Spring Into Action: Preparing Your Central Oregon Home for the Market

Have you been thinking about making 2026 the year you sell your home?

Consider this. Your home is one of the assets you own (unlike your car) that increases over time. U.S. home prices experienced rapid growth from 2019 to 2024, with cumulative increases reaching approximately 55%, or a 9.2% average annual increase. Now price growth does vary by area, but it is still a great stat to keep in mind.

Early spring or spring-like weather tends to bring buyers to the market and with inventories usually low, it can create a great opportunity for you.

Price, condition and location are the three main factors that affect your value and access to your equity when you sell.

You can’t change the location of your home, but you can do the hard work to make sure it is in top condition.

Here is our six-step program to help you.

With low snow, take a good look at your home from the outside. Trim the dead flower beds, rake leaves, scrub the front entry and door, consider mulch and a new door mat. The Buyer starts their appraisal as they walk up to the entry. Consider making your entry more inviting.
The kitchen is the next room to concentrate on. Old appliances? Replacing them will make you money. Replacement refreshes a kitchen and gives the effect of a of a well-maintained home, often recouping 60% to 100% of the cost. Modern, energy-efficient, or stainless steel appliances are top drivers for buyer interest.
Banker Boxes are your friend. Start with the living room and declutter. Yes that does mean removing your grandmother’s favorite vase, the dried flower arrangements, and the owl collection your son made. Take a minimalist approach and put everything you don’t need on the floor. Sort the items into the boxes by 1)Packing to save 2)Recycle by donating and 3) Putting in the trash. By putting everything on the floor you are forced to deal with each item with scrutiny. You are essentially pre-packing for when you move.
Bathrooms and bedrooms need a refresh. New bed coverings, towels and bathmats will make a difference. Counters and bedside tables need to be cleaned of all the misc. stuff we all collect. Think sparse, not clutter.
Maintenance is huge. Would you buy a car with a broken taillight? Replace windows with broken seals, re-grout around sinks as needed, touch up paint where needed. If you can’t do this by yourself, consider hiring a handyman.
The garage is where the magic happens. Clean your garage thoroughly. Next, make space for all the banker boxes you will need to store. Stack them nicely. It tells a buyer you are packing to move.

Lastly, and this should go without saying. Clean, clean, clean. Every drawer and cupboard, under sinks, the oven, the windows. Touch every surface to make the house shine. This step can’t be stressed enough.

The way you live in your home and the way you sell it are different. By repurposing, cleaning, decluttering and pre-packing, the impression you give a potential buyer is that you are a serious seller and not an owner.

Price, condition and location make a difference, and you can affect your selling experience by working with your trusted real estate advisor on price and making the condition welcoming and pristine. In the end, these two factors outweigh the location. After all, you can’t move your house. If you’re thinking of selling your home this spring and are looking for expert advice, we are here for you.

This article appears in the Source February 12, 2026.