Decluttering a Home For Sale

The most important thing sellers can do is get rid of the stuff!

Take a neighborhood walk or drive around NOVA on a Saturday when folks are out working on their houses to see the stunning amount of unused junk being stored in (open) garages.

Even Goodwill is picky about accepting anything but the easily resellable, rejecting much of what it is offered by sometimes indignant donors.

Decluttering is something most folks don't think they need to do until a third party points out how having the garage full of boxes and junk means buyers will make a mental note that the house does not have a "usable" garage.

Or it can be the kitchen; cabinets overflowing with three sets of dishes, counter tops filled with appliances and homework assignments.

While some buyers have "vision", many more seem unable to imagine anything other than what they see in front of them. Showing your home as very spacious and airy draws in buyers searching for space for their own junk!

Do we really need all this stuff anyway? Housing surveys show buyers are trending towards high end amenities but in smaller homes. The need to fill every vacant space is almost dysfunctional.

Ashburn organizer Maria White says there are three initial steps to decluttering:

1. Purge - Deciding what to throw away-then doing it!
   
2. Pair - Putting similar purpose items together.
   
3. Place - Position "keep" items in a specific "home".

Readying a home for resale involves the overarching mission to depersonalize the space in addition to removing most of your possessions.

The house is supposed to look somewhat generic, devoid of specific personality clues like personal pictures and knick knacks. Tossing out or storing items offsite is essential groundwork for home sellers.

Local author, Cynthia L. Kirk, has a humorous take on the often procrastinated task in separating your "home" (life) from your home.

Decluttering a house for sale includes removing items from natural storage areas like closets and garages.

Although it can be a challenge to pare down a lifestyle and house to contain only what is actually used on a daily basis, the empty space will echo when buyers walk through and leave a firm impression of cleanliness and space.

Showcase the house and property, not your belongings!

Do this and your house will appeal to the maximum amount of buyers for a quicker sale-and possibly a higher sales price than the house would otherwise fetch.