You can be ready to sell without being ready to live out of a suitcase. If you are listing your St. John’s home while still living there, the useful question is this: what showing routine can your household actually keep up?

A beautiful photo day is one thing. Getting everyone out the door after work, with dinner underway and a dog needing a walk, is another. A plan made before the listing goes live gives buyers a proper look while making the disruption more manageable.

Agree on access before the first request

Tell me which parts of the week are genuinely difficult: shift work, school pickup, naps, work calls or caring for a family member. We can discuss how showing requests will be confirmed and what notice you can reasonably accommodate. The aim is useful access, with clear expectations for everyone.

Keep one shared calendar. Decide who confirms requests and who handles the house when the other person is away. If a requested time does not work, offer a specific alternative rather than leaving the conversation open-ended. This guide is for owner-occupied homes; a tenanted property needs its own access plan and applicable notice requirements checked separately.

Make a short reset list you can repeat

Choose a few jobs that make the rooms easy to see. A reasonable routine might be:

• Put dishes away and wipe the kitchen and bathroom counters.
• Return shoes, laundry and everyday clutter to their usual storage.
• Make beds and clear the main walking routes.
• Check the entrance for wet boots, leaves or anything someone could trip over.
• Take rubbish out and leave rooms comfortably lit.

Give each person a job instead of having everyone start in the kitchen. Keep a basket for loose items, but empty it properly afterward so it does not become a second moving project. Buyers need to understand the home; you do not need to recreate a magazine shoot every afternoon.

For the larger preparation jobs, use my room-by-room listing photo checklist before launch.

Have somewhere to go, including a pet plan

Decide on a practical place to wait during appointments. In St. John’s, an outdoor walk is not a dependable plan for every weather forecast. Have an indoor option and allow enough time that you are not returning while buyers are still looking.

For pets, arrange a safe, familiar place with someone responsible for them. Do not assume a visiting buyer will be comfortable around your dog, or that a cat will stay away from an open door. CREA’s guidance on pets during real estate transactions also emphasizes keeping animals secure during showings. Discuss any arrangements with me ahead of time.

Put personal information away once, properly

Before showing week, secure medicines, jewellery, spare keys, financial paperwork and anything confidential from your home office. Check calendars, children’s school information and computer screens too. Keep the documents you need for the sale accessible to you, but away from visitors.

CREA’s home-selling preparation checklist includes putting away personal photographs and jewellery. My practical suggestion is to do that sorting before appointments begin, so privacy is not another last-minute task.

Review the routine, then adjust

After the first few appointments, tell me what is becoming difficult. We can review the timing, recurring questions and useful buyer feedback together. One comment about decor is different from several buyers struggling to understand the same room.

Thinking about selling in St. John’s, Mount Pearl, Paradise or CBS? Call or text Ryan Elliott at 709-687-7726. Tell me your rough moving timeline and the hardest part of accommodating showings, and we can build a practical preparation and access plan around your household.