Home Seller Checklist
The ultimate home seller checklist and guide will help you through the home selling process. Selling a home can seem like an overwhelming task. Using this itemized checklist will keep you on track and help you tackle one room at a time, simplifying your workload.
Prioritizing this list will help you get your home on the market fast. Cleaning, packing up & de-cluttering should be your top priority as you work through the checklist. Your goal is to get the most money out of your home sale in the least amount of time, with minimal effort.
Objectively Evaluate Every Room
Homebuyers are going to be more critical of your home than they are of their own. Most people don’t dust their house from top to bottom weekly, but they will notice if yours isn’t. When your home is on the market, it needs to stay in show condition, similar to what you would find in a new model home.
Open up the floor space by removing excess furniture, de-personalizing, and de-cluttering. This step will invite prospective home buyers to imagine themselves in your home. You want them to feel welcomed and relaxed. They’ll start imagining where they might put their things and become emotionally attached.
Take your time navigating through the home seller’s checklist below. While you prepare your house for the market, think through the essential items you’ll want in your listing description. Be strategic about the ways that you direct me to market your home.
Clean / Replace as needed
🔲 Light Switch Covers
🔲 Fireplace
🔲 Light Bulbs
🔲 Front door
🔲 Carpets
🔲 Blinds
🔲 Doors and Door Knobs
🔲 Interior & Exterior Paint
🔲 AC/Heater vents
Dust everything
🔲 Walls
🔲 Blinds
🔲 Baseboards
🔲 A/C Intake Vents
🔲 Ceiling Fans
Make it inviting
🔲 Rearrange furniture to maximize visual floor space.
🔲 Pack up all knick-knacks and figurines.
🔲 Prune and nurture all house plants.
🔲 Reduce or add house plants to a balanced number.
🔲 Remove all but a few decorative books from bookshelves.
🔲 Pack away personal family photos to de-personalize the home.
🔲 Reduce the amount of wall art to one or two items per room.
🔲 Add lamps to any dark spaces to brighten the room.
🔲 Leave your home smelling fresh and clean with an essential oil diffuser.
Living and family rooms
🔲 Keep coffee tables clear.
🔲 Remove any ashtrays.
🔲 Keep furniture at a minimum.
🔲 Toys should be stored out of sight.
🔲 Use pillows and throws to soften the space.
Dining rooms
🔲 The bottom of the Chandelier should be 60” from the floor minimum.
🔲 Keep the dining table clear except for one nice centerpiece.
🔲 Remove extra chairs from the table and dining room.
🔲 Remove extra leaves from the table.
🔲 The table should seat 4 to 6 chairs max.
Kitchen
🔲 Clear all items from kitchen countertops.
🔲 Clean tile grout; bleach if needed.
🔲 Clean the stove, oven, and microwave.
🔲 Clear the refrigerator of magnets, pictures, and messages.
🔲 Repair broken or loose corners on Formica countertops.
🔲 Replace burner pans on the stove if worn.
🔲 Keep all mops, brooms, vacuums, etc., put away.
🔲 Empty the garbage before each showing.
🔲 Remove any pet food and water dishes before showings.
🔲 Organize the pantry to look nice and neat.
🔲 Box up any dishes & cooking supplies you can live without.
🔲 Scrub/polish the sink to make it look new again.
Bedrooms
🔲 Make beds daily.
🔲 Invest in new bedspreads if necessary (consult stager first).
🔲 Clear off bedside tables, dressers, etc.
🔲 Store daily necessities in drawers or closets.
🔲 Organize closets to be nice and neat.
🔲 Keep closet doors closed.
🔲 Keep all the floors clear and vacuum regularly.
🔲 Remove all wall decor, other than an elegant piece of art.
🔲 Repair any holes or damage to walls.
Laundry
🔲 Put soap and supplies in cupboards.
🔲 Keep all surfaces and sink clean and empty.
🔲 Use high watt bulbs to make it look brighter.
🔲 Remove any clothing, dirty or clean.
🔲 Keep floors cleared of clutter and mop regularly.
Bath
🔲 Clear and clean ALL surfaces.
🔲 Display a bottle of hand soap or a clean bar of soap.
🔲 Purchase new towels if necessary (consult stager first).
🔲 Coordinate all linens in one or two colors.
🔲 Fold towels in thirds on the towel rack.
🔲 Remove all unnecessary items out of shower stalls and tubs.
🔲 Clean or replace all shower curtains.
🔲 Clean any moldy areas in the showers and baths.
🔲 Replace caulking to make it look new again.
🔲 Take off all cloth toilet lids and keep lids closed.
🔲 Hide garbage cans and cleaning supplies.
🔲 Organize cabinets to be nice and neat.
Exterior
🔲 Look at your house objectively from your neighbor’s yard.
🔲 Clean or repaint the front door if needed.
🔲 Repaint the exterior and trim if needed.
🔲 Replace any rotten wood on the exterior.
🔲 Sweep all walkways, patios, porches, and decks.
🔲 Pressure wash any dirty/stained concrete.
🔲 Re-stain the deck wood as needed.
🔲 Wash windows, inside and out.
🔲 Use outdoor furniture to show the use of space.
🔲 Outdoor drapes, pillows, and throws create an inviting retreat.
Garage
🔲 Clean and sweep out the garage.
🔲 Keep storage nice and neat.
🔲 Repaint dirty areas.
🔲 Pack anything you can live without.
Yard
🔲 Prune bushes and plants to look healthy.
🔲 Do not allow shrubs or plants to block windows.
🔲 Weed all planting areas.
🔲 Put down fresh mulch to restore color contrast.
🔲 Keep the lawn freshly mowed, edged, and fertilized.
🔲 Remove any dead plants.
🔲 Add a few flowers for a splash of color if needed.
Summary
This home seller checklist may seem overwhelming at first but you’ll be surprised at how quickly the items on the list dwindle as you work through them. Once you get into a groove and start working down the checklist, it goes fast. You only get one chance to make a first impression. Don’t make the costly mistake of listing your home before you have had time to complete this process.
You don’t need to do this alone. I have a number of referrals I can provide to help you with cleaning, painting, repairs, and landscaping. Contact me here if you would like me to put you in touch with one of my trusted providers.
Your goal is to make home buyers question whether anyone lives in the home when they’re viewing it. Your home should stand out above the rest because you have gone above what the average home seller would do. Rest Assured, all your hard work will pay off at the closing table.
