Your 47-Point Home Seller Prep Checklist

02Start here

The 15 items that move the price most.

Tick them off as you go. Your progress is saved in this browser, so you can come back after each weekend.

0of 15 done

Start with the curb — it's the listing's first photo.

01Curb appeal

5 of 8

Power-wash the driveway, walks and sidingRent a 3000 PSI washer for a day; do the walks last.$90 · 4 hr Repaint or refinish the front doorBlack, deep navy or natural wood photograph best.$60 · 3 hr Edge the lawn and lay fresh dark mulchTwo inches deep, pulled back from the foundation.$120 · 3 hr Replace house numbers and the porch lightMatching finish; numbers readable from the street.$110 · 1 hr Add one pair of potted plants at the doorSymmetry reads as “cared for” in the first photo.$80 · 30 min

02Repairs & maintenance

5 of 9

Fix every dripping faucet and running toiletInspectors list each one; buyers add them up.$40 · 2 hr Service the furnace and keep the receiptPut the receipt in your section 06 folder.$150 · 1 hr Patch nail holes and touch up scuffed trimUse the original paint if you have it.$30 · 4 hr Re-caulk tubs, showers and sinksFresh white caulk is the cheapest bathroom update there is.$25 · 2 hr Test every outlet, switch and smoke alarmReplace dead batteries and cracked cover plates.$35 · 1 hr

05Staging & light

5 of 8

Swap every bulb to the same warm 3000KMixed color temperatures make rooms look patchy.$70 · 1 hr Float furniture away from the wallsCreate a clear walking path through every room.$0 · 2 hr Make every bed with white beddingTwo pillows per side, one folded throw.$140 · 1 hr Clear kitchen counters to three itemsA bowl of fruit, a cutting board, one plant.$0 · 30 min Open every blind and curtain before showingsAdd it to your 10-minute pre-showing routine.$0 · 5 min

03The full framework

Six sections, in this order.

Work top to bottom. Each section makes the next one faster — there's no point deep-cleaning a closet you haven't emptied yet.

018 items · p. 2

Curb appeal

Your front exterior is the first listing photo and the first ten seconds of every showing.

Time: 1 day
Budget: $150–$600

029 items · p. 4

Repairs & maintenance

Fix what an inspector would write down, before a buyer can use it to renegotiate.

Time: 2–3 days
Budget: $300–$1,500

038 items · p. 6

Declutter & depersonalize

Half-empty closets read as “plenty of storage”. Buyers need to picture their life, not yours.

Time: 1 weekend
Budget: $0–$200

047 items · p. 8

Deep clean

Windows, grout, carpets and odors. Clean is the one thing every buyer notices.

Time: 1–2 days
Budget: $250–$700

058 items · p. 9

Staging & light

Even light, open paths and simple linens — what makes rooms look bigger on camera.

Time: 1 day
Budget: $100–$500

067 items · p. 11

Paperwork & pricing

Bills, permits and an upgrade list with years and costs — the evidence behind your price.

Time: 2 hours
Budget: $0

04Watch next

How we turn your finished checklist into a list price

An eight-minute look at what happens after the prep — the part most sellers never see:

01How we pick the 6 comparable sales that set your range
02Which checklist items buyers actually pay more for
03Our 14-day launch plan, from photos to offer review

Bright, staged living room with two armchairs, a fireplace and large corner windows

8:15 From checklist to list price

Maren Holloway · Filmed in a Holloway Group listing, Old Mill District

05A note from Maren

Maren Holloway, smiling, in a gray blazer by an office window

You don't have to do all 47.

Most sellers I meet are tired before they start — they picture a full renovation. Please don't. On a typical house, about a dozen of these items do 80% of the work, and the right dozen depends on your house, your street and this month's buyers.

That's the part I can help with. Walk your home with the checklist first, circle what you're unsure about, then let's go through it together. If the answer is “list it as-is”, I'll tell you that too.

Maren HollowayTeam lead, Holloway Group · 212 homes sold since 2014

Reply to Maren

06Your next step

Done the checklist? Let's put a number on it.

Book a free home valuation. You'll leave the call knowing your price range, your prep priorities and your best week to list.

01A written price range built from 6 recent sales near you
02Your checklist, ranked — the items worth doing for your house
03A launch timeline with photo, open-house and offer dates

Free · 20 minutes · phone or video

Free home valuation call

$0no obligation to list

Next openings this week

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Book my free valuation

or call (555) 214-0190

The 47-Point Home Seller Prep Checklist