Sale Preparation, Temescal (Oakland), 2022

Getting a house ready to sell is a different kind of project. The goal isn’t to redesign anything. It’s to fix everything a buyer will notice, clean up everything that looks tired, and let the house show at its best. This Temescal home in Oakland was exactly that: a month-long engagement covering a long list of different tasks, inside and out.

Hourly, not a fixed bid

Because the list was long, varied, and likely to grow as the house came together, we worked on an hourly basis rather than a fixed bid. For a pre-sale project, that’s often the smartest structure. The homeowner can add, drop, or reprioritize items as the listing date approaches, without renegotiating a contract each time, and they pay only for the work actually done.

Inside

• Cabinets: repainted, so a dated kitchen reads as clean and cared for without the cost of replacing anything.
• Tile: tile work throughout, including fixing the backsplash in the downstairs bath.
• Paint and cosmetic fixes: the small repairs and touch-ups that add up to a house that looks maintained.

Outside

• Siding: finished and painted, so the exterior looks complete and protected.
• Porch: repainted.
• Driveway: stone and hardscaping work, cleaning up the approach to the house.

Exterior work matters more than people expect in a sale. Buyers form an impression before they reach the front door, and a finished facade, a fresh porch, and a clean driveway say the house has been looked after.

Why cosmetic work pays

Almost everything on this list was cosmetic, and that’s the point. Before a sale, you don’t need structural changes. You need to remove every reason a buyer might discount their offer: chipped paint, a tired kitchen, an unfinished exterior, a cracked backsplash. Each fix is small, and together they change how the whole house is valued.

In the end, the house sold for a very good price.

Getting ready to sell? See how we keep projects stress-free, or send photos for an estimate.