Seller does the prep

Get the house ready before you ask us to list it.

We list the home as-is. Finish this page before you ask for a CMA. If the work is not done, wait. The 1% only exists because you show up prepared — you save us time, we save you money. We will not walk the house or write a punch list. Phone photos are for pricing only and do not go on HAR.

I think we are ready Questions

Do these. Skip the remodel.

Buyers judge listing photos first. Small, finished work beats a half-done kitchen. Do not start a renovation you cannot finish before vacancy day.

Worth doing

  • Declutter every room and closet
  • Deep clean, including baseboards, windows, and appliances
  • Patch holes, touch up paint, recaulk wet areas
  • Fix leaks, running toilets, broken switches, burned-out bulbs
  • Mow, edge, pull weeds, and rinse the front walk
  • Replace mismatched or dead landscape plants at the front door

Usually not worth doing first

  • Full kitchen or bath remodel
  • New flooring through the whole house
  • Pool work that will still be in progress at list date
  • Furniture staging you cannot keep through showings
  • Anything that keeps the house occupied past 21 days

Houston-specific

Keep the house alive while it is vacant

Leave electricity, water, and A/C on. A dark, hot, shut-off house photographs poorly and grows mildew. Set A/C so the home is dry, not just cheap. Keep a lawn service. Have a neighbor or vendor check after storms.

Paper buyers will ask for

Have the Texas Seller’s Disclosure ready. Know the HOA name, monthly dues, and any special assessment. Pull flood information you already have (survey, elevation certificate, prior claims). We still need a signed disclosure before the listing can go live.

Room by room

Every interior room

  • Remove personal photos, magnets, and collections
  • Clear counters and the tops of dressers
  • Open blinds. Replace mixed-color bulbs so rooms match
  • Hide trash cans, laundry, pet gear, and charging cords
  • Do not shove clutter under beds. Wide photos show it

Kitchen

  • Clear the counters except one small appliance at most
  • Empty the sink. Clean the faucet and the glass on the oven
  • Remove papers from the side of the fridge

Bathrooms

  • Clear the counters. Fold or remove hanging towels
  • Clean glass, mirrors, and the toilet base
  • Recaulk if the old bead is moldy or pulling away

Garage, laundry, yard

  • Keep a clear path to the electrical panel and water heater
  • Coil hoses. Move bins off the driveway
  • Cars leave the driveway for professional photos

Two different photo jobs

1. Phone photos for the CMA

After you pass the qualifier, email a utility bill plus either 10–20 phone photos or a request for a recorded Google Meet. A person writes the CMA from that. It does not go on HAR.

2. Professional photos before go-live

You hire a listing photographer and email the files to listings@onepointhouston.com. We do not book the shoot. Horizontal high-resolution JPEGs. Every room and both exteriors. Lights on. No filters, no vertical phone shots as the listing set. If the set fails, the listing does not go live. Cars gone. Utilities on. You do not need to be there. Showings then run through ShowingSmart.

What we need for the HAR remarks

Send these with the file so the public comments are specific:

  • Year the roof was done
  • Year the A/C was replaced or installed
  • Kitchen and bath updates (granite, quartz, island, stainless, tile shower)
  • Flooring (wood, vinyl plank, fresh carpet)
  • Systems (tankless water heater, gutters, sprinkler, water softener)
  • Layout (study, media, game room, downstairs bedroom)
  • Outdoor (covered patio, extended patio, outdoor kitchen, pool if any)
  • Community (pool, playground, trails, lakes)

Approximate years are fine. Do not invent a year.

Still not ready?

If you want someone to walk the house, write a punch list, or stay in touch for months, that is not OnePoint. Home Topic will come to the house. Listing side 2%. Same firm. Different job. Start at See if you qualify — if you fail a rule, send the Home Topic card on that page.

If you already have an exclusive listing with another broker, we cannot take the listing while that agreement is in force. When it ends, if the house meets the four rules, email listings@onepointhouston.com.

Show-ready after it is live

  • Go-and-show access with a lockbox. Occupied is fine. No driveway listing appointment.
  • Keep the lawn cut and the A/C running.
  • If a showing leaves a mess, you or your vendor reset it. We do not meet inspectors or appraisers on site unless we add that in writing.

If someone still lives there, or you need us to walk the house with you first, this program is not a fit yet.

Run the four-question check