What to Do Before You List Your Home (That Most Sellers Miss)

The standard pre-listing advice — declutter, paint, stage — is well known. What most sellers miss are the less visible steps that directly affect whether a deal closes and at what price. These are the gaps that show up as surprises during due diligence and cost sellers money at the worst possible moment.

Pull your own permit history

Buyers' agents and inspectors routinely check permit records. Unpermitted work — a finished basement, an added bathroom, a deck — creates title and lending complications. Before you list, visit your local building department or use an online permit portal to verify that all improvements have closed permits. If they don't, consult an attorney about your disclosure obligations and remediation options.

Verify your property boundaries

Encroachments — a fence, shed, or addition that crosses a property line — are among the most common title issues discovered during the sale process. A survey or a review of your existing survey documents can surface these problems early, when you have time to resolve them without derailing a transaction.

Check for open liens and judgments

• Contact your title company for a preliminary title search before listing
• Verify that contractor liens from past work have been properly released
• Confirm HOA dues are current and that no special assessments are pending
• Check for any IRS or state tax liens attached to the property

Get your data in order with a Digs Report

A Digs Report consolidates property condition data, neighborhood statistics, and title-relevant information into a single document sellers can share with confidence. Ordering it before you list means you control the information flow — rather than reacting to what a buyer's inspector or attorney uncovers. That control is worth more than most sellers realize.