buyers cannot visualize themselves living in your home if they can’t see past your belongings.

You need to aggressively purge. Pack up out-of-season clothes, clear off kitchen countertops entirely (yes, even the toaster),

and thin out overflowing bookshelves. If you don't need it in the next three months, pack it, donate it, or toss it. You want to create a sense of spaciousness.

3. Depersonalize the Space

This is a tough emotional step, but crucial. You want buyers to walk in and say, "I could live here," not "Someone else definitely lives here."

Remove family photos, diplomas, religious items, and highly personalized artwork. You are creating a blank canvas for the buyer to project their own life onto.

4. The Deepest Clean of Your Life

A dirty house is a deal-breaker. Buyers will assume that if you haven’t cleaned the surface, you haven’t maintained the systems underneath.

Every inch needs to sparkle. We're talking about cleaning baseboards, washing windows

inside and out, scrubbing grout, and

dusting ceiling fan blades. If you don't have the time or energy, this is the best money you’ll spend hiring professionals. Your house needs to smell fresh and look spotless.

A spotless bathroom assures buyers the home has been well-maintained.

5. Tackle the "Honey-Do" List

Walk through your house with buyer eyes. Do you see that leaky faucet you’ve ignored for a year? The scuff marks in the hallway? The loose cabinet knob?

Fix them. These small maintenance issues signal neglect to a buyer. Replace burnt-out lightbulbs with bright, matching LEDs, caulk the tub, and touch up paint where needed.

6. Neutralize the Palette

You might love your bright purple dining room, but 90% of buyers won't. Bold colors are distracting and can make rooms feel smaller.

Your best bet is to paint over bold colors with warm, neutral tones—think light greys, soft beiges, or creamy whites. Fresh paint is relatively inexpensive and offers one of the highest returns on investment when selling.

7. Boost Curb Appeal

The first impression happens before they even open the front door. If the outside is messy, buyers will already have a negative bias before they step inside.

Mow the lawn, trim overgrown bushes, power wash the walkway, and plant some fresh, colorful flowers near the entrance. A fresh coat of paint on the front door and a new welcome mat can work wonders.

point.

8. Stage to Engage

Staging is different than decorating. Decorating is for living; staging is for selling. The goal of staging is to define spaces and show buyers how furniture fits in a room. If you have a weird alcove you use for storage, stage it as a small reading nook or home office area. Ensure furniture is arranged to create easy walkways. You might need to remove bulky furniture to make rooms feel larger.

9. Professional Photography is Non-Negotiable

Over 90% of buyers start their search online. Your listing photos are your home’s first showing.

Do not rely on photos taken with a smartphone. Your real estate agent should provide a professional photographer who understands lighting and angles to make your home look its absolute best. Great photos lead to more showings; poor photos lead to people scrolling right past your listing.

10. The "Show-Ready" State

Once the house is listed, you have to live in a state of constant readiness. You never know when a potential buyer will want to pop in.

This means making beds every morning, keeping the sink free of dishes, and having a plan to quickly remove pets and kids from the house for showings. It’s exhausting, but it’s temporary—and it will pay off when that offer comes in!

Summary

Getting your home ready to sell is hard work, but following these ten steps will put you miles ahead of the competition. By presenting a clean, neutral, and well-cared-for home, you’ll maximize your sale price and minimize the time your home sits on the market.

Are you thinking about selling in Los Angeles ? Let’s connect today for a free consultation on how to get your home market-ready.

Bob Schmalz

bob_schmalz@wlaregroup.com

Call / Text / WhatsApp: 310.505.5571