Preparing your home for listing: a realtor's punch list

Listings that show well sell faster and closer to asking. After eighteen years of pre-listing work across the GTA, we've found that buyers don't usually walk away from one big issue — they walk away from a pile of small ones. Here's the punch list we run before a sign hits the lawn.

The 48-hour pre-listing sweep

Two days before photos is the sweet spot. Long enough for paint and caulk to cure, short enough that nothing new breaks before the shoot.

• Re-caulk every tub, shower, and kitchen sink — fresh white caulk reads as 'new' in photos
• Touch up paint on door frames, baseboards, and any wall scuffs above chair-rail height
• Tighten every loose cabinet handle, towel bar, and toilet seat
• Replace burnt-out bulbs and match colour temperature across the room (2700K warm white throughout)
• Swap dated switch plates and outlets for clean white ones

Curb appeal in under a day

Buyers decide in the first ten seconds. Pressure-wash the front walk and porch, re-paint the front door if it's chipped, and install a fresh house number. A new welcome mat costs $30 and changes the entire photo.

Listing day setup

On the morning of the listing, we install the sign, mount the lockbox in the agreed location, and do a final walkthrough with the agent. Most of our realtor clients book this as a single combined service so nothing slips between vendors.

"Every dollar spent on the punch list returns three to five in the final offer. The trick is knowing where to stop."