The Waterfront Seller's Pre-Listing Checklist

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A waterfront home is really two properties being sold at once: the house, and the water it sits on — the dock, the seawall, the frontage, the bridge math between your backyard and the ocean. Buyers price both, whether the listing talks about both or not.

This is the checklist I give my own waterfront sellers before the photographer is booked: the homework that turns a buyer's hardest questions into your selling points, in the order a serious buyer will check them.

1. The water first: dock & seawall — pre-listing marine inspection first, how to read your seawall, and the three-seller decision: clean report, minor items, or a major item priced in openly with a contractor's quote.

2. Permits & records to gather — survey, elevation certificate, seawall/dock permits, inspection reports, repair records, flood insurance history, HOA/condo documents, plus a fill-in sheet for your route, lowest fixed bridge, and dock numbers.

3. Pricing homework — compare water to water, not to the house next door: sold record, response checkpoints, and net-sheet math before launch.

4. Photo & video prep — stage the dock as a room, decide on the boat on purpose, and shoot in the golden-hour window.

5. Launch timing — the fall-through-spring season and boat-show traffic; protect the first two weeks.

Get the free checklist — Send Me the Free Checklist: https://reed-kellough.kit.com/08c73fff0d

Waterfront homeowners in Boca Raton, Delray Beach, Lighthouse Point, Pompano Beach, Deerfield Beach, and Lauderdale-by-the-Sea selling this season or thinking about next. Not waterfront? See the Pre-Listing Checklist and seller packet at https://reedkellough.gumroad.com

The full playbook: the reasoning behind this checklist is in Sell Your Waterfront Home: The Pre-Listing Playbook at https://reedkellough.com/sell-waterfront-home — and run your net-sheet math with the net-sheet calculator at https://listwithreed.com/net-sheet-calculator or start quietly at https://listwithreed.com

Should I get a seawall inspection before I list? Yes — it is the highest-value step. A clean report is a selling point; a problem becomes a priced, disclosed number.

Do I need to repair my dock before selling? Repair what is failing, document what is sound, and price in the rest with a contractor's quote. Full cosmetic overhauls rarely pay back.

When do waterfront homes sell best in South Florida? During season — fall through spring — when relocating buyers and boat-show traffic are in person.

What will buyers ask about my bridges and dockage? Clearance heights on the route to the inlet, fixed bridges, water depth at the dock, and lift capacity. The checklist's fill-in sheet covers them, and the Dockage Guide at https://reedkellough.com/dockage-guide carries route clearances.

Get the free checklist — Send Me the Free Checklist: https://reed-kellough.kit.com/08c73fff0d

Start with the checklist, then run your numbers before you launch. The net-sheet calculator at https://listwithreed.com/net-sheet-calculator will show what you keep after costs. Questions? Douglas Elliman, (954) 242-0441 — or start quietly at https://listwithreed.com

Reed Kellough is a luxury real estate advisor with Douglas Elliman and the Eklund|Gomes Team. Licensed in Florida (#3274276), he has spent 14 years selling South Florida luxury and waterfront homes — 200+ closings, most of them waterfront. Based in Lighthouse Point, he works Boca Raton, Delray Beach, Deerfield Beach, Pompano Beach and Lauderdale-by-the-Sea. Follow: @reedtherealtor