Listing Preparations

Staged living room with a curved cream sofa, marble coffee tables, and sculptural white chairs.

REPRESENTING SILICON VALLEY

Representing home sellers of condominiums to estates, Silicon Valley is home to highly discerning, luxury buyers. By knowing the expectations of a potential buyer for our unique and varied Silicon Valley properties, we are able to curate each of our listings to appeal to that specific target buyer.  Our signature style and attention to detail resonates with buyers and consistently results in sellers receiving multiple offers and over-list prices.

Scroll down to learn more about the detailed preparations and upgrades we do to transform our clients' homes, and check out the examples of homes we've sold following this process. 

TRANSFORMING YOUR HOME TO MAXIMIZE YOUR PROFIT

Modern living room with light wood built-ins, a television, and a lit linear fireplace.

Turnkey, move-in-ready, remodeled homes with modern design details are selling to home buyers for incredible prices, often over the listed price and with multiple offers.  Unless your home was recently remodeled and is not being lived in, chances are it’s going to need a little polishing or even updating in order to attract those buyers.  

That’s where we come in!  Preparing your home to sell is an important step to getting multiple offers. We have the experience and expertise to help guide you in selecting the right strategic improvements for our market and for your budget. Our goal is to transform your home so it shows its very best, has that signature look that our local buyers love, and maximizes your profit!

White kitchen with a large island, black stools, marble backsplash, and globe pendant lights.

HOW DOES THE TRANSFORMATION PROCESS WORK?

Once we have toured your home and discussed your appetite for home updates, we will develop a customized property preparation plan and schedule that’s specific to your home and budget.  Once approved by you, this plan becomes a part of our overall project plan that we implement to track and manage to get your home on the market and sold.

And what if you don’t have cash to prep your home for sale? Good news you still have options...

One exclusive option Christie’s International Real Estate Sereno offers is a concierge program designed to help sellers prepare their home for the market with no upfront costs. Through our partnership with Notable, we offer Ascend, an unsecured line of credit that covers everything from staging and repairs to strategic upgrades that enhance appeal and value. This program helps unlock your home’s full potential and supports an optimal sale outcome, all with no payments due until closing.

For more information click the link: https://notablefi.com/serenoascend/apply#qualifications

The scope of work can vary, and we typically see it fall into one of three categories:

 

The key in all of this is that this is a team effort with you. We work with you, your budget, your appetite for construction, all so you can achieve your goals.  We know which finishes and upgrades will have the most impact on our local buyers, and we also know which vendors are the most reliable and have the best prices.  This is what we do every day, and our suppliers receive repeat business and give you preferred pricing because of the volume of business we give them.

COMMON UPGRADES TO GET MAXIMUM PROFIT

Whether you’ve lived in your home for 30 years or 3 years, preparing your home to sell is an important step to getting those multiple offers.  Here are the most common permanent updates we recommend:

1
Flooring
2
Paint
3
Lighting
4
Landscaping
5
Hardware
6
Mirrors
7
Switches and Plugs

Flooring

 To get the greatest buyer appeal, stick with one style of flooring throughout the main living area of the home, such as engineered hardwood or vinyl laminate. If that’s not practical, we try to reduce the number of different floorings you see when you enter into the home. The 70’s style of every room having a different floor is no longer in!

Modern dining room with a light wood table, minimalist kitchen, and vertical wood slat wall.

Paint

This is by far the most common home prep item we do.  A blank canvas with a neutral palate helps buyers imagine their life in your home. Avoid pops of color. We want to appeal to the most buyers, and this achieves the best results.

Bright living room with white sofas, a dark coffee table, potted trees, and tall black-framed windows.

Lighting

To make your home feel bright, well-lit, modern, current and stylish, update the lighting and chandeliers.  This can make a huge visual impact.

Staged living room with a large sectional, patterned rug, and glass doors overlooking leafy trees.

Landscaping

Curb appeal is very important!  If the outside looks unkempt, buyers project that the inside will have deferred maintenance and they may not stop.  So trim back bushes and trees, keep the lawn trimmed, add flowers (in bloom) to the front landscape or entryway, and weed and add mulch or bark to the planter beds.

Two-story stucco home with a tile roof, arched porch, and landscaped front lawn.

Hardware

Adding modern faucets, knobs, handles, and pulls can make the entire home feel like it’s modern. Even if it’s an old style knob with a current day spin, you’ll immediately see and feel the difference.

Modern kitchen with a blue island, marble counters, white cabinets, and geometric pendant lights.

Mirrors

Today’s interior designers use framed mirrors instead of the wall to wall styled mirrors of the 70’s & 80’s.  Today’s bathroom mirrors in particular have frames or special lighting, and some include a defroster capability.

