The early weeks are about decisions, not labour: what stays, what gets stored, and which repairs are worth doing before photos versus disclosing and pricing around. A home inspection, typically $400 to $600, done ahead of listing can surface issues while there is still time to fix them calmly.
The last two weeks before listing are for staging, professional photos and a final walk-through, timed so the home is camera-ready on the day it goes live rather than still mid-project. Rushing this stage is the most common reason a first showing underwhelms.
Starting earlier rather than later gives you room to fix problems on your own schedule instead of the market's. Get your hand-reviewed valuation from Joel Dyck.