Before the sign goes in the yard

Selling starts before the sign goes up

The work that earns you a strong sale happens before your home ever hits the market. A little intention up front protects your timeline and your bottom line. Let's keep it simple — here's what actually matters, and what doesn't.

Worth doing (this stuff pays you back)

None of this has to be expensive. The goal is to let a buyer walk in and picture their life here.

• Declutter and depersonalize — clear counters, closets, and the family photos
• Deep clean, top to bottom — this one's free and it matters more than you'd think
• Knock out the small stuff — the leaky faucet, the sticky door, the chipped paint
• Curb appeal — tidy the yard, clean up the entry, add a fresh doormat
• Fresh, neutral touches where they count

Skip it (don't spend here)

Not everything earns its money back. Before you sink cash into a big project, talk to me — odds are it won't return what you put in.

• Full kitchen or bath remodels right before selling
• Bold, personal finishes a buyer will just redo anyway
• Over-improving past what the neighborhood supports
• Pricey “just to be safe” upgrades with no real reason behind them

Price it with the market, not a number that sounds nice

The price is the single biggest lever in your whole sale. We set it with real, local data — recent comparable sales and what's actually happening in your neighborhood — not a wish. Priced right, a home sells faster and for more. Priced too high, it sits, goes stale, and usually sells for less than if we'd nailed it from day one.

Know your numbers before you list

Before we go live, you should know what you'll actually walk away with — not just the sale price.

• Your equity and likely net proceeds
• What it costs to sell, and what's negotiable
• How this sale connects to your next move

Should you sell before you buy?

If you're buying next, timing matters a lot. Because I handle both the sale and the financing, we can map the sequence together — sell first, buy first, or bridge the two — so you're never stuck between two homes.