There are many reasons why decluttering your home can be important. If you are going to be putting your home on the market to sell, it becomes imperative. The most successful homes that sell are usually the ones where space is not an issue, no matter how small they are.
When you hire us as your Realtors, you are not hiring us to sell your “stuff.” We are hired to sell the “space” – your home. In a real estate transaction, you don’t have a lot of control over most of what goes into the sale of your home. YOU have complete control over DECLUTTERING, ORGANIZING and CLEANING, which will have a direct impact on selling your home for the most amount of money in the least amount of time.
Here are 10 good reasons why decluttering your home is well worth your time.
1. If your home has a good amount of “stuff” (knickknacks, collections, even excess furniture), buyers will be distracted. They will end up focusing on everything in the rooms and not on the best features of the room itself.
2. Buyers will be better able to imagine themselves living in the home. Removing excess, including family pictures, will give them the opportunity to see themselves living there.
3. Decluttered and organized rooms makes them appear larger as well. (Even taking up area rugs to create “white space” will make a room look larger.
4. Better photos! It is well known that buyers today begin their home search online. Photos are EXTREMELY important in our marketing plan. The photos must show the space, not all the things in the space. TIP: Take a picture of each of the rooms in your house. When you look at the picture, are you focused on the stuff or can you see the space? Now you will have a snapshot of each room for memories too.
5. Potential buyers will be able to feel that they can grow in your home. If your closets, cabinets, and storage areas are busting at the seams with all your things, buyers may in fact perceive it as there isn’t enough room for them to grow in the home. If you have outgrown it, they will too.
6. Packing and sorting ahead of the move will make it much easier on you when the time comes to do the big move. You will be ahead of yourself if much of this is already done. This could save you money in the long run.
7. A decluttered, organized, and clean space will let potential buyers know that this home is loved and well taken care of.
8. Your decluttered home will always be much easier to keep clean while on the market. It will be ready for those showings. Feel that stress level go down?
9. Move on in. Potential buyers will see that you are prepared for the move and ready to go.
10. Great curb appeal. Don’t forget the outside when you are decluttering. Curb appeal is a must! First impressions are just that. A decluttered, clean front door and entryway will be welcoming and inviting. The buyers will get that good feeling and want to see the rest of your organized home.
A lot of people have been inspired by the organizing consultant, Marie Kondo’s new Netflix series, but, personally, I have been inspired by “The Complete Book of Home Organization” by Toni Hamersley from A Bowl Full of Lemons. It is an easy guide to getting rid of clutter and getting your home organized. Even if you are not making a move soon, you will feel the freedom that decluttering and organizing gives you.
~Sharon