sellprep labplan, budget, stage
The Prep Lab
Plan the weeks before launch, price the prep and stage the home room by room. Built from how we prepare listings, with national staging data and the California rules that apply.
Launch countdownPrep budgetRoom checklistThe dataCalifornia rules
- buyers’ agents: staging helps83%buyers picture it as their home
- agents who recommend decluttering91%the most-recommended prep step
- sellers’ agents: faster sale49%saw staging cut time on market
- buyers: photos very useful81%the top-rated website feature
launch countdown
Your launch countdown
Pick a target launch date. The plan works backward from it, and the next step is highlighted.
- Walk-through and plan
We walk the home with you, pull the comps and agree on a price range, a prep list and a launch date.
- Order pre-listing inspections
Home, pest and roof reports show what to fix before photos and give buyers answers up front.
- Get bids and book the work
Paint, flooring, repairs and yard work. Apply for Compass Concierge now if you want the work paid up front.
- Repairs
Fix what the inspections found, starting with anything a buyer’s inspector would flag.
- Paint, floors and yard
The finishing work, inside and out, done before the deep clean.
- Declutter and deep clean
Pack what you won’t need for a month, clear counters and closets, then clean top to bottom.
- Staging
Furniture, art and lighting placed for photos and showings.
- Photos, video, drone and 3D tour
Shot once staging is in, on a clear day.
- Disclosures ready
Inspection reports, the seller questionnaire and the natural hazard report go into the buyer packet.
- Pre-market, if you choose
A Compass Private Exclusive or Coming Soon can start before the MLS launch.
- Launch day
The home goes live on the MLS.
- First open houses
Showings and open houses begin, and you can follow listing activity in your Compass One dashboard.
A sample schedule based on how we prepare listings, not a rule. A home that needs more work gets a longer runway; we set the dates with you at the walk-through. Your date is saved on this device.
prep budget
Price your prep
Tick what the home needs and enter each bid. The total updates as you go, along with what Compass Concierge could cover.
your prep budget
staging checklist
Room-by-room staging checklist
Agents most often tell sellers to declutter, deep clean and work on curb appeal. Tick items as you go; your progress saves on this device.
Curb and entry
Living and family rooms
Kitchen
Bedrooms
Bathrooms
Yard, garage and systems
Print it for your stager or contractor, or keep it open on your phone during the walk-through.
the data
What the staging surveys say
From the National Association of Realtors’ 2025 Profile of Home Staging (a national survey of agents, February 2025) and its Remodeling Impact Reports.
buyersbuyers’ agents
83% say staging helps buyers picture the home
The rooms buyers’ agents rated very important to stage were the living room (37%), primary bedroom (34%) and kitchen (23%).
- 17% saw offers 1% to 5% higher on staged homes; 41% saw no effect on price
- Photos were the listing feature they ranked most important (73%), ahead of physical staging (57%)
sellerssellers’ agents
49% say staging shortened time on market
30% saw a slight decrease and 19% a large one.
- Rooms most often staged: living room 91%, primary bedroom 83%, dining room 69%, kitchen 68%
- 19% saw offers 1% to 5% higher, and 10% saw 6% to 10% higher
- National median spend: $1,500 with a staging service, $500 when the listing agent staged
prepwhat agents recommend
Declutter, clean, then curb appeal
The improvements agents most often recommend before listing.
- Declutter: 91%
- Clean the entire home: 88%
- Improve curb appeal: 77%
- Paint the entire home: 50% (2025 Remodeling Impact Report)
paybackcost recovered at sale
Refinishing recovered more than remodeling
Share of project cost recovered at sale, from NAR’s national Remodeling Impact Reports.
- Refinish hardwood floors: 147% (2022)
- New wood flooring: 118% (2022)
- Landscape maintenance: 104% (2023 outdoor report)
- Kitchen upgrade: 60%; bathroom renovation: 50% (2025)
california rules
California rules that touch prep and photos
- Virtually staged photos need a labelSince January 1, 2026, a listing photo that’s been digitally altered, including virtual staging or a changed paint color, needs a statement on or next to it and a link or QR code to the original (Business and Professions Code 10140.8). Basic edits like lighting and cropping don’t count.
- When a contractor needs a licenseSince January 1, 2025, an unlicensed handyperson can take a job of up to $1,000 only if it needs no permit and they have no employees; anything else needs a licensed contractor.
