5 Ways to Declutter Before Listing your home

  1. Toss the Trash

We often become “clutter blind” to things that collect in our homes. If you have mail waiting to be sorted, handled, and discarded, magazines and newspapers you intended to read (but probably won’t), and things that need to be recycled, donated or thrown away, do that now. Go through every room in your house with a garbage bag and a donation bag. Be sure to shred any sensitive documents so this information doesn’t fall into the wrong hands.

2. Pare Down Furniture

If you have rooms overstuffed with furniture, they’ll appear too small and unwelcoming to potential buyers. Eliminate all unessential furniture and any upholstered items that are threadbare of excessively worn. It’s better to have less and use you best pieces to state your home.

3. Depersonalize

Your home probably contains your favorite collections, cherished photographs, children’s artwork, postcards, and memorabilia. These items should be placed in specially marked boxes and tucked away for your move or to give to family members. This will help potential buyers imagine how the home will look with their items.

4. Clear the surfaces

Look at every flat surface in your home. Things tend to collect on countertops, tables, and shelves making a home look crowded and giving buyers the impression there’s no room for their life to unfold in this space. If a surface has more than a single decorative item (or related grouping of three things), it’s to “busy” to be inviting to a potential buyer.

5. Unstuff the closets

Before listing your home, every closet should appear spacious and airy. Crowded closets look too small to use. In bedrooms, remove everything except for the in-season clothes you often wear and enjoy most. Everything else should be packed up or donated. Linen closets should be organized with a maximum of two fresh changes of sheets and pillowcases for each bed. Keep only your nicest towels and washcloths. Retire the ratty ones to the rag box. The hall closet should hold jackets and coats for the current season and have enough room to accept visitors’ coats.

copywrite the seniors real estate specialist (sres)

Don’t Stop Here

More To Explore

U.S. Migration Trends: Where are people moving to and from?

Nationwide, 24% of homebuyers searched to move to a different metro area between Oct ’23 – Dec ’23. The top 5 states homebuyers searched to move to were Florida, North Carolina, Tennessee, South Carolina, and Arizona while California, New York, Illinois, Massachusetts, and Washington were the top 5 states homebuyers searched to move from. Of

Read More »

Down Payment Assistance Programs Can Help Pave the Way to Homeownership

If you’re looking to buy a home, your down payment doesn’t have to be a big hurdle. According to the National Association of Realtors (NAR), 38% of first-time homebuyers find saving for a down payment the most challenging step. But the reality is, you probably don’t need to put down as much as you think: Data from NAR shows the median

Read More »

Two Reasons You Should Sell Your House

Wondering if you should sell your house this year? As you make your decision, think about what’s motivating you to consider moving. A recent survey from realtor.com asked why homeowners are thinking about selling their houses this year. Here are the top two reasons (see graphic below): Let’s break those reasons down and explore how they might resonate with

Read More »

What’s Ahead for Home Prices in 2023

Over the past year, home prices have been a widely debated topic. Some have said we’ll see a massive drop in prices and that this could be a repeat of 2008 – which hasn’t happened. Others have forecasted a real estate market that could see slight appreciation or depreciation depending on the area of the country.

Read More »

Why It Makes Sense To Move Before Spring

Spring is usually the busiest season in the housing market. Many buyers wait until then to make their move, believing it’s the best time to find a home. However, that isn’t always the case when you factor in the competition you could face with other buyers at that time of year. If you’re ready to

Read More »

3 Trends That Are Good News for Today’s Homebuyers

While higher mortgage rates are creating affordability challenges for homebuyers this year, there is some good news for those people still looking to buy a home. As the market has cooled this year, some of the intensity buyers faced during the peak frenzy of the pandemic has cooled too. Here are just a few trends that may benefit you

Read More »

LOGIN

Not a member? Sign up!

LETS START YOUR HOME BUYING JOURNEY!