Preparing Your Home to Sell: Janet's Staging and Prep Checklist

The short version

• The three things that matter most, per the National Association of Realtors 2025 staging survey, are decluttering (recommended by 91% of sellers' agents), cleaning the whole house (88%) and curb appeal (77%). Most of it costs sweat, not money.
• Stage the living room, primary bedroom and kitchen first. Buyers ranked those as the most important rooms; the guest bedroom came last.
• Fix what an inspector will flag, gather your documents, and plan the open house like a guest is coming, because one is.

The answer

I'm Janet Matchinsky, broker and owner of Home Match Realty. Staging is not decorating; it is removing every reason for a buyer to say no. One of my sellers, Olivia, wrote in her review that I gave staging tips, found unusual ways to advertise including paired open houses, and used food to make the home feel welcoming during open houses. Another, Robyn, said I "went above and beyond making sure our house was show ready." This is the checklist behind those reviews. It is built for the homes we actually sell out here: ramblers and two-stories in town, lake homes with docks and septic systems, and farmhouses with outbuildings.

Help with the work before you list

You do not have to work out every preparation step alone. I help sellers with remodeling and have connections to people who can help get a home ready for market. We can start with a walkthrough and separate needed repairs, possible updates and the finishing details for photos.

I also offer custom home décor and staging. That lets us consider how the rooms work together, which furniture to use, and what changes fit your house and budget. Before booking work, agree on the scope, written estimates and schedule. Then leave time between project completion, cleaning, staging and photography so the listing is not rushed.

Depending on the property, the marketing can include 8K drone photos and video to help show the home and its setting. If it does, we plan the aerial views alongside the room presentation. On a larger lot or lake property, think about what a buyer needs to understand about the land, access and surrounding features as well as the house.

What the research says staging is worth

The NAR 2025 Profile of Home Staging, a survey of 1,266 agents, found:

• 29% of sellers' agents said staging raised the dollar value buyers offered by 1% to 10%.
• 49% said staging reduced the time a home spent on the market.
• 83% of buyers' agents said staging made it easier for buyers to picture the home as their own.
• Buyers ranked the living room (37%), primary bedroom (34%) and kitchen (23%) as the most important rooms to stage; the guest bedroom (7%) mattered least.
• 51% of sellers' agents did not stage at all and instead recommended decluttering and fixing faults. The most common recommendations were decluttering (91%), cleaning the entire home (88%) and improving curb appeal (77%).

On a $300,000 home, a 1% lift is $3,000. Most of the work below costs far less than that.

Phase 1: Declutter and depersonalize (two to three weekends)

Buyers need to see the house, not your life in it. Work room by room:

• Remove one-third of what is in every closet, cabinet and shelf. Full closets read as small closets.
• Take family photos, trophies, collections and refrigerator art down. Buyers should picture themselves here.
• Clear countertops in the kitchen and bathrooms to the essentials: a coffee maker, a bowl of fruit, one hand soap.
• Rent a storage unit or use the garage (neatly) for the overflow. Do not stuff it in the basement; buyers open every door.
• Pets: remove beds, bowls and litter boxes for showings, and have a plan for where the pet goes.

Phase 2: Deep clean

Cleaning is the highest-return work on the list because dirt reads as neglect.

• Windows inside and out, including the lake-facing glass. A lake view sells the home; a dirty window dulls it.
• Carpets professionally cleaned or replaced if they are worn.
• Grout, tile, tub surrounds, the inside of the oven and the refrigerator.
• Light fixtures, ceiling fans, baseboards and door frames, where dust collects at eye level for anyone walking through.
• Furnace filter changed and the mechanical room swept. Inspectors and buyers both look there.
• Odors: smoke, pets and cooking. Air the house out, clean the source, and skip the plug-in fresheners, which buyers associate with something being hidden.

Phase 3: Repairs an inspector will find anyway

Minnesota law requires you to disclose known material facts in writing before the buyer signs a purchase agreement, under Minnesota Statutes 513.55, and the Minnesota Realtors Seller's Property Disclosure Statement runs about ten pages. Fixing small items before listing keeps them off that form and out of the inspection report:

• Dripping faucets, running toilets, slow drains.
• Doors and windows that stick; missing screens; torn weatherstripping.
• GFCI outlets in kitchen, baths and garage; any open junction boxes.
• Loose railings and steps, especially on decks and lake stairs.
• Roof: replace missing shingles and clean gutters.
• Water intrusion: any stain on a basement wall will be asked about. Fix the cause and document it.
• Radon: Minnesota's Radon Awareness Act requires you to disclose any known test results and mitigation, per the Minnesota Department of Health. A pre-listing test costs little and removes a negotiating point.
• Homes built before 1978: the federal lead-based paint disclosure applies, per the EPA.
• Septic and well: if your county requires a compliance inspection at sale (many do, especially in shoreland), get it done before listing. State law does not require it, but county ordinances often do, per the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency.

If a bigger repair is needed and you cannot do it, tell me. Some things are better priced in than fixed, and some are the reverse. Roof, furnace and water heater age are the questions every buyer asks first.

Phase 4: Paint and light

• Neutral paint on any bold walls. Warm white or light greige photographs well and reads as move-in ready.
• Replace burned-out bulbs and match color temperature throughout (2700K to 3000K feels warm; mixed bulbs look off in photos).
• Open every blind and curtain for showings. Natural light is free staging.
• Replace dated brass or builder-grade fixtures in the entry and over the kitchen island if the budget allows; it is a small spend with an outsized effect in photos.

