Sellers often ask whether they should renovate the kitchen before listing. Almost always, the answer is no. The preparation that pays back is smaller, cheaper and mostly about removing reasons for a buyer to hesitate.
Week one: walk it like a buyer
We walk the house together with a notepad and start outside. Sticking doors, a dripping tap, a stained ceiling from a leak fixed years ago: buyers notice these and assume there is more they cannot see. Small repairs come first.
Week two: clear and clean
Take out about a third of what is in each room, especially closets, because buyers open every one. Then have the house cleaned professionally, windows included. This step changes the photographs more than any other.
Week three: paint and light
Fresh paint in a neutral color is the one cosmetic project that consistently returns its cost. Replace dim or mismatched bulbs so every room reads the same in photos. Pressure wash the walk and the front steps.
Week four: paperwork and photos
Gather what a buyer will ask for: the age of the roof and the heating and cooling system, utility averages, the survey if you have one and any permits for past work. In North Carolina you will also complete the Residential Property and Owners' Association Disclosure Statement.
Photography is scheduled last, once the house is ready. The listing goes live with the price we agreed on from recent comparable sales, and the first two weeks tell us most of what we need to know.
This article is general information about buying and selling homes in North Carolina. It is not legal, tax or lending guidance, and things may have changed since it was published.
