Preparing Your Home for Sale: A Room-by-Room Checklist

To prepare a home for sale, do three things in order: get your paperwork clean (permits closed, alterations approved, disclosures ready), fix what a buyer or inspector will flag, then declutter, clean and light every room for photos. In NYC the paperwork step is the one most sellers skip, and it is the one most likely to delay a closing.

This checklist works for co-op and condo apartments as well as houses. It also says plainly which fixes tend to be worth it. A dated kitchen is easy for buyers to see and price; a leak stain, a sticking door or an open permit makes them wonder what else is wrong.

Start with the paperwork

Buyers' attorneys and lenders check public records and building files. Problems found after you sign a contract give the buyer leverage, or a reason to walk. Fix them before you list.

Open DOB permits and sign-offs

If you or a previous owner did work that needed a Department of Buildings permit, the job should be closed out. For minor alterations that don't change the Certificate of Occupancy, DOB issues a Letter of Completion once all permits on the job are inspected and signed off and the final cost affidavit (PW3) is verified. Approved letters can be viewed on the DOB NOW public portal. Search your address on Roofy's building lookup to see permits and violations, and ask the contractor or architect who filed the job to finish any open items. See how to read DOB permits.

Certificate of Occupancy

A CO states a building's legal use and occupancy. Buildings built before 1938 generally don't need one unless later work changed their use, egress or occupancy; DOB can issue a Letter of No Objection to confirm legal use instead. You can look up COs issued before March 1, 2021 in BIS and later ones in DOB NOW. If your house is used as a two-family but the CO says one-family, talk to your attorney before you list. The New York disclosure form asks whether there are certificates of occupancy for the property. See reading a Certificate of Occupancy.

Alteration agreements (co-ops and condos)

Most co-ops and condos require board or managing-agent approval for renovations, usually through an alteration agreement. Buyers' attorneys ask whether work such as a moved kitchen, a new bathroom or removed walls was approved. Find your signed agreement and any sign-off letter from the building. If work was done without approval, ask the managing agent how to legalize it now. See renovating a co-op or condo.

Disclosures

• Houses (1–4 family): complete the Property Condition Disclosure Statement. It asks about flood history, fuel tanks, radon, mold tests, roof, structure and systems, and you attach reports you have. See the disclosure guide.
• Built before 1978: prepare the federal lead paint disclosure and gather any lead reports.
• Co-ops and condos: ask the managing agent for the sale package, fee schedule and any planned assessments.

Which fixes are worth doing

The logic: buyers subtract more than the cost for anything that looks neglected, because it makes them wonder what else is wrong. A major renovation, by contrast, is a matter of taste and rarely recovers its full cost before a sale. Ask your agent for specific advice with costs; see choosing a listing agent.

The room-by-room checklist

Tick items as you finish them. Your progress is saved in this browser.

Photos and the floor plan

Many buyers decide whether to visit from the photos and floor plan alone. Book a professional photographer after cleaning and decluttering, on a bright day, with every light on. A floor plan with room dimensions matters more in NYC than in most markets, because buyers compare layouts across many similar apartments. If you're selling yourself, you can list your home free on Roofy once photos are ready.

Suggested timeline

1. 8 weeks out

   Paperwork audit

   Search permits and violations, find alteration approvals, ask the managing agent for the sale package.

2. 6 weeks out

   Book trades

   Contractor or handyman for repairs, painter, and anyone needed to close permits.

3. 4 weeks out

   Declutter and store

   Remove excess furniture and personal items. A short-term storage unit can help.

4. 2 weeks out

   Repairs and paint

   Finish fixes, then paint, then a deep clean.

5. 1 week out

   Photos and floor plan

   Shoot when the home is finished and the weather is bright.

6. Listing day

   Showing-ready routine

   Daily 15-minute reset: beds made, counters clear, lights on, blinds open.

Next: set a price with how to price your home, estimate what you'll walk away with using the seller net proceeds calculator, and if you're in a co-op, read selling a co-op.