Decluttering for Homemovers
If you’ve watched House Doctor, Selling Houses or Trading Up, you will know that to prepare your home for sale you need to declutter it.
There are lots of good reasons to declutter when you put your house on the market. Firstly, if you have your belongings falling out of cupboards, shelves crammed and wardrobes full to bursting it sends a subliminal message to viewers; not enough storage. The logical mind knows that they will have different furniture and different belongings but it’s not the logical mind we are thinking about here.
Secondly, everybody wants only one thing when they buy a property. Space. The less stuff there is in your house the bigger it looks. Mind tricks again - your home isn’t actually any bigger, it just appears so.
Thirdly, it saves time later. Start chucking out all your junk now and you won’t have to do it in a rush when you finally pack your belongings to move. And let’s face it; the worst that can happen is you have a tidier, junk-free home to live in until you do move.
Everyone will have their own clutter bugbears, the garden shed, hobby paraphernalia or too many kitchen gadgets. Here are some of the top clutter hotspots to attack first.
1. Hallways tend to be dumping grounds for shoes, shopping, recycling, dirty wellies and PE kits. It is the first part of your home the viewers see so it must be cleared as a priority.
2. Wardrobes that are full of unworn clothes and shoes are a waste of space and fill your house with extra dust. Bin the tatty stuff and send the good stuff to your favourite charity shop or sell it at a dress agency. And you can use the extra space to stash stuff quickly when viewers do come round…..
3. Sheds are difficult for many, because that is where you tend to put stuff that you have already decided you don’t want, but think it might just come in handy one day……no it probably won’t so now really is the time to say goodbye.
4. The spare room needs to be shown as a bedroom, not a junk room, so it’s time to excavate the spare bed from under the piles of outgrown soft toys or out-of-season clothes.
5. Kitchens need to look both large and hygienic so piles of dog-eared papers that haven’t been touched for months give the wrong impression. File current paperwork and bin the rest. Decide what gadgets take more time to clean than the time they are supposed to save and either sell them or give them away. Chuck out all out-of-date food, and give away anything you bought two of on special offer and found you didn’t like.
Now your house is decluttered it will be much easier to keep clean, and easier to tidy up when viewers come around. And, well if minimalist really isn’t for you, you can always go back to your old ways once you settle into your new place.
Choosing a 'For Sale by Owner' Website
Preparing your details
Tips For Photographing Your Property