Bright bathroom with a freestanding tub, glass shower, and wood double vanity.

Switches and Plugs

 Older homes tend to have yellowed ivory or almond color switches, switch plates and plugs, and in some homes, we also see different styled light switches in every room. To make the home feel fresh and new (and the plugs will work better too!), have an electrician update everything to white.

Bright living room with a cream tufted sectional, orange bolster pillows, and a round wooden coffee table.

TRANSFORMATION EXAMPLES

Lakeview Ct, Los Gatos

The home features extensive updates throughout, including a remodeled kitchen with stainless steel appliances, refreshed flooring, updated bathrooms, modern lighting, fresh interior and exterior paint, and thoughtfully enhanced indoor and outdoor living spaces.

Entryway with a carpeted staircase, wood handrail, and packing materials scattered across the floor.
Bright foyer with a white-carpeted staircase, ornate dark railing, and dark wood console.
Before
after
Bathroom with a glass shower, toilet, and cleaning supplies on the vanity.
Bright white bathroom with gold fixtures, a glass shower, oval mirror, and skylight.
before
after
Entryway with a brass-and-glass chandelier and staircase; a worker stands among preparation supplies.
Bright entry foyer with a glass-topped console table, white orchids, and a black chandelier.
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after
Outdoor bench overlooking wooded hills, with dry grasses and purple flowers in the foreground.
Garden and trees overlook wooded hills, with glimpses of water in the distance.
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after
Media room with built-in wood cabinetry, two screens, broad windows, and dark hardwood flooring.
Dining room with built-in wooden cabinets, a round table, and windows overlooking greenery.
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after
Upstairs landing with a wooden handrail, white doors, and fans visible through an open doorway.
Upstairs hallway with hardwood floors, a black stair railing, and a hanging chandelier.
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after

Vina Dr, Los Gatos

The home was updated with a remodeled kitchen and new stainless steel appliances, new flooring including refinished hardwoods, carpet, and porcelain tile, updated bathrooms, and freshly painted interiors and exteriors.

Living room with a beige sectional, patterned armchair, colorful rugs, and a pass-through cabinet.
Open-plan living room with white seating, rustic wood coffee table, green kitchen island, and high beamed ceiling.
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after
Bedroom with a broad garden-facing window, built-in window seat, and colorful cushions.
Staged bedroom with a large bed, upholstered bench, and wide windows.
before
after
Bathroom with a vessel sink, bathtub, and distinctive white-and-teal geometric tile.
Bathroom with a double vessel-sink vanity and white herringbone tile around the bathtub.
before
after
Living room with hardwood floors, leather armchair, and an open glass door to greenery.
Open-plan living and dining room with hardwood floors, large windows, and a glass-paneled door.
before
after

Lomita Ave, Saratoga

Kitchen has been fully remodeled, new flooring, updated bathrooms, new paint, fresh landscaping, and updated appliances.

Kitchen with wooden cabinets, tiled counters and island, patterned floor, and cluttered surfaces.
White kitchen with a large island, skylight, and windows overlooking a landscaped backyard.
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after
Dining room with a wooden table, patterned rug, glassware cabinets, and a doorway to the kitchen.
Staged dining room with a wooden table beside large sliding glass doors to a deck.
before
after
Bathroom with a double-sink tiled vanity, wood cabinets, and an adjoining toilet area.
Bathroom with a double vanity, marble-look counter, brass faucets, and two arched mirrors.
before
after
Living room with a large projection screen over a brick fireplace and sofas facing the screen.
Staged living room with white seating, a brick fireplace, and three framed artworks.
before
after

Beatty Ridge Rd, Los Gatos

New interior paint and new carpeting throughout.

Living room with exposed ceiling beams, parquet flooring, and large windows overlooking wooded mountain hills.
Living room with vaulted ceiling, large windows, and wooded hills beyond.
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after
Cluttered room with a sloped ceiling, large windows, a black stove pipe, and belongings piled across the floor.
Loft living area with brown leather chairs, high windows, and a wood railing.
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after
Bedroom with a wooden daybed beneath a vaulted ceiling, skylight, and high windows overlooking trees.
Staged bedroom with a neatly made bed, patterned rug, large windows, and skylight.
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after
Dining room with a wooden table, colorful wall hanging, and large windows.
Dining room with a glass-top table, upholstered chairs, large windows, and an arched mirror.
before
after

JUNIPERO WAY, SARATOGA

Removed popcorn ceilings, new interior and exterior paint, new flooring, new lighting, reglazed kichen sink and tile, reglazed bathroom counters, bathtub and shower, new landscape, added modern cabinet hardware in kitchen and built-ins.

