In a recent Pre-Market Home Selling Consultation, I recommended to a Calgary, Alberta home seller that they begin the process of moving and packing now. They were moving for a job transfer and were hesitant about having to do this since their employer would pay for the movers to pack later. It didn't initially make sense to them why they should go to the hassle of packing when they were going to get that service for free.

I'll tell you why . . . because it will mean dollars in their pocket!

Would you be willing to start moving out of your home a little early if someone was going to pay you to do it?

Well, that is exactly what a buyer will do! They will pay you to pack up your stuff.

In HomeGain's latest survey (2009), they published the results of the top 12 low-cost DIY home improvements for home owners to invest in prior to going on the market. And guess what the number one Return on Investment is?

Cleaning and De-cluttering!

They estimated the effort at a cost of $200, with a $1500-$2000 price increase!

As a Home Stager in Calgary, AB, I often recommend that home owners remove extra furnishings and packed boxes from their home (after they've cleaned and de-cluttered). If they can borrow some space in a friend or relative's basement or garage, it will greatly improve the "show-ability" of their home.

That is a tricky enough sell to a home seller, but they balk even more if it means having to fork out money to rent storage space! 

It still pays to make this investment, though. In Calgary, it is possible to rent a storage unit for about $200 per month, or find a private garage for rent for even less. Weigh that against the cost of reaping those couple of extra thousand dollars on the home sale, or having the house sit on the market longer, and tell me that it's not worth it!

Organizing expert, Monica Ricci, says that buyers are looking for homes that will help create simplicity in our hectic lifestyles. The more organized a home is, the more attractive it is to buyers. Order is serenity. Overstuffed closets, drawers, cupboards, basements and garages all scream out to buyers that there is not enough storage space and adds to a chaotic feeling about the home.

There's no doubt about it . . . selling your home and moving are A LOT of work! But you've got to deal with your stuff sooner or later. The good news is that the sooner you do . . . the more it pays off!

So what is leaving your clutter costing you??