HomeJab usually comes in near the end of the listing-prep process.
The house has been cleaned, the painting is finished, the landscaping has been touched up, and then we come in to photograph the property before it goes on the market.
But after photographing homes for more than a decade, we’ve seen just about every version of this process.
Some sellers make a few smart improvements that completely change how a home presents. Others spend money on projects that probably were not necessary. And sometimes simple things that could have made a big difference get overlooked.
That got us thinking about a pretty basic question:
What if HomeJab got involved earlier?
Before the Photography, Figure Out What Is Worth Doing
Getting a home ready to sell can be confusing.
Should the seller paint the entire house? Replace the flooring? Remodel the bathroom? Do something with the kitchen? Spend money on landscaping?
Or is the house already in good enough shape that most of that money would be better left alone?
There is rarely one answer that works for every property.
A dated kitchen may not need to be replaced. Painting the cabinets, changing the hardware, updating a light fixture, and giving the room a deep cleaning may be enough.
A bathroom may need a new vanity and fixtures, but not a full renovation.
Other times, the best advice may simply be to clean the property, fix a few visible issues, and get it on the market.
The goal should not be to renovate for the sake of renovating. The goal is to identify the work that is most likely to improve the way the property presents and help the seller get ready for market.
HomeJab Can Help With That Now
We are building Listing Prep at HomeJab around this exact problem.
An agent or homeowner can send us current photos of the property, and we can start reviewing its condition before anyone starts hiring contractors or spending money.
They do not need to be professional photos. Cell phone photos are fine for the initial review.
We can look at areas such as:
- Interior paint
- Flooring
- Kitchen condition
- Bathrooms
- Landscaping and curb appeal
- Cleaning
- Visible repairs
- General presentation
From there, we can help put together a recommended plan for what should be addressed before the listing goes live.
Sometimes that plan may include several projects.
Sometimes it may be very short.
And sometimes the recommendation may be to leave something alone.
That last part is important. The point is not to sell the homeowner as much work as possible. It is to help determine where the money is actually worth spending.
This Makes Life Easier for Agents Too
Real estate agents deal with this problem all the time.
They walk through a seller’s home and immediately start getting questions.
Should we paint this room?
What should we do with the floors?
Do you know a cleaner?
Can you recommend someone for the landscaping?
What about this bathroom?
Before long, the agent is coordinating painters, cleaners, landscapers, handymen, contractors, and everyone else involved in getting the property ready.
That is a lot of project management for someone who was hired to sell the house.
With HomeJab, an agent can start by sending us photos of the property. We can help identify the work that may be worth doing and, if the seller wants to move forward, help coordinate those services.
Then, when the property is ready, HomeJab can handle the photography, video, aerials, floor plans, 3D tours, and other listing media as usual.
It brings the whole process together.
We Can Help Get the Work Done
The recommendation is only the first step.
Depending on the property and location, HomeJab can also help coordinate services such as cleaning, painting, landscaping, repairs, lock work, and larger home improvement projects.
For qualifying homeowners, some approved Listing Prep projects may also be eligible for payment at closing.
That can make a big difference for a seller who knows the home needs work but would prefer not to put a large amount of cash into the property right before selling it.
Instead of the agent and homeowner calling several different companies, the goal is to give them one place to start.
Start With the Property You Have
You do not need to have everything figured out before contacting us.
If you have a listing coming up and you are not sure what the seller should fix, update, clean, or leave alone, start with a few current photos of the property.
We can take a look, help determine where to focus, and build a plan from there.
Then, once the work is finished, we can do what HomeJab has always done: make the property look its best when it hits the market.
