Decluttering your home is one of the most important aspects of staging it for sale. Not only will getting the mess and overflow out of your home refresh the way it looks and feels for prospective buyers, but tackling all of those old belongings may just help you to begin emotionally distancing yourself from your old property, making it easier to get into the right mindset for a successful sale.
Whether you’re intending to go to market soon or not, the warm spring months are the perfect time to turn a fresh eye to the clutter and junk taking up valuable space in your home. Want to get a jump start on getting ready for your home sale? Why not use your spring cleaning regimen as an opportunity to take on clutter, maximize your space, and improve your home’s layout?
Here are a few decluttering ideas to help you get started:
Begin By Removing “Genuine Clutter”
Over at Organise My House, blogger and home stager Chrissy Halton identifies the two types of clutter than can affect home sales; she breaks them down in terms of “genuine clutter” – items that don’t belong in the space, or don’t offer any genuine value – and a second group, “items not right for selling your home,” which may include out of place furniture, off-kilter decorations or furnishings, or personal items.
You’ll likely want to keep a lot of the items that fall into the second category, which means you probably don’t want – or need – to address them until you’re ready to really begin the home selling process, bringing in an agent, a professional stager, and a real estate photographer. Most sellers simply move their personal items over to their new property, or else rent out a storage unit for the duration of their sale.
Instead of worrying about your favorite things, use your “spring cleaning” schedule as a chance to tackle that genuine clutter, the obtrusive, unnecessary stuff filling up your home which you don’t really want or need. Old papers, broken or unwanted sports equipment, the old gas cans or paint gallons filling up your detached garage – these are all begging to be gotten rid of safely and efficiently.
Getting rid of the little stuff now, when you have free time and a clear head, can only help save you time and stress when you really start the process in earnest down the line.
Take It Room By Room
Broadly speaking, the most major and distracting pockets of clutter tends to accumulate in a few areas around the house: the master bedroom, the bathroom, and the garage.
We’ve written a comprehensive guide to “hacking” these three messy targets before; here are a few key strategies to keep in mind as you survey them this spring:
The Master Bedroom Closet
Your biggest closets are all-important when it comes to highlighting the storage potential of your home. To show them off, get rid of everything that is not directly related to your clothing, and make sure the space is organized and not overly full. Finally, remember to free up floor space; this gives visitors a sight line to the back wall, making the closet seem larger.
The Bathroom
Cut the clutter in your bathroom by getting rid of excess beauty products and medicine, and don’t forget to really pare down and organize your drawers, your under-the-sink storage area, and your medicine cabinets. Our friends at J. Blanton Plumbing have a few great guides on decluttering your bathroom available here and here.
The Garage
The garage is so important to the sale of your home that we recently devoted an entire article to it. The key things to remember? Make it all about the car, label and organize everything, and make sure the space is safe – no one wants to walk into a garage only to fear for their life in the face of teetering shelves, oil slicks, or dangling wires.
Rethink Your Décor and Design
Of course, getting rid of all of your genuine clutter and reorganizing your rooms could lead you to develop spring fever, turning your simple cleaning job into an all-out transformation of your home. We say? Embrace that urge!
It’s always better to take on projects – including redoing your kitchen, replacing your furniture, updating your outdoor décor, or refreshing your home’s color palette – when you’re not juggling the countless other stressors that come with selling your home or finding a new one.
This spring, why not take a breath of that fresh Chicago air and dive right in?
Need some help getting started? The Real Group team would be happy to refer you to a local pro perfect for taking on your job. Ready to begin the selling process full stop? We’re here for that, too. Whatever your realty needs, drop us a line today! Our team is here and ready to set you on the right path.
