The 1-Year Countdown: A Timeline for Preparing Your Home for Sale

Embracing the next chapter in your family’s journey often begins with the important (and a bit exhausting) step of selling your home. It’s more than a transaction; it’s a carefully orchestrated move towards your family’s future dreams.

With a deliberate timeline and thoughtful preparation, however, your cherished home will not just be listed, but it will shine with its fullest potential, capturing the hearts and offers of buyers. After all, your home is a canvas of memories and milestones, and when it’s time to pass it on, you want it to stand out as the perfect backdrop for another family’s story.

That’s why preparing your home for sale isn’t a rush job—it’s a journey in itself, culminating in a showcase that shines with familial warmth and welcomes. Here’s a family-focused, strategic plan to guide you through a year of preparation before your home hits the market:

• Home Inspection: Begin with a professional home inspection to uncover any issues. This can take a few days to arrange and complete.  It’s a step often overlooked, but the minor cost and inconvenience can save you tons of headaches once your home hits the market.
• Upgrade Plans: This is optional, but some homes can certainly benefit from an upgrade or two that can contribute to increasing their value. Consider larger projects like kitchen or bathroom renovations or adding features like a deck. Planning could take several weeks.

• Contractor Bids: If choosing to go the the upgrade route, obtain multiple bids for any big projects, which can take 1-2 weeks.
• Scheduling Work: Expect major renovations to take anywhere from a month to several months, depending on the scope.
• Permits: Not all renovations require permits, but if yours does, keep in mind that the permitting process can vary greatly, from weeks to months. Even if your contractor takes this burden off your hands, you remain legally responsible for compliance.  I always recommend verifying that all paperwork is in order before proceeding.

• Minor Repairs: Fix any known issues from the inspection report. This could take days to weeks.
• Cosmetic Upgrades: Paint rooms, update fixtures, and replace hardware. Allocate a few weekends or hire professionals. Sticking to neutral colours like whites, greys, beige, and soft earth tones are my go-to strategy for creating a broader appeal to potential buyers.

• Declutter: Start decluttering your home to make spaces appear larger. This process can take a month or more.  Trust me, when you start you’ll say the same thing I hear every listing client say: “I never realized how much stuff I had!”
• Pre-packing: Begin packing non-essential items and seasonal clothing to depersonalize the space.  This will also have the added benefit of making everyone feel more organized and on-track.
• Offsite Storage: Consider renting a storage locker to temporarily move some things out of your home.  It will open up additional space in your home and give you more breathing room to prep and get organized.  In Aurora and Newmarket we’re fortunate to have plenty of options, including U-Haul,  Apple Self Storage, or the recently built Smart Stop Self Storage at Aurora Rd. and HWY 404.

• Appraisal: Get a professional appraisal to understand the market value of your home. This usually takes less than a week.
• Market Research: Research the market with your Realtor to anticipate market behaviour in the coming months.  Personally, this is when I like to discuss possible target dates for the listing with my clients, aiming for market-friendly timeframes.

• Landscaping Projects: Since you’re preparing to sell, focus on simple yet effective landscaping rather than extensive overhauls. Start landscaping projects early as plants can take several weeks to mature.  This, of course, is dependent on the time of year, as we do have to contend with snow.  If 4 months out puts you in the middle of winter, simply schedule your landscaping for earlier on in the process.
• Curb Appeal Enhancements: Focus on making a good first impression, which can take a few weekends. Again, since your goal is to list your home, you’re going for small enhancements to help your property look its best.
• Outdoor Photos: If you’re aiming to list during winter or early spring, your listing photos won’t be able to showcase the full extent of your yard’s beauty.  A pro tip I always recommend is to take a full set of outdoor shots during the summer.

• Professional Cleaning: A thorough deep clean, including carpets and windows, will take a few days.  This will allow you to only have to deal with minor touchups prior to listing.
• Maintenance: Continue regular home maintenance such as gutter cleaning, HVAC servicing, etc.

• Staging Consultation: Although too early to stage the home, it’s is a good time for a consultation.  This is often when I bring in one of my trusted stagers, who examines the home and writes up a list of suggestions for how to present the home to highlight its beauty maximize its appeal.  Personally I love working with my professional stagers – staging is an art in and of itself, and I never have to worry about having furnishings tied up on other projects.  Money well spent.
• Final Repairs: Make any last-minute repairs or touch-ups. Inevitably, somethings creep up that still need to be fixed or replaced.  With a couple months to spare, there is still time to get those taken care of before the mad rush of open houses.

• Listing Details: Finalize the details of your listing with your Realtor, including the marketing and pricing strategies.  Remember, the pricing strategy will differ depending on market conditions and what how competing properties are priced.  The goal is to get as much exposure as possible from the right buyers.
• Paperwork: This is the time to get all the listing paperwork in order to ensure you’re ready to hit the MLS when the time comes.  Your Realtor will prep those and will run through all the details with you.  You can also gather all necessary documents such as warranty information, appliance manuals, and any relevant receipts you may want to pass onto the next homeowner.

• Compliance Check: Ensure you’re compliant with local regulations regarding the sale of property.  Again, your Realtor is generally heavily involved in this process.
• Staging: Stagers generally don’t like to prep homes too far ahead of the listing going live to minimize wear and tear on any furniture brought in for staging. This is especially true for families with young children, as you can imagine.
• Photography: Once your home is staged, you’re ready for photos!  In my opinion, this is when only a professional photographers will do.  Beyond just taking better photos, they usually offer additional services.  The ones I work with, for example, offer drone and cinematic walk-through videos, Metterport® 3D walk-throughs, and floor plans.

• Personal Items: Remove all personal items, such as photographs and keepsakes.  Think of your home as a showroom at this stage.  Soon there will be listing brochures on the counter, “remove shoes” signs at the entrance, and potential buyers admiring your home trying to picture themselves moving in!  Yay!
• Final Walk-Through: Do a final walk-through with your Realtor to ensure your home is show-ready.
• Lawn Sign:  At this time your Realtor will likely put up “Coming Soon” for-sale sign on your lawn, signalling that your home is about to hit the market.  Some Realtors go above and beyond that by also contacting other agents as well as people in their client database to seek out potential buyers.

• Availability: Ensure you have a plan for showings, keeping the house in a ready-to-show condition at all times.  Your Realtor will generally host a number of open houses, put out flyers inviting neighbours, and perform other marketing activities to create as much buzz about your listing as possible during this time.  They will also inform you of any showings other agents may want to book to show your home to their buyer clients. Since these showings will require you to vacate the premises, it’s best to pre-plan some family-friendly locations where you can spend time during these periods.
• Eyes On The Prize: Yes, this will be a very busy and taxing time for you and your family, but keep your eyes on the prize – your home will soon be sold and you’ll be starting a whole new chapter with your family!
• Relocation Plan: If you haven’t already, this might be a good time to put the final touches on your moving plan for after the sale.  By carefully planning and preparing for the sale of your home months in advance, you can reduce last-minute stress and increase your home’s appeal to potential buyers. Patience and attention to detail can be the difference between a good selling price and a great one.

Of course, you’ll want to tailor this timeline to the specific needs of your home and market conditions. Preparation is key, and with this plan, you’ll be on track to make your sale as successful as possible!