Homeowners in Maplewood, South Orange, and surrounding New Jersey communities who intend to list their homes in spring 2027 should start preparing now, according to Mark Slade of Mark Slade Homes. Slade, who leads a Keller Williams team with business partner MaryCeu Nunes, warns that the decisions that shape a final sale price are made months before listing day, and the window to make them comfortably is shorter than many sellers realize.
“You need a minimum of six weeks to really go through, declutter, and get the painting done,” Slade said. “When you add all those holidays between now and January 1, you don’t even have six weeks’ worth of time.” The team recommends a phased approach: meet with agents in November and December to discuss buyer preferences and begin sorting belongings; in January, list repairs and improvements, get estimates, and start work; in February, complete painting and minor repairs; in March, deep clean and prepare for staging and photography; and in the listing month, finalize price and marketing plans.
Slade speaks from experience. When he sold his own Maplewood home in 2020, he reached a point where he could not face decluttering. Nunes helped him through it with 15-minute sessions, deciding item by item what to keep, donate, sell, or discard. “You sometimes need that other person,” he said.
The team’s first visit includes 60 to 120 photos and a written list of recommendations, from clearing refrigerator magnets to identifying rooms that need paint or new light fixtures. Unless a home is already well decorated, they bring in stager Leah Gomberg of Sweet Life by Design, who provides a room-by-room report with links to specific fixtures and furnishings.
Slade ranks projects by return. Removing old carpet tops the list. “Buyers today don’t want someone’s carpeting,” he said. “They want to see hardwood floors.” Painting is next: at roughly $1,000 to $1,200 per room, it can add about $5,000 in value per room, potentially a $50,000 difference in an eight-room house. Painting dated kitchen cabinets white, off-white, or light gray and adding new hardware typically costs $2,200 to $3,600 but can shift perceived value by $50,000 to $85,000. The team generally advises against full kitchen or bathroom renovations before selling.
On pricing, the team’s motto is “leaner and meaner.” Nunes once priced a listing about 5 percent below a similar home on the same street; hers sold right away for over asking, while the other took three and a half weeks and sold for less. Slade also cautions against exclusive, off-market listings, which he says sell at or within about 3 percent of asking due to limited competition. A listing on the MLS and sites like Realtor.com and Homes.com reaches far more agents and buyers. “Why limit the exposure that defines the full scope of Demand?” he asked.
Before hiring a listing agent, the team suggests sellers ask: Are you a full-time agent? How much experience do you have in my town and price range? What is your plan to prepare, price, and market my home, and how will you communicate? Will you personally handle the sale, or will someone else on your team take over after you are hired? The Slade Team—Mark and Mary—commit to being the start-to-finish contacts.
Sellers can find more guidance on the team’s seller resources page. The team has closed $500 million in lifetime sales volume and over 850 transactions across 53 New Jersey municipalities, and markets listings through its trademarked SMART RE-SULTS™ Listing System.
