Most sellers are really asking two things: what needs to be done, and how much it’s going to cost. Here’s a simple plan that works.

“What should I do when getting my house ready to sell?” This is a question we get asked all the time. And when people ask it, they are usually asking two things at once.

One, they want to know what they should do to the house. Second, what they are really asking, without saying it, is how much it’s going to cost.

There is no one-size-fits-all checklist when preparing a home for sale. Our team helps sellers decide what makes sense for their home and their timeline, and when needed, we can help with financing options.

Here’s a real example of how that approach worked.

This happened about fifteen days ago.

A family reached out to us after buying a home in Folsom. They had moved from Australia for work. They sold their home overseas and used those funds to purchase a home here. After buying the home, they did a few renovations and thought they would be here long term.

Then, a few weeks later, the same job told them they had to move back to Australia or lose their job.

They had just bought the home. They had just put money into it, and now they had to turn around and move back to the place they came from.

On top of that, they were paying a mortgage in Folsom while also putting a deposit and the first month’s rent down in Australia. If the house took time to sell, they were going to be making two monthly payments moving forward.

They needed to sell quickly and get top dollar.

"The best results come from doing the right things, not everything."

Whether someone has lived in a home for three weeks or thirty years, this is the same basic plan we walk everyone through.

1. We start with a deep clean. The home was not in bad shape, but we always like to start with a clean slate. Deep cleaning the home before going live is one of the best things you can do. It is like washing a car before selling it.
2. We bring in a professional stager. Staging helps buyers see the home for what it is and how the space can be used. It makes the home feel move-in ready and helps it stand out.
3. We price the home correctly. Pricing is just as important as condition. When those two work together, buyers respond.

In this case, we deep-cleaned the home on a Wednesday, staged it on Thursday, took photos on Friday, and went live for the weekend.

What happened after we went live? Over the course of that weekend, we received multiple offers.

We went into escrow within a few days, and the home sold slightly above the list price. It was listed about $40,000 higher than what they had paid just a short time earlier.

The best part was the timeline. It was a ten-day escrow. That meant they did not have to keep making double payments on two homes in two countries. It saved them a significant amount of money and stress.

The reason the home sold so quickly and for strong money was simple. It was deep cleaned, professionally staged, and priced correctly.

Is there more you can do? Yes. Should you do upgrades or updates in some cases? Absolutely. That is where a custom plan comes in. We use a detailed marketing and preparation process and tailor it to each home. 

If you are thinking about selling and want to know what actually makes sense for your home, we are happy to help. 

You can reach out through our contact form, give us a call at (855) 935-6673, or email us at [email protected]. My team and I will walk through your situation, talk through what is worth doing and what you can skip, and build a plan that fits your goals and timeline.