Phase 5: Curb appeal and the lake side

Buyers decide how they feel about a house in the driveway.

• Mow, edge, mulch, trim shrubs below the window line, and put down fresh mulch or rock.
• Power wash siding, the driveway and the front steps.
• Paint or replace the front door; add a new mat and house numbers.
• Garage: swept, organized, and the door working smoothly.
• Lake homes: make the existing path to the water usable, assess dock and lift repairs, and stage the lakeside patio. Check applicable shoreline and vegetation rules before cutting or clearing anything. For the shoreline-specific work, see Selling a Lake Home in Minnesota. Take the listing photos when the lake is open and the trees are full if the timing allows; if you must list in winter, gather any accurate summer photos of your property and label when they were taken.
• Outbuildings: swept, lit, doors working. Buyers open them.

Phase 6: Stage the three rooms that matter

Living room. Pull furniture off the walls into a conversation grouping. Remove the extra recliner. One rug, one throw, two pillows, a plant. Clear the TV area of cables.

Primary bedroom. New neutral bedding, matching lamps, nightstands cleared, closet at two-thirds full with matching hangers. Remove the exercise equipment.

Kitchen. Clear counters, a bowl of lemons or apples, a fresh towel, cabinet fronts wiped, hardware tightened. If the cabinets are dated and the budget is small, new hardware and paint change the room.

Everything else gets clean, bright and sparse. A dining table set for four with simple settings photographs beautifully. A basement family room needs a rug and a lamp so it does not read as storage.

Phase 7: Documents that speed up the sale

Put these in a folder for the listing appointment:

• Property tax statement and the county parcel number.
• Abstract of title if the property is abstract (find it now; a lost abstract costs time and money, as I explain in Closing Costs in Minnesota).
• Well disclosure certificate or well records, septic permit and last pumping receipt.
• Survey, if you have one; lake homes especially.
• Ages and receipts for roof, furnace, water heater, windows, appliances.
• Utility bills for the past 12 months; buyers ask.
• Any warranties, manuals, HOA or lake association documents.
• Prior radon test results, if any.

Phase 8: Showings and the open house

Every showing is a guest visit. Lights on, blinds open, temperature comfortable (heat on in winter, cool in summer), soft music optional, pets gone, and you gone too. Buyers say more when the owner is not in the room.

For open houses, I do a few things that work out here. I pair open houses with other listings so buyers make a route of it. I put fresh baked cookies or coffee out, because the smell and the gesture make the home feel lived in and cared for. I send a notice to agents with buyers in the price band and post the event on social media the week before. I follow up with every visitor within 24 hours.

What to skip

• Starting major renovations without comparing the scope, estimates, schedule and likely buyer concerns. Discuss the work with Janet before committing to a project just for the sale.
• New carpet over a hardwood floor. Reveal the wood.
• Expensive landscaping beyond clean and trimmed.
• Air fresheners, scented candles and anything that seems to be covering something.
• Over-staging a small house with big furniture.

What it costs

Build the budget from the work your property needs. Ask for written estimates for cleaning, repairs, remodeling, décor, staging and any rented items before scheduling them. Include the time needed to complete the work and keep the house ready for showings.

I can help you organize priorities and connect you with people who can help. Decide which projects to complete, which to simplify and which to leave for the next owner. Research about staging describes groups of transactions; it does not promise that a particular project will add a set percentage to your sale price.

Checklist

• Declutter every closet, cabinet and surface by one-third.
• Depersonalize: photos, collections, pet items.
• Deep clean, including windows, carpets, grout and the mechanical room.
• Fix inspection items: plumbing drips, GFCIs, railings, roof, water stains.
• Complete radon, well and septic items your county or your conscience requires.
• Paint bold rooms neutral; match bulbs; open blinds.
• Curb appeal: mow, mulch, wash, front door, house numbers.
• Stage the living room, primary bedroom and kitchen.
• Gather the document folder.
• Set the showing routine: lights, temperature, pets, leave.

Talk to Janet

Want me to walk your house with this checklist before you spend a dollar? Call or text (320) 219-2488, or request a free home value report and I will bring the prep list to the appointment. Read the seller's page, see how I sell homes in Alexandria and on the lakes, and pair this with How to Price Your Home and Downsizing in West Central Minnesota.

Questions people ask

Is professional staging worth it in Alexandria, MN?

Often, yes, but decluttering and cleaning come first. NAR's 2025 survey found 29% of sellers' agents saw offers rise 1% to 10% with staging and 49% saw shorter time on market, while 51% of agents skipped full staging and recommended decluttering and repairs instead. I will tell you which your home needs.

Which rooms should I stage first?

The living room, the primary bedroom and the kitchen, in that order. Buyers in the NAR survey ranked them most important; the guest bedroom mattered least.

Do I have to fix everything before listing?

No, but you have to disclose known material defects in writing under Minnesota Statutes 513.55. Fix the cheap items an inspector will flag and decide with your agent whether larger items are better repaired or priced in.

Should I list my lake home in winter or wait for summer photos?

If you can wait for open water and full trees, the photos will be stronger. If you cannot, list in winter with summer photos on file and a clear path to the shoreline. See the winter guide for the full playbook.

What should I do during showings?

Leave. Turn on every light, open the blinds, set the temperature comfortably, remove pets, and let the buyer talk freely with their agent.