Selling a home in Lubbock goes more smoothly when you handle repairs, cleanup, and paperwork before photos and showings begin. Use this checklist when you are considering a sale or getting close to putting the home on the market.
Start with the condition of the home
- Walk every room with a notepad, because small defects are easier to address before buyers start noticing them.
- Repair active leaks, loose fixtures, damaged flooring, and sticking doors, because buyers often connect visible maintenance issues with larger concerns.
- Test lights, ceiling fans, switches, and outlets, because a simple working-home impression matters during showings.
- Replace burned-out bulbs with matching bulbs, because uneven lighting can make a room feel less cared for in photos.
- Touch up obvious wall marks and chipped paint, because fresh neutral surfaces help buyers focus on the space.
- Clean windows, mirrors, baseboards, vents, and ceiling fans, because dust and streaks stand out in listing photography.
- Remove excess furniture and personal collections, because clear pathways help rooms show their actual size.
- Sort closets, cabinets, and the garage, because buyers commonly open storage areas during a showing.
- Make a short repair list before choosing projects, because not every update will improve your selling plan. Review the basics on the Sell page before committing to major work.
Check exterior cleanup and curb appeal
- Cut back weeds and remove loose debris, because Lubbock Code Enforcement treats uncultivated vegetation over eight inches and improperly disposed junk or debris as violations. The City says an owner generally has seven days after a property posting to correct cited weeds or rubbish. See the City’s Code Enforcement services page for the current guidance.
- Mow, edge, and clear walkways, because the front approach shapes a buyer’s first impression before they enter.
- Remove dead plants and empty containers, because a simple maintained landscape photographs better than a crowded one.
- Check gates, fences, screens, and exterior doors, because these are practical details buyers may test during a visit.
- Sweep the porch, patio, driveway, and garage entry, because windblown dust and leaves can quickly distract from the home.
- Clean exterior light fixtures and replace failed bulbs, because later-day showings need a clear, welcoming entry.
- Look over the roofline and gutters from the ground, because visible damage deserves attention before marketing begins.
- Plan disposal early, especially after a cleanout, because construction and remodeling materials need a different disposal plan than ordinary household items.
Gather repair, permit, and property records
- Pull together receipts, warranties, manuals, and contractor information, because organized records make repair conversations easier.
- Verify recent repair and renovation work before listing, because the City says regulated construction, alteration, repair, demolition, and electrical, gas, mechanical, or plumbing work require a permit before work begins. Start with City of Lubbock Building Inspections.
- Keep permit paperwork with final inspection records, because buyers may ask how major work was handled.
- Write down the age and service history you know for major systems, because accurate notes are better than guessing during disclosures.
- Collect current surveys, prior title documents, and property paperwork you already have, because they can help identify questions early.
- Review monthly ownership costs and improvement expenses, because they are useful when planning proceeds. The Seller net sheet can help organize the conversation around likely selling costs.
- Keep invoices for work completed before listing, because they show what was repaired without making promises about future condition.
- Avoid hiding a known issue with a quick cosmetic fix, because direct answers and proper repairs protect the sale process.
Prepare for pricing, photos, and showings
- Compare the home with current options and recent local sales, because pricing should reflect condition, location, and competing inventory. Browse Homes to see how listings present details and photos.
- Finish repair work before photos, because changing the home after marketing starts can create extra work and mixed expectations.
- Open blinds and replace heavy window coverings where practical, because natural light helps rooms photograph clearly.
- Put away medications, financial papers, keys, and valuables, because showings involve people you do not know entering the home.
- Create a simple showing routine for pets, mail, laundry, and countertops, because quick preparation makes short-notice appointments easier.
- Set aside manuals, receipts, and feature notes in one place, because useful home information should be easy to find later.
- Confirm how the home will be kept ready during marketing, because regular cleaning and pickup matter after the first weekend.
- Plan utility service around closing and possession arrangements, because water and power should remain available through the agreed handoff.
What is easy to miss in Lubbock
- Check flood information for the specific property, because Lubbock flood zones generally occur near playa lakes and the Canyon. The City Engineering Department provides property-specific flood-zone information, FIRMs, flood studies, map-change letters, insurance-purchase requirements, and floodplain-development regulations through its Floodplain page.
- Gather any flood-insurance information you have, because the City says its floodplain efforts can provide a 15% flood-insurance discount for property owners in the floodplain and may provide a 5% discount for some owners outside it.
- Do not assume a nearby playa lake answers the flood question, because the property’s mapped location and records matter more than a general impression.
- Check recent work against permit records before a buyer asks, because unresolved paperwork can slow down an otherwise ready listing.
- Do one final exterior pass after windy weather, because dust, debris, and loose yard items can return quickly.
- Confirm your utility account plan before the final handoff, because City of Lubbock Utilities combines water, wastewater, stormwater, and solid-waste billing.
Once this list is complete, the next step is to set a pricing plan, schedule photos, and decide what stays with the property. If you want a second set of eyes on your pre-listing plan, Let’s connect ↗.
