1. It makes your home appear larger. Too much furniture or décor pieces makes the space less usable. Overstuffed closets and cabinets make it seem like the home doesn’t have enough storage space.
2. Potential buyers like to imagine themselves living in your home. Try to pick a neutral color scheme and decorate with less personal items. Remove personalized items from your home and give it a “blank slate” for potential buyers to imagine.
3. Getting better offers. Homes that are staged well, and show less clutter tend to sell faster and for more money. People will look in closets and cabinets, so decluttering will help potential buyers see that you’ve cared for and maintained your home.
4. Makes your move easier. Decluttering before listing your home helps get the work done upfront and get organized, making the packing and unpacking go smooth—finding the items easily and unpacking systematically.
Steps on How to Declutter
Decluttering can feel like an overwhelming task, so here are a few steps to help you feel less stress and accomplish the task.
You really don’t need much to declutter your home, but having baskets, bins, or boxes defined for a purpose is a helpful start. Pick a room to begin and get started!
- Put Away
- Recycle
- Trash
- Donate
1. Begin early. We all have more stuff than we think we do, so plan ahead to get that jump start. Schedule time to begin and stick to your plan.
2. Start with the obvious stuff. Remove things like personal belongings and knickknacks, décor, and family photos. Sell, donate or store any furniture that makes a room feel crowded and dated. Don’t worry if rooms start to feel empty. Space sells. Countertops, islands, and tops of refrigerators are notorious catchalls. Take the time to clear them as well. Remove any paperwork, mail piles, or anything that crowds their real estate. Buyers need to see the potential of each room, and a spacious kitchen can help sell a home.
3. Take one room at a time. Besides the kitchen, bathrooms and living room, don’t overlook the following:
a. Garage/Basement/Attic – pay attention to old paint cans, camping gear, extra tools, random toys
b. Closets/Drawers – toss or donate anything that too old, worn, too small, or too big. If you don’t like it and haven’t worn it, toss it. Categorize items into those you want to trash, donate, store, and pack for the new house.
c. Cubbords/Pantry – clear out extra glasses, coffee mugs, mismatched tumblers. Remove expired food, cookware that is old, and don’t forget that junk drawer.
4. Don’t let nostalgia make decisions for you. It’s hard to let go of items that have sentimental value but keep those items that have a deep and special connection. The other items can be donated or tossed. You are tossing an item, not the memory.
5. Don’t do this alone. Be sure to recruit friends and family to help you declutter. It’s not an easy process, so put on some music to help keep the stress low and the moral high.