- Homes built before 1978Paid work that disturbs more than 6 square feet of paint per room inside, or 20 square feet outside, must be done by an EPA lead-safe certified firm. Window replacement is always covered.
- Permits show up in disclosuresSeller disclosures ask about additions, alterations and repairs made without permits, so pull permits for prep work that needs them.
- Smoke detectors and water heater strapsSellers give buyers written statements that the smoke detectors comply with state law and that the water heater is braced, anchored or strapped (Health and Safety Code 13113.8 and 19211).
- Water-saving fixturesSellers of single-family homes disclose in writing whether the home has plumbing fixtures that don’t meet the state’s water-conserving rules (Civil Code 1102.155).
Rules summarized October 16, 2026. We and your escrow officer confirm what applies to your home before you list.
sources
Where the numbers come from
Checked October 16, 2026. Survey figures are national.
- NAR: 2025 Profile of Home StagingNational survey of agents, February 2025 (1,266 responses).www.nar.realtor/sites/default/files/2025-05/2025-profile-of-home-staging-05-06-2025.pdf
- NAR: 2025 Remodeling Impact ReportCost recovered and projects agents recommend, April 2025.remodelingdoneright.nari.org/media/jjjaoome/2025remodelingimpactreport.pdf
- NAR: 2022 Remodeling Impact ReportHardwood refinishing and new wood flooring.www.nar.realtor/sites/default/files/documents/2022-remodeling-impact-report-04-19-2022.pdf
- NAR: 2023 Remodeling Impact Report, Outdoor FeaturesLandscape maintenance.cms.nar.realtor/sites/default/files/documents/2023-03-remodeling-impact-outdoor-features-03-17-2023.pdf
- NAR: Home Buyers and Sellers Generational Trends2026 report: website features buyers rated very useful.www.nar.realtor/research-and-statistics/research-reports/home-buyer-and-seller-generational-trends
- California DRE: advisory on AI and altered imagesBusiness and Professions Code 10140.8, in effect January 1, 2026.dre.ca.gov/Licensees/Advisories/Advisory_2026_03_17_AI_in_California_Real_Estate.html
- CSLB: AB 2622 bulletinThe $1,000 minor-work limit.www.cslb.ca.gov/Resources/IndustryBulletins/2024/AB%202622%20Implementation.FINAL.pdf
- EPA: lead-safe renovation rulesHomes built before 1978.www.epa.gov/lead/renovation-repair-and-painting-program-contractors
- California DRE Reference Book: disclosuresSmoke detector and water heater statements.dre.ca.gov/files/pdf/refbook/ref20.pdf
- Compass ConciergeCovered services and terms.www.compass.com/concierge/
questions
Questions we hear
Do I need to stage an empty home?
Empty rooms are harder to size up in photos. In NAR’s 2025 survey, buyers’ agents rated the living room, primary bedroom and kitchen as the most important rooms to stage, so start there if the budget is limited.
Is virtual staging allowed?
Yes, with a label. Since January 1, 2026, California requires a statement on a digitally altered listing photo and a link or QR code to the original.
Who pays for prep and staging?
Usually the seller. With Compass Concierge, approved costs for listed services are paid up front and repaid at closing; fees or interest may apply, and the loans come from Notable Finance, not Compass.
Should I remodel the kitchen before selling?
Weigh it carefully. In NAR’s 2025 report a kitchen upgrade recovered about 60% of its cost at sale, while refinishing floors and landscape maintenance recovered more than they cost in earlier reports. We’ll compare what similar homes sold for with and without updates.
How long does prep take?
It depends on the home. Our sample countdown runs eight weeks from walk-through to launch; a home that only needs cleaning and staging can be ready sooner.
more to learn
Keep going
- Launch LabHow we market a home, from pre-market to MLS.
- Seller PlaybookSelling a home, step by step, with a disclosure builder.
- Offer LabHow far over or under asking homes are selling.
- Compass ConciergePrep paid up front, repaid at closing.
- Seller net sheetWhat you’d keep after costs.
- What’s my home worth?A value estimate from the Boyenga Team.
General information, not legal advice. Survey figures are national and come from the NAR reports listed above; local costs and results vary. The countdown, budget and checklist save only on this device.
talk to a property nerd
Getting ready to sell?
We’ll walk the home with you, build the prep list and budget, and set a launch date that fits your move. Commissions are negotiable, and we offer bundled services, so ask us what’s included.
