Do the projects you have always wanted

2+ years out

If a project would make the home better, Brian’s advice is to do it now rather than in the months before a sale. The cost is the same either way. The difference is who gets to enjoy it.

“If it can increase your home’s value, why wait until you’re preparing to sell? Add it now so you can enjoy it. It costs the same whether you add it for your years of enjoyment or for a higher sale.”Brian Huie

The numbers back up the timing. In the 2025 Cost vs. Value report for Seattle, smaller exterior projects recouped more than they cost at resale, while large remodels and additions recouped a fraction. The big projects are worth doing for the years you live with them, not as a last-minute bet on the sale price.

Average resale value as a share of job cost, Seattle market. Source: Zonda / Journal of Light Construction, 2025 Cost vs. Value Report¹. Averages, not a prediction for any one home.

• Make the upgrades you want to live with: kitchen, baths, outdoor living, heating and cooling.
• Pull permits and get final inspections for the work, so nothing shows as open when it is time to sell.
• Keep up regular maintenance: trees, gutters, roof moss, drainage. Brian’s Home Care Manual walks through it month by month.
• Keep one folder of receipts, permits, warranties and manuals. It makes the seller disclosure much easier to fill out.
• Fix slow problems early: small leaks, rot and drainage get more expensive every season they wait.

Fix the records, then book the good-weather work

1 to 2 years out

Make the county record match the home

Buyers, appraisers and listing sites all start from public records. If the county shows the wrong bedroom count, bathroom count or square footage, buyers see it before they ever see the home. Fixing it takes time, so start a year or more ahead.

• Look up your home in King County’s eReal Property using your parcel number². Check bedrooms, bathrooms, square footage, year built and lot size.
• Ask the Assessor to review anything wrong. The Assessor’s office takes requests at 206-296-7300 or [email protected]³.
• Find open or expired permits. In Seattle, SDCI’s Permit and Site History tool searches every permit by address⁴. Other cities have their own permit portals.
• Close them out. Seattle building permits typically expire 18 months after issue. An owner can renew one up to 30 days before it expires, or reestablish one that expired less than a year ago⁵.

Schedule the work that needs dry weather

Brian usually recommends listing in spring or early summer. That means exterior work has to happen the summer or early fall before.

“Most likely I’ll recommend you list in spring or early summer, and we can’t paint or easily reroof in winter.”Brian Huie

Driest month at Sea-Tac

July: 0.60 in. of rain

Next driest

August, then June and September

Wettest

November: 6.31 in.

NOAA 1991 to 2020 monthly normals, Seattle-Tacoma International Airport⁶.

• Exterior paint and siding. Sherwin-Williams calls for air and surface temperatures above 35°F and at least 5° above the dew point, with no rain expected for two to three hours⁷. In Seattle that points to July through September.
• Roofing, decks, gutters and drainage. Book contractors well before summer.
• Know your timing options: seasons, school calendars and whether to buy before you sell all shape the plan.

Find out what a buyer’s inspector will find

6 to 12 months out

A pre-listing inspection turns surprises into a plan. Brian recommends ordering it early enough to get bids and finish the work, not a few weeks before launch.

• Order a pre-listing inspection, plus a sewer scope where it applies. Washington sellers must disclose and provide a whole-house inspection they obtained, so read how pre-listing inspections work in Seattle first.
• Get bids for anything the inspection finds, and book the contractors.
• Handle the big items first: roof, heating and cooling, water heater, electrical, oil tank, side sewer.
• Decide what to fix, what to disclose and what to price in, so inspection negotiations have less to work with later.
• Walk through the home with Brian for a value range, a written prep list and a budget.

Brian’s inspections guide lists the inspectors and sewer contractors he recommends.

Finish the projects and start editing the house

3 to 6 months out

• Finish repairs from the written prep list, contractor and do-it-yourself.
• Sort and donate room by room. Book storage now if the closets and garage need it.
• Plan interior paint and flooring in neutral colors that photograph well.
• Plant now anything that needs a season to fill in.
• Plan for pets. About 44% of U.S. households have a dog and 34% have a cat⁸, which means many buyers do not. Plan for showings, odors and wear.
• Ask about Compass Concierge, which can pay for eligible prep such as paint, flooring and staging, with nothing due until closing. See how Brian sells a home for the terms.
• Gather house-specific records: any sewer capacity charge balance, oil tank decommissioning paperwork, permit history, and any private club or amenity rights that come with the home. Brian’s seller workbook lists what to look for.
• Pick a launch window with Brian based on the season and the local market.

Maintenance, repairs and clean

1 to 2 months out

• Final repairs from the inspection list. This is the time to finish work, not to order a first inspection.
• Touch-ups: paint, flooring, light fixtures, hardware.
• A professional deep clean, including windows and carpets. Buyers compare every home to the cleanest one they saw that week.
• Safety check. Washington requires the seller to provide at least one working smoke detector¹⁰ and to install carbon monoxide alarms before the buyer moves in¹¹. Water heaters must be strapped against earthquake movement¹². Check handrails too.
• Gather documents: the last appraisal, inspections, surveys, warranties and manuals. Start the Form 17 seller disclosure. By law it is due within five business days of mutual acceptance, and the buyer then has three business days to accept it or rescind¹³. In a competitive market, having it ready before offers lets buyers review it first.

Stage, media and print

2 weeks out

• Staging. In NAR’s 2025 Profile of Home Staging, 83% of buyers’ agents said staging made it easier for buyers to picture the home as their own⁹. Read whether your home needs staging.
• Staging arrives about nine days before launch on Brian’s listings, so the home is finished before the camera comes.
• Media: photography at least a week before launch, plus video and a 3D tour where they fit the home.
• Print: designed flyers, feature cards and open house signs, ready for the first weekend.
• Plan where you will be: living in the home, away for launch week, or moved out.
• Launch on the date picked with Brian.

The seller prep checklist

Printable

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Common questions