You've made the decision. You're selling your home.
Now comes the part that overwhelms most sellers: getting it ready.
Walk through any home that's been lived in for a few years, and you'll see it—the scuff marks on the walls, the drawer that sticks, the burnt-out light bulb you've been meaning to replace for three months. When it's your home, you stop noticing these things.
But buyers? They notice everything.
Here's the reality: homes that show well sell faster and for more money. It's not about luck or timing. It's about preparation.
The good news? You don't need a complete renovation. You need a strategic 30-day plan that addresses the things buyers actually care about—the details that make them fall in love or keep scrolling.
This checklist will take you from "lived-in" to "market-ready" without wasting time or money on things that don't matter.
Days 1-7: Declutter & Depersonalize
This is the hardest week emotionally, but it's the most important. Your goal is to help buyers envision their life in your home—not admire yours.
✓ Remove Personal Photos & Memorabilia
Take down family photos, kids' artwork, religious items, and personal collections. Pack them away. Buyers need to imagine their own memories on these walls.
✓ Clear Out 50% of Your Belongings
Yes, 50%. This sounds extreme, but cluttered homes photograph poorly and feel smaller. Rent a storage unit if needed. Remove:
Excess furniture (especially in small rooms)
Kitchen counter appliances (leave only 2-3 essentials)
Bathroom counter items (everything goes under the sink or in storage)
Books, DVDs, and knick-knacks from shelves
Toys, hobby equipment, and sports gear
Pro tip: If you haven't used it in three months, pack it. You'll need to pack eventually anyway.
✓ Organize Closets & Storage Spaces
Buyers will open your closets. Overstuffed closets signal "not enough storage." Half-empty, organized closets signal "plenty of room."
Remove off-season clothing, donate items you no longer wear, and install simple organizers if needed.
✓ Deep Clean the Garage & Basement
These spaces don't need to be empty, but they need to be organized and clean. Sweep floors, organize tools, and create clear pathways. Buyers want to see usable space, not chaos.
Days 8-14: Deep Clean Everything
Cleanliness isn't just about hygiene—it's about perception. A sparkling clean home feels cared for, which translates to higher perceived value.
✓ Hire Professional Cleaners (Seriously)
This isn't the time for DIY. Professional cleaners will get your home cleaner than you ever could, and they'll tackle the places you've been avoiding.
✓ Focus on These High-Impact Areas:
Kitchen: Degrease the range hood, clean inside the oven and fridge, scrub grout, polish stainless steel
Bathrooms: Re-caulk if needed, scrub tile and grout, polish fixtures, clean mirrors until spotless
Windows: Inside and out. Natural light sells homes.
Baseboards & Trim: Wipe down every inch
Floors: Deep clean carpets (or replace if heavily stained), polish hardwood, mop tile
✓ Eliminate Odors
You've gone nose-blind to your home. But buyers will smell pet odors, cooking smells, mustiness, or smoke the moment they walk in.
Shampoo carpets and upholstery
Wash or replace pet bedding
Air out the home daily
Replace HVAC filters
Avoid cooking strong-smelling foods before showings
Do NOT use heavy air fresheners—they signal you're covering something up
Days 15-21: Make Strategic Repairs
You're not doing a renovation. You're fixing the things that make buyers worry or give them negotiation leverage.
✓ Fix the Obvious Issues
Walk through your home with a critical eye (or better yet, ask a friend). Fix:
Leaky faucets
Running toilets
Sticking doors or drawers
Broken cabinet hardware
Burnt-out light bulbs (replace ALL of them)
Cracked tiles or loose grout
Holes in walls from removed hooks or nails
Pro tip: Every small broken thing compounds in the buyer's mind. They start to wonder: "What else is wrong that I can't see?"
✓ Touch Up Paint
You don't need to repaint the entire house (unless your walls are bold colors or heavily scuffed). But you should:
Touch up scuffs and marks with matching paint
Repaint any rooms with dark, bold, or heavily personalized colors in neutral tones (soft grays, warm whites, greiges)
Paint baseboards and trim if they're yellowed or dinged
Neutral = universally appealing. Save your love of eggplant purple for your next home.
✓ Address Curb Appeal
First impressions happen before buyers even step inside. Stand across the street and look at your home honestly.
