Thoroughly preparing your home before listing is necessary in order to sell quickly for the most possible money. Removing the clutter is the first step to help maximize your market potential. From a prospective buyer’s viewpoint, clutter translates into undesirable. The excess stimulus can make a room appear smaller and darker, and even suggest the home has not been well maintained. Remember, highlighting your possessions is not your goal but rather the features of the house you are selling; pre-packing is essential to create a sense of spaciousness, cleanliness and order!
Stress is reduced when the task of decluttering is broken into manageable segments over a series of days or weeks. Concentrate on one room at a time and work for no more than one hour before taking a break. Don’t make more of a mess than you can clean up before the end of each session!
Begin by labeling three sturdy boxes as “Throw Away”, “Give Away” and “Pack Away”. Next, examine every item, book, knick-knack and piece of furniture, answering the following questions to determine whether to keep it, pack it up or get rid of it:
- Do I really love it?
- Would I buy it again?
- Do I really need it?
- Have I used it in the last twelve months?
- Do I anticipate using it in the next six months?
Be patient. Avoid putting your house on the market before it is completely ready. To save time and unnecessary stress, enlist the services of a home-staging specialist to help make your home move-in ready.
