You do not need six months to prepare your home. You need a clear plan and the discipline to follow it.
Here is a realistic 30-day roadmap we use with sellers in the San Ramon Valley to get homes ready for top-dollar results.
Days 1–3: Strategy and inspection
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Walk the property with your agent
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Decide on your target list date
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Identify must-do repairs and high-impact cosmetic updates
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Order pre-listing inspections if appropriate in your price point
The first three days are about decisions, not action. If this part is sloppy, everything after will be scattered and stressful.
Days 4–10: Repairs and updates
You are not renovating your life away. You are fixing the obvious friction:
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Repair leaks, obvious damage, and safety issues
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Patch and prep walls for paint
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Replace tired light fixtures and hardware
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Schedule landscapers to clean up the exterior
This is where a good agent’s contractor network and Compass Concierge can save you a lot of time and stress.
Days 11–17: Paint, flooring, and curb appeal
This is the “transformation” week.
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Interior paint in a cohesive neutral palette
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Refinish or replace worn flooring in key areas
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Deep clean, pressure wash walks and driveways
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Simple, clean landscaping with mulch and trimmed plants
These are the changes buyers feel the moment they walk up and step inside.
Days 18–22: Declutter and stage
You want spacious, simple, and calm, not sterile.
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Remove excess furniture and personal items
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Edit decor so surfaces feel clean and intentional
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Use staging or partial staging to highlight the best features
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Organize closets, pantry, and garage as much as possible
Buyers look everywhere. The more “put together” your home feels, the more they trust it has been cared for.
Days 23–26: Photos, video, and marketing assets
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Professional photography
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Video tour or reel-style video for social media
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Floor plan if appropriate
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Property website and marketing copy
This is what gets buyers in the door. If this step is weak, the best prep in the world will not get its full payoff.
Days 27–30: Launch and show
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Final clean and touchups
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Sign and lockbox installed
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Listing goes live in MLS and major portals
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Social media, email, and direct outreach to agents and buyers
Now you focus on showing condition, quick response times to showing requests, and clear communication with interested parties.
The bottom line
Most sellers are closer than they think. The problem is a lack of structure, not a lack of time.
If you want a 30-day plan tailored to your home and price point, get a walkthrough and insist on a written prep roadmap, not vague suggestions.
