The short answer
Room-by-room, week-by-week.
Prepping a 20+ year home is a 90-day project: weeks 1–4 sort and release (low-emotion to high-emotion rooms); weeks 4–8 repair and refresh (deferred maintenance + minor updates that return 3–5x); weeks 8–12 deep clean, stage, photograph. A senior move manager can compress the sort-and-release by weeks.
Weeks 1–4: Sort and release
Start with low-emotion rooms — garage, utility, attic. Three passes per room: keep, gift, release. Save sentimental rooms for week 4.
Weeks 4–8: Repair and refresh
Handle items an inspector would flag. Refresh that pays: exterior paint, landscaping, lighting, kitchen/bath fixtures.
Weeks 8–12: Stage and photograph
Thin and neutralize. Personal photos off walls. Professional photography last.
Key takeaways
- 90 days, not three weeks.
- Sort → repair → refresh → clean → stage → photograph.
- Low-emotion rooms first.
- Refresh returns 3–5x; full renovation usually doesn’t.
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