3 Rules for Decluttering When Selling a Home
When showing a home, we want buyers to imagine themselves living there– and fall in love.
Homes with cluttered shelves and counters accompanied by personal items like family photos in the hall and toothbrushes on the bathroom vanity, can make buyers feel as though they are intruding on someone else’s home. This will make them rush through a showing and most likely miss the positive features of your property.
Clutter dismisses the opportunity for buyers to create an emotional connection with the home. It also limits their imagination to envision themselves living there.Without that genuine, emotional bond, your home will be less memorable to buyers. Without a great impression, your property will have a difficult time competing with the stunning estates for sale down the road.
A home that is decluttered will invite buyers to slow down while touring your property. They begin to linger, imagine where their furniture will go, and remain engaged in the abundance of space inside.
If you want to give your home its best chance in a competitive market, follow my 3 rules to decluttering a home.
RULE #1:
Declutter, then Declutter Again.
Homes that are full of stuff appear small and unmaintained.
When decluttering, our goal is to take away any unnecessary distractions from buyers and make the space seem as large as possible. It’s time to pack away those family photos, tchotchkes, and sports schedules taped to the fridge.
Simplifying the layout of a house allows buyers to connect with the property and visualize themselves living in the space, as if the home is already theirs.
Sometimes we get so used to looking at our own space that we don’t notice the messy or overpacked areas of our home. It’s time to take a look at your home through the eyes of a buyer.
Walk through the front door rather than the garage to see what catches your eye and pulls your attention away from the positive features of your home.
Decluttering can be a daunting task.
The best way to begin is by removing items from the space– one room at a time. When you do this, don’t stuff things into a drawer or a closet, pack them away- this is key for rule #3.
Clear off counters, table tops, and desk surfaces.
Properly sort and store items in closets- without making them overflow.
Pack away the holiday decor that is still in your living room.
In the kitchen, stow away appliances that take up space on the counter. In our day-to-day lives, it is perfectly normal to leave a toaster or air fryer on the kitchen counter, however, when selling a home, we want the space to look as simple and abundant as possible.
From shoes to paperwork, entryway and kitchen areas can easily become overrun with stuff. To limit the number of shoes on the ground or coats on the hooks, consider pre-packaging.
RULE #2:
De-Personalize & Pre-Pack
In order to truly simplify and create a presence of abundance in your home, you need to pre-pack.
Decluttering is not just about cleaning your countertops. By de-personalizing your property and packing items away until you settle into your next home, you will allow buyers to feel as though they are walking into a home that was made for them.
My rule of thumb is this: anything that shows that a family lives there, should be removed.
Any family photos, Christmas cards, trophies and children art needs to be safely packed away. Although these items are dear to your heart, they will be very distracting for buyers and eliminate the opportunity for them to really imagine their lives in your home.
One of the best parts about this process is that you are actually getting a head start on your packing – which can be a daunting task in itself, especially when moving from a home that you have been living in for years.
Once you have depersonalized and prepackaged your property, I highly recommend storing your moving boxes off-site.
A pile of boxes in the garage or in the corner of the basement can be an eye-sore and make the space seem small. By storing boxes in a storage unit or at a friend's house, you can show the potential of the property and show it in the best light.
RULE #3:
Organize the Places Where You Don’t Think Buyers Will See (Because They Probably Will)
After you declutter and declutter again, depersonalize and pre-pack, it’s time to get organized.
Although you may think that buyers shopping for a new home won’t look behind closed doors, they probably will. Storage is an important feature to many people– they are curious about how large the pantry is, what the closet shelving is like in the master bedroom, and how much they can store inside the bathroom vanity.
Moving your clutter to these areas causing them to overflow will give the illusion that storage is small and limited.
Get organized.
Refold your linens and pre-pack your off-season clothing.
Sort through the toiletries you rarely use and purge the junk drawer in your kitchen.
Take the time to go through your closet and designate a donation bag for clothing.
This will not only make your property and storage look spacious and abundant, but it will also create ease for you when it comes time to move into your new home.
Decluttering is always the first step in preparing any home for sale.
95% of buyers’ agents recommend sellers declutter a home before putting it on the market.
Follow these three rules to get your home-sale process started!
As you prepare your home for sale, make sure it is staged to sell. Consider hiring a professional staging company like Great Impressions Staging to give your home those tasteful touches to help you sell your home. Our company has an excellent track record of selling properties fast and for the most money throughout the Lakes Region and New England. Request a consultation today.