How to prepare your home to be sold

Buyers decide how they feel about a home within the first few minutes, and most of them have already decided whether to visit from the photos. Preparing a home is about making those first minutes easy.

In a 2025 survey of about 1,200 real estate professionals by the National Association of Realtors, 83% of buyers’ agents said staging helped buyers picture themselves in the home, and about half of agents said staged homes sold faster. You do not need a professional stager to get most of that benefit. You need a plan and two or three weekends.

Start with what costs nothing

Declutter. Remove about a third of what is in every room, closet and cupboard. Full closets tell buyers the home is short on storage. Rent a storage unit for a month if you need to.

Depersonalize. Take down family photos, kids’ artwork and anything religious or political. The aim is for buyers to imagine their own life in the rooms.

Deep clean. Windows inside and out, baseboards, grout, light switches, the inside of the oven. A home that is spotless reads as a home that has been looked after.

Fix the small things buyers notice

Small defects make buyers wonder what else has been neglected. Walk through with a notepad and fix:

• Dripping taps and running toilets
• Burnt-out bulbs and mismatched light colours
• Doors and drawers that stick or squeak
• Cracked switch plates, loose handles, missing caulking
• Scuffed walls. A fresh coat of neutral paint is usually the best money you will spend.

Stage the rooms that matter most

Agents in the same survey ranked the living room, primary bedroom and kitchen as the most important rooms to stage, followed by the dining room and outdoor space. Put your effort there.

• Living room: pull furniture away from the walls, remove extra pieces and open the blinds.
• Primary bedroom: plain bedding, clear nightstands, nothing on the floor.
• Kitchen: clear the counters almost completely. Leave one or two items out.
• Bathrooms: fresh white towels, a new shower curtain, nothing personal on the counter.

Do not forget the outside

Buyers pull up before they walk in. Cut the grass, edge the beds, sweep the porch, wash the front door and replace a tired doormat. In winter, keep the driveway and steps shovelled and salted for every showing.

The day of photos and showings

• Every light on, every blind open
• Toilet seats down, garbage emptied, counters wiped
• Pets and their bowls and beds out of the house
• Cars out of the driveway

What not to do

Do not start a kitchen or bathroom renovation to sell. You rarely get the full cost back, and it delays your listing. If you are unsure whether a repair is worth it, ask us before you spend. We will tell you what buyers in your neighbourhood actually pay more for.

General information for Ontario, not legal, tax or financial advice. Rules and rates change, so confirm details with your lawyer, lender or accountant.