Featured in Redfin: What Sellers Overlook Before Listing
UrbanMeasure Featured in Redfin
We’re honoured to have been featured by Redfin in their latest article, “What Sellers Overlook Before Listing Their Home.”
Preparing a home for sale involves much more than setting the right price. Small details, from decluttering and staging to professional photography and accurate floor plans, can have a significant impact on how buyers perceive a property and, ultimately, the offers it receives.
Redfin invited experts from across North America to share their insights, and we’re proud to have contributed alongside other industry professionals.
Below is a short summary of the article, with our contribution in full. For all of the expert advice and links, read the full article on Redfin.
What Sellers Overlook Before Listing
Buyers examine everything, from a sticky door to the cords beneath a television, and small distractions can quickly become expensive objections. That matters even more in a housing market where 59.5% of U.S. homes sold below their original list price in June 2026, according to Redfin. Here’s what sellers overlook most often, in brief.
1. They prepare rooms for daily life, not listing photos
A room that feels comfortable in person can look cluttered in listing photos, because the camera picks up every appliance, pet bowl and pile of mail. For 81% of U.S. buyers, listing photos are one of the most valuable parts of searching online. The article’s advice: take phone photos of every room first, then declutter, remove personal décor and open the blinds before the photographer arrives.
2. They decorate before dealing with the property’s condition
Christine Rae, founder and president of CSP International™ Staging & Decorating Business Academy, explains that staging starts with condition, maintenance and cleaning, and only then décor. Scuffed walls, sticking doors and worn caulk raise bigger concerns than any accessory can hide. A real estate agent or professional stager can help you decide which repairs to tackle first.
3. They underestimate the cost of small maintenance issues
Kris Bowen, a real estate broker with LPT Realty in Salt Lake City, UT, says buyers often knock off far more than a repair actually costs, because they price in their fear of what else was neglected. His rule: “If a buyer would put it in a home inspection request, fix it before you bring in the throw pillows.”
4. They miss the tiny distractions that dominate a photo
Once repairs are finished, it’s time to edit the space. Small distractions that barely register in everyday life often become surprisingly noticeable in listing photos.
Jordan Fowler, CEO of UrbanMeasure, points to items like “cluttered countertops, visible cords, personal items, garbage bins, fridge magnets, and mismatched light bulbs” as common distractions that pull attention away from the home itself.
He recommends sellers “focus on decluttering, deep cleaning, maximizing natural light, and creating a clean, neutral layout that makes each room feel bright, spacious, and easy to understand.”
Don’t forget the exterior, either. Fowler suggests putting away garbage bins, clearing the driveway, adding a fresh doormat, and handling simple seasonal maintenance. Since the front exterior is often the first listing photo buyers see, curb appeal deserves just as much attention as the inside.
Learn >> How Much Does it Cost to Stage a House?
5. They become blind to dirt, odours, and everyday buildup
Danielle Wellings-Carriere, CEO and franchisor at ONESource Moving Solutions, calls deep cleaning the overlooked side of home staging: “There are certain things that we get desensitized to when living in our homes from day to day.” Go beyond routine cleaning with windows, baseboards, appliances, vents and light fixtures, and ask someone who doesn’t live in the home to check for odours.
Prepare for buyer confidence, not just compliments
Redfin’s bottom line: fix maintenance issues first, then deep-clean, declutter, improve the lighting and prepare every room for photography, adding decorative touches last. Read the full article on Redfin for every expert tip.
Read >> 9 Benefits of Home Staging When Selling Your House
How do you prepare a Calgary home for listing photos?
Here is the short checklist we give sellers before photo day:
- Clear kitchen and bathroom counters, and put away small appliances
- Hide visible cords, chargers and remotes
- Remove fridge magnets, personal photos and pet items
- Replace burned-out or mismatched light bulbs, and turn on every light
- Open blinds and curtains to let in natural light
- Outside: put garbage and recycling bins away, clear the driveway and add a fresh doormat
For a room-by-room list, see our real estate photography prep guide.
What happens after photo day?
With UrbanMeasure, listing photos are delivered within 24 hours, often the same day. RMS measurements are delivered the same day when the on-site visit is done before 4 PM, and marketing floor plans help buyers understand the layout before they visit.
Our measurements are taken by hand to 1/10 inch. Our Calgary measurement technicians hold Architectural Technologist diplomas from SAIT, and our team has over 20 years of experience. Learn more about why accurate residential measurements matter.
We serve Calgary, Edmonton and Alberta, plus BC, Saskatchewan and Manitoba. Out-of-area travel fees apply. Book your listing photos and measurements.
Written by the UrbanMeasure measurement team.
