How to Prepare Your Home for Sale: A 30 Day Plan for Markham and York Region Sellers

Before I became a sales representative, I spent my first years in the business working hands on with 55 listings from prep to sold. The pattern was clear: the work you do in the 30 days before listing has more impact on your final price than almost anything else you can control.

Week 1: Walk the home like a buyer and fix the small things

• Fix leaky taps, sticky doors, burnt out bulbs and loose handles. Buyers read small issues as signs of bigger ones.
• Book any service records you have (furnace, AC, roof) so they are ready for buyers.
• If your home is from the 1970s or 1980s, check for things inspectors flag: old electrical panels, original windows, aging shingles. Knowing early lets us price and disclose with confidence.

Week 2: Declutter and paint

• Remove about a third of what is on counters, shelves and in closets. Buyers are judging storage space.
• Take down personal photos so buyers can picture themselves living there.
• Repaint bold or scuffed walls in a warm neutral. It is one of the highest return jobs you can do.

Week 3: Stage and deep clean

• Arrange furniture to show how each room is used, especially the living room and primary bedroom.
• Deep clean everything, including windows, baseboards and grout. Clean homes photograph brighter.
• Tidy the front: trim hedges, sweep the porch, add a new doormat and planters. Most buyers decide in the first ten seconds.

Week 4: Photos, video and pricing

• Professional photos, a floor plan and video, including drone exteriors when the lot or location is a selling feature.
• We set the price from recent sold comparables on your street and in your pocket of the neighbourhood, not from what neighbours listed at.
• We agree on an offer strategy: offer date or offers anytime, depending on current demand.

Not sure where to start? I will walk through your home, tell you which jobs are worth doing and which are not, and connect you with my trusted stagers, cleaners and contractors. Request a free home evaluation.