subject: De-cluttering Number One Key To Marketing [print this page] When you put your home up for sale, you know you need to keep it clean. What many people don't realize is that cleaning and de-cluttering are two separate things.
De-cluttering requires an objective eye which is not easy for any homeowner. The knick knacks and what-nots that we consider to be the comforts of home, the potential buyer may see as clutter. De-cluttering is a main focus of a home stager.
To understand what prospective buyers might consider clutter, compare your home to images in house magazines, on make-over shows, or visit new model homes. The goal is not to change the decor, it is to get rid of all of the family photos, kitchen appliances, etc. The tend to be personal and that is not a good thing when trying to sell your home.
Now look at your house on a room-by-room basis and see how it compares.
Since you're planning on moving any way, get boxes and begin packing. Start boxing the items that you love but don't need such as pictures of your family or your child's kindergarten artwork. Your rooms will begin to look bigger and less cluttered. Tour every room two to three times to ensure that you have removed every non-essential item from view. For those items that cannot be packed even though you don't use them every day, consider storing them in a place that won't be immediately obvious to the buyer. You should also consider asking a family member, friend, or neighbor to hold them for you.
If you have children, this may be a doubly difficult task as it could be hard to convince them what they can live without for a few weeks or months. In that case, reach a compromise by putting some items in storage while others are packed away at home, then rotating the boxes so they can have access to their toys.
Books, DVDs and other things should be hidden away as well. Even if you have a shelving unit to display these items, the surfaces should only hold the bare minimum to help illustrate the purpose of the furniture, not your personal taste in film or music.
This process will help sell your home and give you a leg up when it comes time for the big move.
In addition to adding appeal and value, de-cluttering your home helps you in another big way when it comes to marketing. If the house is already free of the extraneous stuff of life, you will always be ready the moment the realtor calls to announce the visit of a potential buyer. Keeping everything clean will ensure that the house will remain sellable.
