Decluttering Your Home Before Selling It

If you're considering selling your home shortly, or if it's been on the market without any interest, you'll aim to achieve the highest selling price as quickly as possible, ensuring a smooth transition to your new home, particularly given the current market state. One effective strategy to take control of the home selling process is to declutter your residence. When potential buyers contemplate purchasing a home, they make one of the most significant investments in their lives. They need to envision themselves living in the space to facilitate their decision-making. However, littering the surfaces and floors with personal items obscures the home's potential.

The clutter issue is a prevalent concern in American households, and it's progressively worsening. A study conducted in 2015 by the National Association of Professional Organizers revealed that 54% of Americans feel overwhelmed by clutter. Subsequent reports indicate that this figure has continued to rise, underscoring the growing importance of understanding the reasons for decluttering your home before putting it up for sale and the techniques leveraged for a successful declutter.

Top Couple Reasons to Declutter

1. Clutter Distracts Perspective Buyers - When a potential buyer visits a property, they can also become easily sidetracked by your personal life and the belongings you have in the house. Buyers frequently shift their focus away from essential aspects like the available space, natural light, and the overall layout. This diversion occurs because they become curious about the current homeowners rather than concentrating on the property's attributes. Whether they're aware of it or not, they evaluate how your lifestyle aligns with theirs, considering a potential upgrade in their life as they contemplate a move. If your home is filled with personal belongings, it leaves little space for them to envision their own story.

2. Make Moving Simpler - Preparing your home for sale through decluttering might involve storing away belongings that will only be necessary after the relocation. This step aims to create additional room within the house. Suppose you've already commenced the packing and organizing procedure well in advance. In that case, you'll find yourself in a favorable situation to complete the packing process when the moment arrives, significantly reducing the sense of being overwhelmed.

How to Start…

For many individuals, breaking down the process of decluttering a residence over several days is more feasible. However, circumstances only sometimes allow for this approach. Here are some guidelines to assist you in decluttering your home within a single day or a weekend.

• Create a Checklist - Before commencing the task at hand, construct a comprehensive list encompassing each room and an estimated time frame for decluttering each space. Given the time constraints, allocate a maximum of a few hours to each room. This time limit will help you concentrate more on the task at hand and less on reminiscing.

• Assemble Necessary Materials - Now that you have your checklist, gather all the essential items required to facilitate decluttering and maintain your focus. Include markers, trash bags, boxes, labels, and a timer as a starting point for your supplies. Add any additional items that come to mind. The objective is to keep your attention on the task by having all necessary materials within reach.

• Sorting and Decision Making - A well-known book titled "The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up: The Japanese Art of Decluttering and Organizing" delves into practical strategies for determining what to retain and what to discard. Ultimately, your focus should be on items you use, need, or cherish. Given the time limitations, you must be swift and impartial as you sift through your belongings. It's acceptable to create an undecided pile to revisit later. Try not to hold onto items solely because they were a bargain or due to a sense of obligation.

• Store "Keepers" Appropriately - Items you frequently find homes in easily accessible locations. Utilize small bins or boxes to facilitate organized access. If the volume of your belongings still hampers the appearance of tidiness in your home, consider initiating the packing process early. Items you can do without for several months can be packed away. Be sure to store keepsakes and personal mementos appropriately. Consider using large plastic bins in the garage, attic, or basement ready to move for more oversized, less used items.

Clearing out an entire home or even just a single room can be quite daunting. Nonetheless, dividing this seemingly insurmountable undertaking into smaller segments and tackling it gradually across several days can alleviate the stress. Your most effective strategy for captivating a potential buyer lies in granting them the space to envision themselves residing in the environment. Once ready, contact FIZZBOW to help get the sale process on the road.