CLUTTER.

The ugly, all-encompassing term used to describe what lurks in the darkest depths of our homes.

While clutter is typically reserved for our own private frustrations, our organizational wrongdoings return to haunt us when it comes time to put our homes on the market. With potential buyers inspecting every inch of your home, making a good impression is extremely important. A cluttered home can turn your buyers off of what could otherwise be their dream home.

Here’s how organize your home to sell in three of the most commonly cluttered corners of a home:

The Bedroom Closet

The bedroom closet is an often neglected corner of the home where stray items are hastily stuffed when company is coming over. While this strategy may work for hiding clutter from the occasional guest, a prospective homebuyer will find those monsters in your closet.

Instead of scaring your buyers away, tidy that closet up! An organized bedroom closet is a sure way to make a good impression on homebuyers. Here's where to start:

• Get rid of anything not related to clothing.
  Bedroom closets were designed with clothing in mind. They look a lot better without your dad’s soft rock vinyl collection. Find another place for all of the knick-knacks, leaving room to showcase your wardrobe.
• The placement test.
  Once you get rid of your non-wearable items, it’s time to decide where to place the remaining attire. Create a visually appealing space by organizing hanging items by color or function, using storage boxes and cubbies to hide smaller items, and (if needed) optimizing vertical space with shelf dividers to keep folded clothes in place.
• Avoid overfilling with clothes (or anything).
  Having too many clothes in your closet makes it look like there isn’t very much closet space, which could easily deter a buyer. Move the rarely-worn items to another place, like your basement storage or an off-site storage space. (And of course, if you still have your dad’s soft rock vinyl collection in there, shame on you!)
• Make it look like someone important gets dressed there.
  You want your potential buyer to open your closet door and immediately think, “Wow, someone important gets dressed here and I want to be that person.” Move the suits and dresses to the front, and keep the graphic t-shirts and ripped jeans out of sight.
• Free the floor.
  A bare floor will allow viewers sightlines to go to the back wall, making the closet, and room, seem bigger. Try to move all of the floor items off the floor, even if that means putting in a low shelf to lift up all the shoes (we're talking to you, Imelda!)

The Bathroom

The bathroom, just like the bedroom closet, is a hotspot for clutter buildup. A cluttered bathroom can easily come across as "not maintained" (aka expensive repairs needed) to a prospective homebuyer. Keep yours continually prepped for showings - perhaps even spa-like - with these tips:

• Cut the excess.
  Yes, we all know you love having a full beauty selection in your bathroom, but when was the last time you used that Nepalese tea tree oil your sister got you while backpacking in the Himalayas? Go through all of your products and medicines, and find another place for anything you don’t use on a regular basis. The idea is to avoid overfilling, just like in your bedroom closet, in order to create the appearance of more storage space.
• Create a clean slate.
  Move any remaining products, appliances or laundry out of sight. Create a clean slate to allow the buyer to imagine how they would enjoy the luxurious bathroom, instead of noticing all the ways that you do.
• Focus on the drawers.
  Ah yes, your bathroom drawers - yet another series of dark spaces that seem to attract home clutter. Keep your drawers tamed with expandable cosmetic drawer organizers. Dazzle your homebuyers with another visually appealing display of your organizational prowess. (And again, do not overfill!)

The Garage

Even the most organized have fallen victim to the overstuffed garage. However, it is important to remember that buyers want to see their future home in its ideal form (despite what it may realistically become once they move in.) Presenting an organized garage can make an extremely positive impression on your buyers. Here's how:

• Make it about the car.
  Even if you've been using the garage as workshop or garage band studio, your buyers will want to see your garage in its intended form - a space to park a car. Store your extra gear off-site while showing your home to create this experience for your buyers.
• Boxes and labels.
  Have a lot of extraneous items floating around your garage space? Consolidate these items into boxes with clear labels to create a more consistent and organized environment. As an added bonus, this will likely be a useful step as you move into a new home as well!

Incorporating these tips into your home-sale preparations will surely impress potential buyers. If you have more questions about preparing to sell your home, contact the Real Group Team! We'd love to help you get your home at its best to sell at its optimal price.