What is the first thing to do when selling a house?

Parker, to your actual question: talk to the agent first, then prep. Doing it in the other order is how sellers spend money on the wrong things. Here is why. You do not know yet which improvements your specific buyer pool will pay for. Sellers who prep before getting advice reliably over-improve in one room and ignore the thing that is actually costing them offers. A good listing agent will walk your house and tell you what to do and, more valuably, what to skip. Most will do that at no charge and with no obligation, months before you list. That walkthrough is the highest return hour in the whole process and it is free. But there is something to do even before that, and nobody has mentioned it. Ask for a seller net sheet. That is a line by line estimate of what you actually walk away with: sale price, minus mortgage payoff, minus commission, minus your share of closing costs, minus prorated taxes, minus any credits you end up giving. The number at the bottom is the only number that matters, and a surprising number of people list a house without ever having seen it. If your plan depends on netting a certain amount, you want to know now whether the math works, not in escrow. Two related items while you are at it. Call your lender and get an actual payoff quote rather than reading your balance off the app, because a payoff includes interest to the payoff date and sometimes fees. And if you have a HELOC or a second, include it. Then a sequence I would run, in order. Get a title search done early. This is the sleeper. Old liens, an unreleased deed of trust from a loan you paid off years ago, a contractor lien you never knew about, or a name discrepancy in how title is vested. Any of those can take weeks to clear, and finding them in escrow with a closing date is how deals die. Finding them now, when you have unlimited time, makes them a paperwork errand. Start assembling your disclosures. In California you will be delivering a Transfer Disclosure Statement, the TDS, plus other disclosures depending on the property. Start writing down what you know now, while you are calm, rather than under a deadline. Permits for any work you have done, repair history, insurance claims, anything you have been told by a contractor. California disclosure obligations run to what you actually know, and the time to organize that is before you are in contract. Then handle deferred maintenance, which is different from upgrades. Buyers forgive dated. They do not forgive neglected. Anything that reads as a leak, a crack, an active problem, or a system at end of life will cost you far more in buyer imagination than it costs you to fix. Then paint, declutter and deep clean. Then professional photography, which is not optional, because the photos are the showing. Most buyers decide whether to visit in under ten seconds of scrolling. One thing I would think carefully about rather than just recommending: a pre-listing inspection. The upside is real. You learn what a buyer's inspector will find, you fix it on your schedule at your prices instead of under a repair request, and you remove the surprise that gets used as leverage. The catch in California is that what you learn, you generally have to disclose. So a pre-listing inspection can turn an unknown into a required disclosure. That is not a reason to skip it, and often it is still the right call, but it is a real decision rather than an obvious one. Talk it through with your agent, and with an attorney if the house has known issues. I am a real estate professional, not an attorney, and California disclosure law has real teeth, so treat the disclosure package as something to get right rather than to get done. My name is Zoltan Peresztegi and I work in Los Angeles, the South Bay and on the Palos Verdes Peninsula, so San Diego is a different market and you want someone local for the pricing. Same state though, so the disclosure and escrow mechanics I just described are the ones you will actually see. If you want an introduction to a strong listing agent down there, message me and I will make one. Zoltan

The first thing you should do when thinking about selling your house is speak with a trusted real estate agent before making any major decisions or spending money on repairs. Many homeowners think they need to remodel, paint, stage, or fix everything before calling an agent, but that is not always the best approach. A good real estate advisor can walk through the property, evaluate the condition, review the local market, and help you understand which improvements are actually worth doing, and which may not give you a strong return. So no, you do not need to fully prep the house before talking to a real estate agent. In fact, it is better to consult with an agent first so you can make smart, cost-effective decisions before listing.

The first step is to meet with an experienced real estate broker. They can evaluate your home's value, explain current market conditions, and recommend which repairs or improvements are actually worth making. This helps you avoid spending money on updates that may not increase your sale price. From there, you'll create a plan to prepare your home and list it at the right price.

The first thing I'd recommend is talking to a real estate agent. They can help you understand your home's value, current market conditions, and which improvements—if any—are actually worth making before you sell. You don't need to fully prep the house before that conversation. Just do some basic tidying so the agent can easily assess the property. An experienced agent can then help you prioritize what will give you the best return and what can be skipped, potentially saving you time and money.

Parker, you do not "need" to prepare the home prior to meeting with an agent, but it is highly recommended. You want your future agent to see your home in its exact light so they can give you recommendations and game plan an appropriate strategy, including price. Best of luck with your sale. Keith Jean-Pierre Managing Principal The Dapper Agents Real Estate Operations in ALL 50 States

Although you don’t need to prep your home before talking to a real estate agent, I recommend my 3 Ds: 1) De-clutter. Clear away clutter throughout the house, especially all countertops in the kitchen and all bathrooms. Remove everything off refrigerator. 2) De-personalize. Take down all pictures with people or pets, any religious relics, any craft projects, etc… 3) Deep clean. Give everything a deep clean. Other than these items, a real estate agent will give you the best guidance on what repairs or upgrades will be the best return on your investment. I would not recommend doing updates without the input of your agent first. We know what buyers are looking for and what is desired in today’s market. Joan Lamond at The Agency 323.628.6122 📍Pasadena, CA, La Cañada Flintridge & Greater L.A.

Before you call an agent or take a single photo, you must perform a "De-clutter Audit." Remove 50% of the items from your closets, countertops, and shelves to make the square footage feel expansive. A buyer cannot fall in love with your house if they are distracted by your personal history.

Talk to an agent first!!! An agent will be able to tell you objectively the condition of your home compared to other properties on the market, and make recommendations accordingly. Do NOT try to improve the property before this. Most sellers either over improve the property, or spend money on things that buyers today do not care about. To get the highest ROI, talk to an expert first.

Hello Parker, I suggest that you speak to a Realtor prior to making any repairs. Realtors know what buyers are looking for and they can save you from making changes that may not be appreciated. A Realtor can give you the best advice on how to prepare your home for sale and safe you time and effort.

The best first steps you can take are: Clean your home, remove clutter, I tell clients it is a good time to start packing up extras and put away valuables. Choose an agent to come over, go through your home and form a relationship. The agent will need a list of upgrades, anything new and also an idea of what attracted you to the property. What things do you love about your home? Listen to your agent about pricing and items that need to be done. Most sellers have a good idea of what your value might be but you are probably off a bit, it is the agent that will give you the numbers you will need to work with. The market is shifting, what sold in hours a year ago may take a month, listening to your agent is the best education you can get on the market. If you have pets, start thinking about what arrangements you can make for them during showings. Start getting your home in picture perfect condition for professional photographs while working with your agent on next steps to get your property on the open market.

I would suggest at the very least decluttering as much as possible. Then you should have an agent come in an advise you on how you can stage the remaining furnishing. You can also discuss if rooms should be painted or left as is.

You do not need to prep it before speaking with a realtor. A realtor would do a market analysis, view your home and then give you tips on what needs to be done in order to maximize the value of your home. Here is a video I made, similar to what your asking https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CG7VrNIy1sU