Cluttered dining room with an ornate table, crystal chandelier, and boxes near curtained windows.
Dining room with a round wood table, white upholstered chairs, and a large gold-framed mirror.
Before
After
Living room with floral armchairs, a television, and a red brick fireplace wall.
Staged living room with a dark brick fireplace, large leafy-view windows, and white sofas.
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After
Bathroom bathtub and shower with patterned tile, a frosted window, handheld showerhead, and grab bar.
Bathroom with white tub and tiled shower, chrome fixtures, frosted window, and neatly hung towels.
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After
Kitchen with oak cabinets, tiled island and counters, and large windows overlooking trees.
Bright white kitchen with a tiled peninsula and round glass dining table.
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After
Living room with a vaulted wood-plank ceiling, built-in cabinet, carpet, and moving boxes.
Staged living room with a vaulted wood ceiling, white seating, and windows overlooking a green courtyard.
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After
Living room with a brick fireplace, exposed-beam ceiling, and moving boxes among the furniture.
Staged living room with a vaulted wood ceiling, black brick fireplace, and white seating.
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After
Carpeted room with beige curtains, a large window, wooden side tables, and a freestanding clothes rack.
Staged bedroom with a gray quilt, wide garden-facing windows, and sliding glass doors to a patio.
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After

FOXCHASE DR, SAN JOSE

New interior paint, newly painted bathroom and kitchen cabinets, reglazed kitchen sink, new faucet and new hardware on all cabinets, plumbing and electrical repairs.

Contact
Cluttered loft office with wooden shelves, a gray chair, boxes, and belongings scattered across the carpet.
Loft bedroom with a white bed, blue accent pillow, and high window overlooking trees.
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AFTER
Cluttered living room with a loft railing, hardwood floors, furniture, and boxes packed for listing preparation.
Dining area with a wood table, gray chairs, hardwood floors, and an open kitchen.
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AFTER

4TH ST, SARATOGA

New flooring (carpet) and paint throughout; minor repairs; replaced kitchen faucet and added modern cabinet hardware; full staging.

Living and dining room with stacked moving boxes, a wooden dining set, and sliding doors to a patio.
Staged living room with a lit fireplace and glass doors opening to a balcony.
Before
After

BIG BASIN WAY, SARATOGA

Replaced bathroom faucets; minor repairs; paint touch ups; virtual staging.

Living room with covered sofas, a marble fireplace, and a glass coffee table.
Staged living room with a stone fireplace, light seating, and a large curtained window.
Before
After

TEATREE CT, SAN JOSE

Painted kitchen and touched up paint throughout, minor repairs, full staging.
Living room with a dark sectional, carpet, vertical blinds, and sliding glass door to a deck.
Staged living room with a white sofa, glass tables, and sliding doors to a tree-lined balcony.
Before
After

EL PORTON, LOS GATOS

Landscape refresh; new flooring (vinyl laminate) in living room; new paint throughout; repairs; new stain on deck; partial staging.
Living room with a Christmas tree beside glass doors opening to a deck.
Living room with a tall carved wall panel, tiled fireplace, and glass doors opening to a balcony.
Before
After

LA TERRACE CIRCLE, SAN JOSE

New flooring (carpet) and paint throughout; painted kitchen and bathroom cabinets; added modern cabinet hardware, replaced the lighting with modern fixtures and fan; minor repairs.
Dining area with a cluttered table beside a sliding glass door with purple curtains.
Staged dining area with a glass table beside sliding doors opening onto a deck.
Bathroom with a granite vanity, warm wood cabinets, and a toilet beside the sink.
Bathroom with a black vanity countertop, white cabinetry, and a shower reflected in the mirror.
Kitchen with honey-colored wood cabinets, granite counters, and stainless-steel appliances.
Updated kitchen with white cabinets, stainless steel appliances, and dark granite countertops.

SOUTH MAIN STREET, MILPITAS

New flooring (carpet) and paint throughout; repairs.
Cluttered home office packed with shelves, papers, art supplies, and cardboard boxes.
Staged bedroom with a white bed, gray bench, ocean-themed wall art, and a sunny window.
Cluttered bedroom with boxes, clothes, bedding, and artwork piled around a bed.
Staged bedroom with a white bed, blue headboard, mustard accent pillow, and bright window.

Work With Janet

Fundamental to how Janet Souza views her role as her client’s real estate advisor, she seamlessly blends her former professional worlds that span consulting, engineering, marketing, strategy, and executive sales negotiations as her frame of reference, bringing a premier standard of performance and uncompromised integrity to her clients.

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Contact Details

JANET SOUZA | CA DRE# 02079264

(408) 805-3349

[email protected]



214 Saratoga-Los Gatos Rd.
Los Gatos, CA 95030