Comprehensive Home Seller's Checklist

Before. Sophisticated buyers and thorough inspectors mean the seller who preps condition, records, and pricing negotiates from strength. Most of the net is protected in the pre-list window, not the negotiation.

On an older home, usually yes. Controlling the surprises — roof/moss, drainage, crawlspace, furnace age, and the side sewer — lets you fix or price them on your terms instead of getting hit with a five-figure ask mid-escrow.

A records binder: permits (verified closed), warranties, and proof of drainage or retaining-wall work. Open permits and undocumented big-ticket work are exactly what turn into buyer leverage and closing delays.

The ones inspectors always flag here: roof and moss, gutters, drainage, crawlspace moisture, and furnace service. Buyers discount an older home's condition risk more than they reward cosmetic upgrades, so fix the fear items first.

On real recent comps, not last year's peak. Overpricing an older home invites a slow listing and a condition-driven renegotiation; pricing to current comps and showing turnkey condition is what holds the number.

The pre-inspection, sewer scope, permit cleanup, and drainage documentation. Those take time and protect the most net — sequencing them to your list date is the core of a listing Real Estate Review.