According to the National Association of Professional Organizers (Yes, that’s a thing), 65% of Americans feel that their home is somewhat disorganized. It’s one thing for you to feel that the home you’ve lived in for X years is disorganized, but if potential buyers feel the same way, you might just lose them. As buyers walk through the house, they need to be able to see themselves living in the home. They should be able to visualize where they’re going to place their furniture, appliances, and other personal items. Here are a few tips to get your home de-cluttered and ready to sell.
I’d recommend tackling this process one room at a time. Create a “Sorting System”. Determine which items will go into the “Keep it pile”, “Trash it pile”, and the “Store it pile”.
The “Keep it Pile” is going to contain all of the items that you are going to keep in that particular room. The “Trash it Pile” is self-explanatory, and the “Storage Pile” will contain all of the items that you’re going to either store in the basement, attic or in a local self-storage facility. Of course if you decide to store anything within the property, you should make sure that it’s clean and organized.
Depersonalization of the home is just as important as decluttering it. As much as you love your garden gnomes, knickknacks, NFL memorabilia, Buddha statues and other personal items, your buyer may not share the same appreciation. You’ll also want to consider putting some of your family photos in storage. You don’t want the home to feel cold, but you should give your potential buyers the opportunity to imagine their own families living there. The last thing you want is for buyers to feel like their snooping through someone’s home. It should feel like a brand new space.
Whether this was the home you’ve raised your family in, or the home your grandfather built from the bottom up with his bare hands, it’s going to be a very difficult process to let go. Acknowledge that selling it will be stressful, Make sure you’re truly ready to sell and start thinking of it as just another product to be marketed. I know this sounds crazy, and it’s easier said than done, but this is the time that you’ll want to start letting it sink in that someone else will create new memories in the home.