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Clearing the Clutter Before Moving
Famed German architect, Ludwig Mies Van der Rohe, first coined the phrase, "less is more." And no where is this truer today than when selling a house.
If clutter enters a home one piece at a time (or one shopping bag at a time), how does it become so overwhelming? Clutter is one of the biggest challenges when preparing a house for sale. It eats equity and distracts prospective buyers from seeing the selling features.
While some people can live in chaos without a second thought, "the way we live in a home and the way we sell a house are two very different things," says Barb Schwarz, founder of StagedHomes.com.
When preparing a home for sale, clearing clutter is vital – so deal with it before realtors and prospective buyers see it. Before making an offer, buyers must visualize living in the home with their belongings…and this is difficult if clutter distracts them. Most buyers have too little time and/or imagination to see past the “stuff.” They want to walk in and envision themselves living there.
“Clutter” and “de-cluttering” are the latest buzz words relating to home sales. Simply put, clutter is anything that is not a selling feature of the home and includes:
- newspapers, magazines clipped articles/recipes
- collections of knick knacks, etc.
- dried flowers
- kid’s art/toys
- pet toys
- countless decorative objects
- hand-me-downs you don’t love
- broken items
- clothes
- laundry in view
- shoes, boots
- sheets, towels, etc.
- electronic equipment and cords
- CDs, DVDs
- hobby supplies
- bills, personal papers
- piles of books
- crowded furniture
- plants (dead or alive), broken pots
- excessive patio furniture
- sports equipment
- countless stuff in the workshop and garage
- car and boat parts
- seasonal items
- small appliances/items on kitchen counter
- excessive items on the desk, bathroom counter, or dresser
- family photos souvenirs
How do you eliminate clutter?
I recently spoke with Helen Simpson, a Registered Personal Organizer and owner of Get Neat!!, a company that specializes in organizing and de-cluttering to create balance in homes and offices.
Helen recommends that you survey your home with “buyers’ eyes.” “Buyers want to see the space, not your personal possessions. The more floor space exposed and the ease in which buyers can walk to a window, the faster a house will sell and for more money (on average $5,000).”
Start by creating a chart and assigning a colour for each room, red for the kitchen, blue for the dining room, etc.
Then tackle the dining room first as there’s always sentimental items including serving dishes used only for special holidays. Pack everything you don’t use regularly…and for the “uglies” in your china cabinet, get rid of them – start a box marked garage sale or charity. Boxes can be stored in the garage or basement and consider storing excess furniture as well. Remember, less is more – more money and space!
- Label your boxes with a felt tip pen and room colour
- Seal boxes with two-inch movers’ tape (less damage and easier stacking)
Many kitchen items can be packed away – think of the clutter above the refrigerator and on the top shelves you can’t reach. Add them to your boxes.
Ask yourself if you are willing to pay $5 to $100 to move an article you haven’t used in years. Will it move with you?
Before listing your house, free space by packing or donating:
- Extra bed linens (pop the ones on the bed into the laundry)
- Extra toiletries (leave only what you use daily)
- Seasonal coats, boots, etc.
- Half the clothes in closets (we wear 20% of our clothes 80% of the time)
- Children’s toys Books, CDs, videos, DVDs (more shelf space = more spacious rooms) Magazines, etc.
- Computer and office = clutter magnets (discard hard copies, 90% is on the computer)
If you haven’t used it in the last year, if it doesn’t make you feel good, if you have to dust it…it’s clutter. So,
- Throw it out
- Call 1-800-Got-Junk?
- Give it to away
- Rent a temporary self-storage unit
- Call an auctioneer
- Sell it on e-Bay
- Store it in the attic, basement, crawl space, or garage but keep it tidy
- Hold a garage sale to make money for your next home
Catherine E. Brown is an Accredited Staging Professional and owner of Staged to Move. Catherine is committed to helping clients sell their home for the best price in the least amount of time. She can be contacted at (519) 868-7171 or by email at catherine@stagedtomove.ca. Visit her Web site at www.stagedtomove.ca.
Published in Networking Today, March 2006.
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