{"id":6805,"date":"2026-11-13T11:48:55","date_gmt":"2026-11-13T11:48:55","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sandpointrealtyidaho.com\/blog\/2026\/11\/13\/planning-to-sell-in-2027-start-prepping-now\/"},"modified":"2026-11-13T11:48:55","modified_gmt":"2026-11-13T11:48:55","slug":"planning-to-sell-in-2027-start-prepping-now","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sandpointrealtyidaho.com\/blog\/2026\/11\/13\/planning-to-sell-in-2027-start-prepping-now\/","title":{"rendered":"Planning To Sell in 2027? Start Prepping Now."},"content":{"rendered":"\n

$\"Planning$ \n

If selling<\/u><\/a> your house is on your calendar for 2027, you may be thinking you\u2019ve got plenty of time. Maybe you\u2019re aiming for January. Maybe you\u2019re waiting for spring. Either way, next year probably feels far enough away that getting ready can wait, too.\u00a0<\/p>\n

But waiting until 2027 to sell doesn\u2019t mean waiting until 2027 to get started.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

Today\u2019s buyers have more homes<\/u><\/a> to choose from than they\u2019ve had in years. So, if you want your house to stand out when it\u2019s time to list, a little preparation now<\/em> can make a big difference later<\/em>.<\/p>\n

How Early Should You Start Getting Ready?<\/strong><\/h4>\n
As a general rule of thumb, Zillow<\/em> recommends giving yourself about 2-3 months to get your house ready to list. And that makes sense when you consider that the vast majority of sellers (78%) did at least one home improvement project before their house hit the market<\/strong>.\u00a0<\/p>\n
That gives you plenty of time to decide what to fix, find contractors, get on their schedules, actually make the updates, and get everything ready for photos and showings.\u00a0<\/p>\n
But don\u2019t worry \u2013 that doesn\u2019t mean every seller had some big to-do. The most common? Interior painting (see graph below<\/em>):<\/p>\n
$\"a$ <\/p>\n
That certainly doesn\u2019t mean you need to tackle everything<\/em> on this list. You may not need to do any<\/em> of it. But odds are there\u2019s at least one project you\u2019ll want to do. And starting that conversation now gives you a leg up before next year.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Here\u2019s how to tackle it.<\/p>\n
1. Talk to an Agent Before Starting Any Projects<\/strong><\/h4>\n
While you might have a long list of things you think<\/em> need updating, that doesn\u2019t mean they\u2019re all worth the time, effort, or money.\u00a0<\/p>\n
An agent will help you figure out which projects deserve a spot on your to-do list based on what buyers want most and what other sellers are doing. That way, you\u2019re not investing in updates that won\u2019t make much of a difference when you sell.<\/p>\n
2. Get Ahead with a Pre-Listing Inspection<\/strong><\/h4>\n
One thing your agent may recommend today is that you go ahead and get a pre-listing inspection<\/strong>. It\u2019s basically your cheatsheet to what a buyer\u2019s inspection may turn up later on.\u00a0<\/p>\n
And now that buyers have more options, they\u2019re pickier \u2013 and you don\u2019t want anything popping up<\/u><\/a> in an inspection that could put them off.<\/p>\n
For example, you know that HVAC system you\u2019ve been hoping will make it through one more season? Now\u2019s a good time to give it some attention \u2013 along with anything else you know needs a little TLC. That way a repair you could\u2019ve handled months ago won\u2019t become a surprise in the middle of your sale.\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n
According to Angi<\/em>, a pre-listing inspection typically costs $300-600<\/u><\/strong><\/a> and that can be money well spent. As the National Association of Realtors<\/em> (NAR) explains<\/u><\/a>:<\/p>\n
\n
\u201cAn inspector will be able to give you a good indication of the trouble areas that will stand out to potential buyers, and you\u2019ll be able to make repairs before open houses begin.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n
The advantage isn\u2019t just knowing what may come up, but being able to get ahead of it and space out the projects on your own schedule. So you don\u2019t feel stressed during go-time.\u00a0<\/p>\n
3. Save the Final Touches for Closer to Listing Day<\/strong><\/h4>\n
But remember, not everything needs to happen right away. Some things are better saved for when you\u2019re closer to listing.<\/p>\n
Think deep cleaning, staging, touching up paint, and tidying up the landscaping. Those are the finishing touches that\u2019ll help your house look its best when buyers walk through the door.<\/p>\n
But there\u2019s one thing you can start anytime: decluttering<\/strong>. Go ahead and tackle the closets, garage, or storage room you\u2019ve been avoiding. Future you will appreciate having a few less boxes to pack.<\/p>\n
The idea isn\u2019t to get everything done today. It\u2019s to spread the work out so you\u2019re not scrambling when listing day arrives. As Redfin<\/em> puts it:<\/p>\n
\n
\u201c<\/em>Smart preparation leads to a smoother sale, stronger offers, and fewer surprises during closing. <\/em><\/strong>. . Homes that are clean, well-staged, priced right, and professionally photographed tend to sell quickly.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n
Bottom Line<\/h3>\n
You don\u2019t need to spend the rest of the year renovating your house or packing up your life. But you can start making a plan.<\/p>\n
The earlier you figure out what needs to be done, the more time you\u2019ll have to do it right.<\/strong> And that means less rushing, fewer last-minute surprises, and a better chance to make a great first impression when you\u2019re ready to sell.<\/p>\n
Thinking about selling in 2027? Get a local agent\u2019s opinion on what your house needs, what it doesn\u2019t, and how to get everything ready on your timeline.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n<\/body>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
If selling your house is on your calendar for 2027, you may be thinking you\u2019ve got plenty of time. Maybe you\u2019re aiming for January. Maybe you\u2019re waiting for spring. Either way, next year probably feels far enough away that getting ready can wait, too.\u00a0 But waiting until 2027 to sell doesn\u2019t mean waiting until 2027 […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":6806,"comment_status":"registered_only","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_hide_featured_image":false,"_jetpack_featured_image_duplicate_dismissed":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2},"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[12],"tags":[29,27,20,18,28],"class_list":["post-6805","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-real-estate-insight","tag-idaho-real-estate","tag-north-idaho-homes","tag-rain-silverhawk","tag-real-estate","tag-sandpoint-idaho"],"aioseo_notices":[],"aioseo_head":"\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t