So you want to sell your house but you have no idea where to start. Thankfully, I’m here to guide you! I just had a conversation with someone who was asking about what to do if they’re thinking about selling in five years. The earlier you can jump in and prep, the better. This is hopefully going to be helpful information to keep in mind regardless of timeline.

5 years +

Usually this is right when you buy your house. There are things you can start doing almost immediately to increase your future curb appeal and maintain your house so it’s in good shape long term.

• Change your furnace filters every 4 months and service your HVAC every two years
  • Make sure you’re prolonging the life of your HVAC system and keep your records for future buyers
• Create a landscaping plan
  • Landscaping is like eating an elephant: you have to start one bite at a time. It’s oftentimes a huge project that can feel overwhelming. But it’s important to start immediately because things GROW and look more impressive over time. It’s also something that you need to prepare during certain seasons. So, I always recommend putting a plan together that you can tackle over time. First thing that should be addressed is a layout. Large plantings (trees), fences, decks, hot tubs, hardscaping, and sheds should be laid out on paper and assigned to a location so you can map it out and plant the big things first. Trees should go in immediately so they grow in over time, but the absolute worst thing is having to move them because you didn’t think about the bike shed you wanted to put in. So plan ahead of time even if you don’t have the funds immediately to get started on other projects. Next, I recommend considering sheet mulching and getting rid of any grass you don’t want. Order a chip drop and kill that lawn! Also, given enough time, you can figure out what works in certain spots and move whatever doesn’t for your plantings.
• Plan major remodels
  • Make a timeline and a punch list of what you want to renovate and when. Decide what needs to be tackled ASAP and what can wait. If you want to do a giant kitchen remodel in the future but need to make it more functional now, figure out what is most cost effective and easiest short term. Maybe you can redo cabinets and layout in the future but just replace countertops and add a moveable island for the moment. Hire an interior designer (aka ME) to help with planning and deciding what your renovation should look like to maximize ROI (return on investment) when it’s time to sell.

1 year out

• Figure out what structural improvements need to happen in order to sell. Sometimes, that can be exterior paint, a new roof, new attic insulation, etc. Take a look back in your inspection report and start going down the list of minor fixes that are cheap but time consuming, like installing GFCI outlets or extending your downspouts. Start tackling two items per month, any progress helps!
• Keep on top of maintenance items—clean your roof (no power washing!), power wash siding, repair sidewalks, clean your chimney, replace or paint deck boards, install CO2 detectors and smoke alarms, have your appliances serviced, clean dryer ducts, and finish any outstanding projects you’ve been putting off.
• Check portlandmaps.com for outstanding permits. Maybe you forgot to get the final approval on your electrical panel three years ago—we need to close out anything that’s open before you think about selling.

3 months out

• Call me! I will give you personalized recommendations for your home about what needs to be done and what not to worry about. This step is CRUCIAL—often times when people think about selling their house, they want to change the things that annoyed them as homeowners. The bathroom tile is mismatched, the kitchen is small and awkwardly shaped, or the closets aren’t big enough for your giant shoe collection. But when you’re selling your house, it’s not about what you like or don’t like, it’s about making your house attractive to new buyers. And the things they see aren’t what you see!
• Start the process of painting. The interior will likely need a fresh coat of paint, which I can counsel you on colors to choose. White/cream is best for bedrooms and main rooms unless you have a specific stylistic choice already in place, whereas you can probably just touch up spots. I’m definitely not afraid of color, so let’s chat about what to do moving forward!
• Plan small renovation projects. If you didn’t have time to finish ongoing projects, now is the time. Let’s sit together and budget what needs to get done, what should we hire out for, and what you have time to do yourself. We should always allocate some amount of money to projects done by someone else because time is a resource like any other. Maybe you don’t have time to repaint your kitchen cabinets but that would have a huge impact on your home’s value. I can put you in touch with people who can do it for you!
• Prepare your move. I always recommend budgeting for a furnished rental or planning on leaving the house. Showings can happen at any time of day, often last minute. You really don’t want to be there when someone is walking through your house! Also, the house will generally show much better empty or staged. OR, if you have really nice stuff, I will tell you what stuff to leave and which stuff has to go.
• Declutter! If you’re not fully moving out and emptying the house, you still will need to massively declutter. Basically, anything that reminds a buyer that you are a human being with needs and live there should be put away. Especially for photos, when the house has to look its absolute best. If you are moving out, get a storage unit or let’s talk to a lender about the possibility of buying before you sell.
• Clean exterior and freshen up plantings. Trim trees, if necessary. Put fresh mulch down if you want to do it yourself.

2 weeks out

• Deep cleaning
  • As part of my fee, I will hire cleaners to come and deep clean the property. I will want all the projects to be done by this point so the house will be minimally disturbed before photos happen.
• Landscapers
  • I will pay for half of the landscaping fee. This usually takes a day or two and will happen only a couple days before we take photos. Make sure we put away any large equipment or garbage cans etc. Depending on the season, we will plan to provide plants for front steps or annuals in front beds.
• Stagers
  • If your house is vacant, I will highly recommend staging. High quality staging is vital for making photos look good and making buyers like your house. We will walk through with my stager of choice and figure out a layout and gameplay that makes your house shine.
• Photography
  • I will hire a professional photographer to take amazing pictures, as well as a layout, video walkthrough, and drone shots of the exterior.
• Home Energy Score
  • Every home listed in the PDX metro area has to have a HES done within the last 8 years. I will pull your records if one was done in the past. Otherwise, prepare to have someone walk through the house, basement, crawlspace, and attic to assess energy conditions. Prepare a list of energy improvements you’ve done for me top provide the technician.

Go live!

That’s it! The more heads up we have, the better we can prepare together to list your property. We also can potentially time the market so you’re not selling during a slow period where you’re oftentimes going to get less for your property than a hotter market.