Start with the price and prep choices that shape your whole launch
If you are asking what to do first before putting your home on the market, my answer is to set a realistic price strategy before anything else. In Monticello, IN, active homes typically asked $333,250 last month, while recent closings typically landed at $274,900.
Here is the constraint I plan around based on the previous 30 days sellers in Monticello, IN are entering the market above recent closing levels. That matters because the wrong price at launch can weaken every conversation that follows, no matter how good the home looks in photos.
The practical impact is that buyers still closed at about 97.8% of asking last month. That gives well-prepared sellers room to protect value, but only when the number is credible. I recommend setting your price from recent closings first, then making the repairs and presentation upgrades that justify holding firm near that number.
If you only remember one pace figure, make it 31 days. A typical sale took that long last month, and supply stood at 4.57 months. Prepare early. Decide your minimum terms in advance. Go live only when the home and the price support each other.
Where sellers get in trouble is by treating launch day as the start of preparation instead of the finish line. My advice in Monticello, IN is direct price honestly, enter clean, and be ready to respond quickly when the right buyer appears.
