← True North Insights
Sellers
The seller prep punch-list that actually returns dollars
Katie's short, high-ROI list for getting a home ready to sell — plus the projects to skip.
·July 19, 2026·3 min read
The prep work matters. But not all of it. Here's what Katie recommends for Hickory sellers — and what to skip.
Do these
- Deep clean, top to bottom. Cheapest, highest-impact move you can make.
- Neutralize scent. Repainting a room in a fresh neutral often pays back 5x on offer.
- Front-door refresh. New paint, new hardware, clean welcome mat. Buyers decide their opinion of the home in the first 90 seconds.
- Fix the obvious. Sticky doors, burnt-out bulbs, drippy faucets, loose outlet covers.
- Professional photography and video. Non-negotiable — the listing is the first showing.
Skip these
- Full kitchen renovations
- Adding a bathroom
- Anything that requires permits and doesn't finish in two weeks
- Trendy colors buyers will want to repaint
The reason
The goal isn't a perfect home. It's a home that photographs beautifully, tours cleanly, and inspects without surprises. That's the formula that wins multiple offers.
seller-prepkatie-lamboglia