MR HOME GUY USA · MASTER TECHS SINCE 2008
How Do I Get a Vacant House Ready to Sell From Out of State?
Start with a video walkthrough and one local point of contact. Ask your listing agent or another person you’ve arranged to be on site to show you each room, the entry, and any areas that still need clearing. Use that walkthrough to make one list of what stays, what goes, and what needs work before photos. Agree on who handles access, who approves extra work, and who verifies each job is complete.
How to manage sale prep when you’re out of state
1. Get a current view of the property
Ask for one wide photo per room and close-ups of anything that needs attention. Include the garage, basement, closets, and outside entry. Label the photos by room so you can approve specific work without guessing which wall or fixture a contractor is describing.
2. Decide what stays and what leaves
Make a short list of furniture, tools, and boxes to keep or hold for review. Confirm that list before a donation pickup or haul-away. If the house is mostly empty, ask your agent whether any remaining furniture should stay through the photo appointment.
3. Book the work in order
Clear the work areas first, then schedule repairs and painting, followed by the final clean. Give each crew a written scope, the access instructions they need, and a contact for questions. Leave a buffer before listing photos in case a pickup runs late or a room needs a touch-up.
4. Confirm completion from the same angles
Ask for after photos from the same doorways as the first walkthrough. Have your local contact check the rooms against the list, including any garage or basement work, then confirm the property is secured after the last visit.
What to put in your shared work list
- Room and task. Write “remove two shelving units from the garage” so everyone knows exactly what the job covers.
- Who’s responsible. Assign each job to a person or crew, and identify who will let them in.
- What has to happen first. The painter may need the furniture cleared. The cleaner needs to know when the painter is finished.
- How you’ll sign off. Decide which photos you need and who should contact you before adding work or changing the price.
Keep access codes and key instructions in private messages to the people who need them.
Example: The photographer is booked, but the house still has furniture
Say photos are next Thursday. The dining room has a table your agent wants to keep for photos, the spare bedroom has furniture to remove, and the living room needs a wall touched up. Send the hauler a labeled photo of the spare bedroom and confirm the pickup list. Schedule the painter after the pickup, then have the cleaner finish both rooms once the paint work is complete. Ask your local contact to send the final photos before the photographer arrives.
Need help planning the work from out of state?
Bring your walkthrough photos, the listing photo date, and a list of what’s still in the house. We’ll help you turn those into a room-by-room scope you can share with your local contact, hauler, handyman, painter, or cleaner.
$39 · 20-minute virtual appointment · Book online 24/7 · Available nationwide — Mr. Home Guy USA
ConsultRelated home-sale prep and cleanout guides
- How do I get my house ready to sell in two weeks?
- What should I fix before selling my house, and what can I skip?
- How do I clean out a parent’s house from out of state?
- Should I deep clean before or after painting and repairs?
- Browse city moving and home-sale prep guides
Check out our How to Coordinate a Vacant Home Tune-Up Remotely blog