Prepare Your Home to Stand Out

Most sellers already have a list going. What’s on yours?

Good — what else?

If needed (One / Two) more I noticed on the tour — the (sticking door / dripping tap). Want me to send someone I trust, or would you rather handle it yourself?

Beyond what we can see — some sellers like to get ahead of surprises with a pre-inspection; others prefer to wait and see what a buyer finds. Which sounds more like you?

I work with a designer — Schulamit. I’ll have her come by for an hour, on me. Ask her anything: what to change, what to leave alone. Want me to set it up?

Of everything you could do before listing, paint usually gives the best return for the money. Is that something you’d be open to?

No problem — noted.

Great — which rooms?

Great — touch-ups, a few key rooms, or the whole house?

Buyers open closets and cabinets, and closets photograph best about half full. The more we can pack now, the bigger every room photographs. Can you start packing the non-essentials now — before we photograph — so the rooms show at their biggest?

If needed This one doesn’t cost you a dollar — it's packing you'll do for the move anyway, just earlier.

How do you want the house to look in the photos — with staging furniture, or the way it looks today? Full staging, partial?

And so you know up front: the stager’s consultation is on me.

Before we pick the photo date — is there anything you don’t want me to move, touch, or change? Religious items, family treasures, the home office, kids’ rooms during the school year — anything like that. Tell me now and I’ll make sure it stays exactly as it is.

Based on what you told me about the light in the (living room / kitchen), I’m thinking we shoot (day / time). Does that work, or is there a better window in your schedule?

Locking in the photo date also locks in our prep deadline — everything we’ve just discussed needs to be ready by then.

Jane, this is the part that answers what you said — ⟨their words⟩. You make the calls; I handle the rest. I bring the designer and the stager, I line up the trades, and I keep it on schedule. Your only job is to live in the house.

Let me read back what I’m taking away.

Yours: (item one) by (their date), (item two) by (their date). Packing the non-essentials started by (date). Plus the pre-listing forms we talked about on the tour.

Mine: (Pre-inspection booked for the 6th / No pre-inspection for now). (Designer) walks through (Tuesday). Stager (Friday) for a partial.

And I won’t touch: (the office desk, the piano, the nursery).

Everything needs to be ready by (Thursday the 14th at 10) — that’s the photo date.

And all of it points at one thing: on (the 14th), buyers see (their answer to the walkthrough’s emotion question — what they’ll miss most) for the first time. That’s what we’re protecting.

Did I get any of that wrong?

I'll write this up as our preparation plan — prioritized and scheduled — and send it over tomorrow. This is the first step toward the strongest offer. Is text or email better for you?

(Pause) That’s our preparation plan. If everything I show you fits well, is there anything else you’d need to see before deciding who to work with?

“And for you, (name)?”

“Good — I’ll make sure you see that before we finish.”

“Good — then let’s see if it fits.”

Here it is: the Pinnacle Blueprint — exactly how I’ll sell your home.