The 92-point home prep checklist.
Everything worth doing before your Minnesota home is photographed and listed, in the order it matters, with the things not worth your money left out. Most of this is a weekend and under $200. It is the cheapest return available to a seller.
What actually returns money
Prep divides into three piles, and sellers routinely spend in the wrong one. The list below is entirely pile one.
- Deep clean and declutter
- Paint touch-ups
- Every bulb, every drip
- Curb appeal and mulch
- Re-caulk wet areas
- Neutral paint in one bold room
- Dated cabinet hardware
- Light fixtures
- Professional carpet clean
- New kitchen or bath
- Room additions
- High-end flooring
- Landscaping overhauls
The rule: buyers pay for a home that looks cared for, not a home that looks renovated. Nothing on the do-it list changes your home — it just stops buyers subtracting for things you stopped noticing years ago.
All 92 points, room by room
Work top to bottom. Exterior first, because it is the first photo and the first thing every buyer sees.
Curb appeal & exterior
First photo, first showing, first impression. Buyers decide here.
- 01Mow, edge and trim every border
- 02Fresh mulch in all beds
- 03Pull every weed, including cracks in the drive
- 04Trim shrubs back off the siding and windows
- 05Cut branches that block windows or the roofline
- 06Power-wash siding, soffits and gutters
- 07Clean or replace the mailbox
- 08Paint or replace the front door
- 09Polish or replace door hardware and the house numbers
- 10Clean all exterior light fixtures, replace dead bulbs
- 11Wash every exterior window, inside and out
- 12Stage the porch — two chairs, one plant, nothing else
- 13Store hoses, tools, bins and toys out of sight
- 14Repair fence gaps and re-hang sagging gates
- 15Sweep and de-grease the driveway and garage apron
Entry
The ten seconds that set the tone for the whole walkthrough.
- 16Clear the closet to 50% so it reads as roomy
- 17One small rug, no pile of shoes
- 18Remove coat hooks crowded with coats
- 19Make sure the door opens fully without hitting anything
- 20Fresh bulb in the entry fixture
- 21Nothing personal on the walls in the sightline
Living areas
Buyers are measuring space. Anything extra reads as less room.
- 22Remove roughly a third of the furniture
- 23Pull area rugs that shrink the floor visually
- 24Take down family photos and personal art
- 25Clear every surface to one or two objects
- 26Clean windows and open all blinds
- 27Swap heavy drapes for sheers or remove them
- 28Touch up scuffs on baseboards and door frames
- 29Repair nail holes and repaint patched spots
- 30Set all bulbs to the same color temperature
- 31Hide cords, routers and gaming consoles
Kitchen
The room with the highest return on an afternoon of work.
- 32Clear every countertop except one deliberate item
- 33Empty the fridge front — no magnets, no photos, no lists
- 34Degrease the hood, backsplash and cabinet fronts
- 35Clean the oven, including the glass
- 36Descale the sink and polish the faucet
- 37Re-caulk the sink and backsplash if it has yellowed
- 38Tighten or replace dated cabinet hardware
- 39Organize pantry shelves to look half-empty
- 40Clean inside the microwave
- 41Replace burnt-out under-cabinet bulbs
- 42Remove the rubbish bin from view for photos
- 43Clear the windowsill completely
- 44Wipe down the dishwasher front and gasket
- 45Put pet bowls away before every showing
Bathrooms
Buyers look for signs of water and neglect. Remove both.
- 46Re-caulk the tub, shower and sink
- 47Clear all counters — nothing personal on display
- 48Fresh white towels, folded, used only for showings
- 49Remove every product from the shower
- 50Deep-clean grout and re-seal if it is porous
- 51Replace a stained or running toilet seat
- 52Descale the showerhead and glass
- 53Clean the exhaust fan cover
- 54Replace the shower curtain if it is not new
- 55Empty the bin and close the lid
Bedrooms
Every bedroom should read as a bedroom, not storage or an office.
- 56Make every bed with matching neutral linens
- 57Clear nightstands to a lamp and one item
- 58Thin closets to 50% and face hangers one way
- 59Remove exercise equipment entirely
- 60Take down posters and personal wall art
- 61Ensure every room has a working ceiling or lamp light
- 62Remove laundry baskets and hampers
- 63If it is being used as storage, empty it and put a bed in it
Basement, garage & utility
Where buyers go looking for problems.
- 64Clear the floor — buyers need to see the slab and walls
- 65Address any musty smell at the source, not with air freshener
- 66Label the panel and make it accessible
- 67Clean or replace the furnace filter
- 68Sweep and de-cobweb the whole space
- 69Move storage onto shelves and off the floor
- 70Make the water heater and sump fully visible
- 71Test the sump pump
- 72Park cars outside so the garage shows its full size
- 73Sweep the garage floor and treat oil stains
Systems, smells & safety
Cheap fixes that kill objections before an inspector raises them.
- 74Replace every dead bulb in the house
- 75Test and date-stamp all smoke and CO detectors
- 76Fix every dripping tap and running toilet
- 77Repair doors that stick, squeak or will not latch
- 78Re-seal visible gaps around tubs and windows
- 79Service the furnace and keep the receipt
- 80Clean HVAC returns and vent covers
- 81Deodorise textiles — you cannot smell your own house
- 82Remove or fully relocate litter trays and pet bedding
The 24 hours before photos
Photos are your listing. Everything above leads here.
- 83Every light on, every bulb matching
- 84Every blind fully open
- 85All vehicles off the driveway and out of frame
- 86Bins and recycling out of sight
- 87Toilet lids down in every bathroom
- 88Counters completely clear
- 89Pet items and food bowls stored
- 90Towels straight, beds crisp, cushions squared
- 91Sweep the front step and walkway last
- 92Walk each room through the camera’s eye before the photographer arrives
Prep questions sellers ask
Do I need to stage my home?
Full staging is not included in the flat $6,500 and most Minnesota sellers do not need it. Your agent will walk the home with you, give specific recommendations room by room, and hand you this checklist. Decluttering and thinning furniture gets most of staging's benefit at no cost.
Should I paint the whole house before listing?
Rarely. Touch up scuffs, patch nail holes and repaint any wall with a bold or dated color. A full interior repaint is a large spend that does not usually return itself, and fresh paint in only one room can make the others look tired by comparison.
Is it worth replacing carpet or flooring?
Usually not, unless it is damaged, stained or has an odour. A professional clean costs a fraction of replacement and resolves most objections. Buyers often plan to choose their own flooring anyway, so you are spending money on a decision they want to make themselves.
How long does prep usually take?
For most homes, a focused weekend plus a week of small fixes. The 24-hour photo list is the same day the photographer comes. Rushing photos to save two days is the most common mistake sellers make — your photos work for the entire listing period.
Ready when the house is?
Get a free valuation and your agent will walk the home with you, mark up this checklist for your property, and price it properly.