The 4-phase checklist Alex Goodman uses to prep Toronto homes for listing.
Free. No sign-up to read it. Calibrated to Ontario real estate law and GTA buyer expectations — not a generic internet checklist.
Phase 1 · Declutter & depersonalize
Start 6 weeks before listing · Cost: $0 · Highest ROI
- Empty every closet to 60% capacity — buyers open closets, full ones read as “no storage.”
- Remove family photos, certificates, religious art, political signage.
- Pack and remove half the books on every shelf.
- Donate or store any furniture that crowds a room. If it’s an obstacle to walking through, it goes.
- Clear all kitchen counters except one appliance per zone.
- Empty the fridge of magnets, kid art, takeout menus.
- Garage / basement / utility room: rent a 5×10 storage unit for 8 weeks. Move excess there now.
- Pets: relocate visible pet items (litter, food bowls, beds) before every showing.
Phase 2 · Deep clean & minor repairs
Start 4 weeks before listing · Cost: $400 – $1,500 · High ROI per dollar
- Professional deep clean: $300 – $500 for a 2,500 sqft home. Specify “listing prep” — they’ll do baseboards, vents, inside oven, behind toilet.
- Steam-clean all carpets. Or replace if heavily worn (cheap carpet beats stained carpet on MLS photos).
- Touch-up paint every nick, scuff, and crayon mark. Use the existing color if you have it; off-white semi-gloss for trim.
- Replace burnt-out bulbs throughout — buyers notice missing light.
- Tighten loose door handles, cabinet pulls, towel bars, toilet seats.
- Caulk: tubs, sinks, kitchen backsplash. Fresh white caulk reads as “well maintained.”
- Landscape: edge the lawn, mulch the beds, trim hedges. Front door area gets a power wash + new doormat.
- Service the HVAC if the last service is >12 months ago. Buyers ask for the receipt.
Phase 3 · Stage, photograph, market
Start 2 weeks before listing · Cost: $1,500 – $5,000 · Where most sellers overspend
- Professional staging consultation (~$200 – $400). They use your existing furniture and tell you exactly what to remove, replace, or rearrange.
- Full staging only if home is vacant or has very dated furniture. Otherwise it’s overkill for the GTA market.
- Professional real estate photography ($400 – $800). Twilight exterior shot is worth the upcharge.
- Drone exterior (~$150) — most buyers expect it for detached homes over $1M.
- 3D Matterport tour (~$300) — most buyers expect it post-COVID. Stops drive-by tire-kickers from booking showings.
- Video walkthrough (~$400) — captures the flow between rooms in a way photos can’t.
- Floor plan with dimensions — buyers under 40 always ask. Cheap add-on to the photo shoot.
- Marketing collateral: feature sheet (one page), social media photos, neighbourhood profile sheet.
Phase 4 · Inspection & disclosure paperwork
Start the week of listing · Cost: $400 – $700 · Almost always pays back
- Pre-listing inspection ($400 – $700). Catches surprises before a buyer’s inspector does. Gives you negotiation control.
- Complete Form 100 (SPIS — Seller Property Information Statement). Ontario law: you must disclose known material defects.
- Gather and copy: title deed, survey, recent utility bills (12 months), property tax bill, HOA / condo fee documents if applicable, recent renovation receipts and permits.
- Status certificate (condos only) — order from the property management company. Takes 10 business days. Order it now.
- Disclose: any leaks in the past 5 years, any electrical or HVAC failures, any termite / insect issues, any neighbours’ grievances or boundary disputes, any UFFI / asbestos / vermiculite history.
- If unsure whether something is material: ask your real estate lawyer (or call Alex — most things that feel like grey-area are actually clear-cut under RECO disclosure rules).
- Permits: confirm all renovations (basement finish, deck, garage conversion, second-storey addition) have closed permits. Open permits scare buyers and slow closings.
- Tenant situation (if applicable): N12 / N13 notice timing, Landlord and Tenant Board hearing windows — all of this affects when you can deliver vacant possession.
Want this calibrated to your specific home?
Book a 20-minute walkthrough with Alex. We’ll customize the checklist for your situation (heritage designation, severed lot, in-law suite, basement apartment, tenanted unit) — usually adds another 1-3% to your final sale price.
Email me the PDF + Alex’s quick wins guide
Why prep matters more than price
In a balanced GTA market, prepped homes sell for 4-8% more than unprepped homes in the same neighborhood. In a buyer’s market, prepped homes sell at all. The four phases of this checklist are sequenced by ROI — Phase 1 (declutter and depersonalize) costs nothing and adds the most. Phase 2 (deep clean and minor repairs) is the next-highest ROI per dollar. Phase 3 (staging and photography) is where you spend real money and where most sellers overspend. Phase 4 (pre-listing inspection and disclosure paperwork) is rarely done by sellers and almost always pays back.
The 4-phase sequence
Phase 1 starts six weeks before listing — declutter, depersonalize, deep clean. Phase 2 starts four weeks out — minor repairs, paint touch-ups, landscape refresh. Phase 3 starts two weeks out — professional staging, professional photography, video, virtual tour. Phase 4 starts the week of listing — pre-listing inspection, completed Form 100 (SPIS), assembled disclosure package. The full checklist is broken down task by task in the downloadable PDF.
What this is not
This is not a generic checklist scraped from the internet. Every item is calibrated to Ontario real estate law (RECO disclosure requirements, Form 100 expectations) and GTA buyer expectations (what photographers actually capture, what stagers actually charge, what shows up in TRREB MLS feedback). If your home has unusual features — heritage designation, severed lot, in-law suite, basement apartment — book a walkthrough with Alex so we can customize the checklist for your situation. The generic version still works, but the customized version usually adds another 1-3% to your sale price.
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