Selling Your Home? Do These 7 Things First

If you’re thinking about selling your home in Evansville, Newburgh, Haubstadt, Jasper or elsewhere in Southern Indiana, you may assume you need to start replacing countertops, updating cabinets, remodeling bathrooms, or repainting every room.

Before you start spending money, though, it’s important to know which projects are actually worth doing.

Some improvements can make a big difference when it’s time to sell, while others may cost far more than you’ll ever get back. The goal isn’t to make your home perfect. It’s to focus your time and money on the things that can make the biggest impact.

Here are seven things I recommend homeowners tackle before putting their house on the market.

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1. Declutter and Depersonalize

One of the best places to start is also one of the simplest: decluttering.

Start with your countertops. You don’t have to remove absolutely everything, but you want them to feel clean, open, and spacious. As a general rule, try to keep about 90–95% of the countertop exposed.

Then look around each room for bulky furniture or pieces you rarely use. If something makes a room feel crowded or constantly gets in the way, consider packing it up and putting it in storage. You’re going to be moving eventually, so you’re really just getting a head start.

If you have young kids, their rooms can be another big opportunity. Look for toys they haven’t played with in several weeks and pack some of them away. You still have to live in your home while it’s for sale, but reducing clutter can make rooms feel larger and help buyers better picture themselves living there.

2. Give Your Home a Deep Clean

Once you’ve decluttered and moved furniture around, it’s time to clean.

And I’m not talking about a quick wipe-down before a showing. Give your home a true deep clean.

Pay special attention to areas that are easy to overlook, including baseboards, ceiling fans, return vents, underneath furniture, and spaces that haven’t been accessible in a while.

Deep cleaning doesn’t technically add square footage or upgrade your home, but it can make a major difference in how buyers perceive the property.

A dirty home can make buyers wonder what else hasn’t been maintained. A clean home, on the other hand, helps create the impression that the property has been cared for.

3. Improve Your Curb Appeal

A buyer’s first impression starts before they ever walk through the front door.

For many buyers, it starts online with the exterior photo of your home. Then, when they arrive for a showing, the exterior is the first thing they experience in person.

Take some time to clean up your landscaping. Pull weeds, add fresh mulch or rock where needed, trim the grass, and consider adding a few flowers for extra color.

Don’t forget the front porch, either.

While the Realtor is unlocking the door, buyers have time to stand there and look around. Cobwebs, peeling paint, dirt, or other signs of deferred maintenance can stand out during those few moments.

A clean, inviting entrance helps start the showing on the right foot.

4. Fix the Little Things

That loose door handle you’ve ignored for two years? Now is the time to tighten it.

One small issue probably isn’t going to make or break a sale. But when buyers notice several little problems throughout a house, those problems can start to add up.

Walk through your home and look for things like loose handles, missing cabinet pulls, leaking faucets, burned-out light bulbs, and other minor repairs you may have gotten used to seeing.

Taking care of these small items can make the entire home feel better maintained.

5. Be Strategic About Painting

Fresh paint can absolutely help prepare a home for sale, but that doesn’t mean every seller should repaint the entire house.

First, consider whether you can do the job well yourself. A poor paint job—with paint on the flooring, trim, or ceiling—can look worse than leaving the existing paint alone.

Instead, focus on the areas that actually need attention.

If you’ve removed decorations and left nail holes behind, patch the holes and touch up the paint if you can get a good match. If you can’t, it may make more sense to repaint that individual wall.

The same applies to scuffed or damaged trim and baseboards. Address the noticeable problem areas rather than automatically painting everything.

6. Don’t Automatically Renovate

An outdated home doesn’t necessarily need a complete renovation before it can sell.

In fact, depending on the home and neighborhood, buyers may prefer a property at a lower price point that gives them the opportunity to make their own updates over time.

I once met with homeowners who had a house worth around $250,000 and had recently spent approximately $75,000 remodeling the kitchen. Unfortunately, spending $75,000 on a renovation doesn’t automatically mean the home’s value increases by $75,000.

That’s why I recommend talking with your real estate agent before taking on a major renovation specifically for resale.

If improvements might make sense, get estimates from trusted contractors first. Then you can look at the expected cost and potential benefit and make an informed decision before spending the money.

7. Get Your Home Photo Ready

Once you’ve done all this work, take the final step and get the house completely ready for professional photos.

Online photos are often a buyer’s first real introduction to your home. Their job is to make someone stop scrolling, take a closer look, and ultimately schedule a showing.

Walk through your house and try to look at it through a buyer’s eyes. Would the rooms feel welcoming? Do they look clean and spacious? Is there anything distracting that should be removed?

Getting your home photo ready early can also be helpful if you plan to buy another home. You can begin looking at properties while preparing your current house so that, when you find the right one, you’re in a better position to get your home on the market quickly.

You Don’t Have to Make Your Home Perfect

Preparing your home to sell isn’t about spending the most money or making every room look brand new.

It’s about identifying the small changes that can have the biggest impact and avoiding expensive projects that may not provide enough return.

Decluttering, deep cleaning, improving curb appeal, completing small repairs, strategically touching up paint, carefully considering renovations, and preparing for professional photos can all help put your home in a stronger position when it’s time to sell.

If you’re thinking about selling in the next 6–12 months, you don’t have to figure out what needs to be done on your own.

I’m happy to walk through your home with you and help identify what to declutter, what furniture you may want to remove, what cleaning or repairs should be addressed, and which renovations I would—or wouldn’t—recommend before listing.

Thinking About Buying or Selling a Home in Southern Indiana?

If you’re considering selling a home in Evansville, Newburgh, Haubstadt, or the surrounding Southern Indiana area, knowing what your home may be worth is a great place to start.

Thinking about selling? Click here to find out what your home could be worth.

Thinking about buying? Take a look at homes currently for sale in Southern Indiana.
Click here to search homes for sale.

About Trae Dauby

Trae Dauby is the founder of Dauby Real Estate, serving homeowners throughout Evansville, Newburgh and Southwest Indiana. Dauby Real Estate has helped more than 3,500 families with their real estate needs.

Trae creates educational content to help homeowners better understand the financial and practical decisions involved in moving up, downsizing, buying and selling.

Call or text: 812-777-4611
Website: DaubyRealEstate.com