Power wash siding, driveway, and walkways
Clean or replace your front door mat
Paint or stain the front door if it's faded
Ensure house numbers are visible and attractive
Trim overgrown bushes and trees
Edge the lawn and add fresh mulch to garden beds
Add potted plants or flowers near the entrance (even if it's winter—evergreens work)
You have 10 seconds to make buyers want to see more. Make them count.
Days 22-25: Stage & Style
Staging isn't about decorating for your taste—it's about creating a lifestyle buyers want to buy into.
✓ Rearrange Furniture for Flow
Remove oversized or excess furniture. Create clear pathways. Angle furniture to make rooms feel larger and more inviting.
Each room should have a clear, obvious purpose. That "junk room" or "workout room slash office slash storage space"? Pick one function and stage it accordingly.
✓ Add Strategic Touches
Fresh flowers or greenery in the kitchen and living room
Fluffy white towels in bathrooms (rolled or neatly stacked)
Crisp bedding in neutral tones (make beds hotel-style)
A bowl of lemons or a cutting board with a artisan bread loaf in the kitchen
Throws and accent pillows in living spaces (stick to 2-3 coordinating colors)
Less is more. You're creating visual calm, not a showroom.
✓ Set the Mood with Lighting
Turn on every light in the house before showings (yes, even during the day). Open blinds and curtains. Buyers are drawn to bright, airy spaces.
Replace any outdated light fixtures if they're particularly ugly or broken. Modern, simple fixtures are inexpensive and make a big impact.
Days 26-28: Prepare for Photography
Professional photos are non-negotiable. Over 90% of buyers start their search online. If your photos don't grab them, they'll never see your home in person.
✓ Coordinate with Your Agent
Your realtor should arrange for a professional photographer (if they're sending their nephew with an iPhone, find a new agent).
✓ The Day Before Photos:
Re-clean high-traffic areas
Remove all personal items, mail, and clutter from counters
Hide trash cans, pet bowls, and litter boxes
Turn on all lights
Open curtains and blinds
Adjust thermostats (homes look better when HVAC vents aren't blowing papers around)
Fluff pillows, straighten rugs, make beds perfectly
✓ Consider Seasonal Adjustments
Winter: Turn on a gas fireplace, add cozy throws, ensure walkways are shoveled and salted
Spring/Summer: Fresh flowers, clean patio furniture, mow the lawn
Fall: Remove fallen leaves, add a few pumpkins or mums for warmth
Days 29-30: Final Walkthrough & Launch Prep
You're in the home stretch. Time for the final details.
✓ Do a Final Walkthrough with Your Agent
Walk through together and look for anything you've missed. Trust their eye—they know what buyers notice.
✓ Prepare a "Showing Ready" Routine
You'll need to keep your home show-ready from listing day until closing. Create a simple daily routine:
Make beds every morning
Wipe down kitchen and bathroom counters
Do dishes immediately (or hide them in the dishwasher)
Sweep high-traffic areas
Empty trash cans
Keep pets contained or plan to leave with them during showings
✓ Create a Plan for Short-Notice Showings
Buyers often want to see homes with little warning. Have a go-bag ready:
Pets and their essentials
Personal valuables (jewelry, documents)
Any clutter "catch-all" bins to quickly tidy before you leave
Pro tip: Leave the house during showings. Buyers need to explore freely without feeling like they're intruding.
The Payoff: What Market-Ready Homes Achieve
Homes that follow this checklist consistently:
Generate more showing requests in the first week
Receive higher offers
Sell faster (often with multiple competing offers)
Require fewer price reductions
Experience fewer inspection issues and renegotiations
Translation: Less stress, more money, faster close.
You Don't Have to Do This Alone
Thirty days sounds manageable—until you're juggling work, family, and the emotional weight of leaving your home. It's a lot.
Here's the good news: when you work with an experienced real estate team, you don't figure this out on your own. We'll walk through your home together, create a customized prep plan, recommend trusted contractors for repairs, and even coordinate staging and photography.
Our job is to make this process as smooth as possible while maximizing your sale price. Your job is to trust the process.
Ready to get started? Let's schedule a pre-listing consultation. We'll walk your home, discuss what's worth doing (and what's not), and build a realistic timeline that works for your life.
Book Your Pre-Listing Consultation
Ruby Xue is the Broker of Record & Owner of KW ICON Realty and leads the Ruby Xue Real Estate Team in Ottawa. With a proven system for preparing homes that sell faster and for more, Ruby's approach combines strategic staging, professional marketing, and hands-on support to take the stress out of selling.
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