Mike Kobeissi on Readying a House for Buyers

Mike Kobeissi’s August 2024 Medium essay sets out eight steps for a seller facing competition, starting from the premise that a listing left to sit untended rarely draws strong bids when buyers have plenty of choices.

The author begins at the curb, where a buyer forms a view before stepping inside. He recommends a mowed lawn, trimmed shrubs and new plantings, then small touches such as a new doormat or a repainted front door, updated outdoor lamps and house numbers, and a pressure wash for the drive and paths. Designers interviewed by Architectural Digest give much the same advice, suggesting a coat of paint for a scuffed entrance, a pair of planters beside it, a cut lawn and clean windows.¹

From the kitchen to the price

Indoors, the essay puts kitchens and baths ahead of other rooms because buyers weigh them heavily. Modest updates come first in its list, neutral paint, new light fixtures and cabinet pulls, with replacement counters, newer appliances or refinished wood floors as larger options. Staging with current furniture helps visitors picture the space as their own. The author then urges sellers to point out efficiency, from sealed windows and doors, added insulation and efficient bulbs to better appliances, solar panels or a thermostat that learns a household’s routine.

Special features get their own step. A big yard, a hearth, a remodeled kitchen or the original detail of an older house should be in good repair and shown at their best, so that an outdoor area, for instance, is planted and furnished for entertaining. Repairs come next. The essay lists dripping faucets, holes in plaster and broken fixtures, then routine service for the heating and cooling system, the gutters and the roof, with records of the work kept to show buyers.

On price, the author recommends working with an agent on a comparison of similar houses that recently sold nearby, then setting a figure that reflects the house while leaving room to negotiate. A house priced too high lingers, he warns, and one priced too low gives away money. Kiplinger makes the same argument, advising sellers to find fair market value and stay close to it rather than wait for a weak response before cutting.²

Marketing and the showing

Marketing is the seventh step: professional photography, filmed or interactive tours for buyers who live far away, broad online exposure and social media. The last is the showing itself. Here the author asks sellers to declutter and remove personal items so visitors can imagine living there, to bring in a professional cleaner, and to add flowers or a candle. The National Association of Realtors frames staging the same way, as clearing and styling a house so its strengths show.³ His final instruction is to open every curtain and add lamps to dim corners, since a bright house feels larger, a point designers quoted by Better Homes & Gardens also make about daylight and mood.⁴