Step One
Get ready to sell, before the sign goes up.
The weeks before a house goes on the market decide more about the sale than the weeks after. Here's the order we walk our sellers through, and the paperwork worth gathering now.
The Timeline
From first call to launch day.
Every house is different, and some of these steps take a weekend. Start early anyway. The sellers who give themselves time make better decisions and spend less money.
- Two months or more out
Call us before you call a contractor
This is the most valuable conversation in the whole sale, and it costs nothing. We walk the house with you, pull the recent sales around you and give you an honest read on value before you spend a dollar getting ready.
Then we build the plan together: what to fix, what to leave alone and when to list.
- Six to eight weeks out
Handle the repairs a buyer will find
Your buyer is going to inspect the house. Leaky faucets, missing outlet covers, a tired water heater, wood rot at the back door: fix the easy things now, and get bids on the big ones so you can decide whether to repair or price them in.
For an older house, a pre-listing inspection tells you what's coming before the buyer does.
- Four to six weeks out
Spend money only where buyers will notice
Fresh paint in a neutral color and clean, bright lighting usually pay their way. A kitchen remodel on a house you're leaving rarely does. We'll tell you what buyers in your neighborhood are paying for right now, and what they're walking past.
- Three to four weeks out
Declutter, pack early and stage
Every closet, counter and shelf will be in a photo or opened by a buyer. Pack what you won't need for the next few months, clear the counters, take down most family photos and let each room show what it's for.
We'll walk through room by room with you and point out what to move, what to add and what to take away.
- The week before launch
Photos, video and the final details
We schedule professional photography and video, and you get the house show-ready one last time: lights on, blinds open, beds made, cars out of the driveway. Then we launch everywhere at once.
The Paperwork
Gather these now, and thank yourself later.
Nothing here has to be perfect. Bring what you have, and we'll help you find the rest.
Sources
- MetroTex Association of REALTORS, Upcoming Changes to the T-47 Affidavit Requirement, 25 September 2024.
- Texas Property Code § 207.003, Delivery of Subdivision Information to Owner.
Your First Call
Start with an honest number.
We'll walk the house with you, show you the sales around you, and help you decide what's worth doing before you list.
Jeff Updike and Weston Pugh are licensed Texas real estate agents with Dave Perry-Miller Real Estate. This page is general information, not legal, tax or financial advice. See the Information About Brokerage Services. Equal Housing Opportunity.