Special offer

De-Clutter The Outside of your Refrigerator...before You list your house!!!

By
Real Estate Agent with Signature Properties of Huntington

De Cluttering the outside of your refrigerator…… A GREAT idea!!!

There are so many things to do to declutter a house.

Here is something that is really out of control for some people in the kitchen but I just saw a great idea the other day that I wanted to share with you.

Refrigerator Magnets!  Ah, Refrigerator Magnets….  Sometimes a collection of these appears ALL over a person’s refrigerator and did you ever see them in a photo of a house listing…….. This is a definite NO NO to have on the fridge for Photos…..Ugh Refrigerator Magnets

Do you know what refrigerator magnets mean to someone?  I’ll tell you a story I heard while visiting a clients home.  I knew she had a ton of refrigerator magnets but I had to tell her, even tho these are so meaningful to her, she would have to find another home for them.  In the past she had explained them all to me…….  “my daughter brought me this one from her honeymoon… This one I got from someone when she was born!  Oh, here’s one from the cross country trip we took ten years ago, we went to this cute little bar!  Oh here’s one from our first anniversary, a photo of our first grandchild……. Etc!!!  And on and on and on…. 

Well while in a clients home the other day, I noticed that the front of the refrig looked so neat!  I couldn’t imagine that she threw all these magnets away…. And she turned me in the direction of a wall in the kitchen.  Hanging on the wall was a beautiful frame and inside the frame was metal, and stuck to the metal was all those refrigerator magnets, years of sentimental reminders of times past!!!  It had turned into a framed masterpiece filled with years of memories!  This was one of the most clever things I had seen!!!

When I list a house now and I know that they have these little “treasures” placed all over the fridge, I bring them a framed piece of metal….  Yes, you can still keep your refrigerator magnets, but you will have to display them in this frame!!!  What a GREAT solution to an otherwise sloppy display on the refrigerator!!!  And a memory that will last a lifetime!

Brenda Hughes
Evansville Home Staging & Re-Design - Evansville, IN
Home Staging & Re-Design Southern IN, KY

Great idea, sometimes I get more resistance on removing the refrigerator clutter than anything else,

I can suggest this idea now, of course if no good place to display they can always stick away for open houses or showings...

Jan 24, 2011 02:14 AM
Gary Burleson
Beach Water Realty - www.beachwaterrealty.com - Myrtle Beach, SC
Myrtle Beach Homes, Condos, Foreclosures, Investment Propery

What a clever thing to do. I'll use this idea in the future. My mom is the same way. Her refrigerator is covered with items from many years ago.

Jan 24, 2011 02:15 AM
Monica Atherton
eXp Realty - Georgetown, TX
Your Georgetown Real Estate Gal

Great article!  Buyers cannot see past your stuff if it is overwhelming.  I had a staging company for a while and I think this was the hardest thing to get seller's to understand.

Jan 24, 2011 02:17 AM
Jayne Williamson, REALTOR, Broker, GRI
Keller Williams Realty Mountain Partners, Hendersonville, NC - Hendersonville, NC

People don't SEE the clutter because it has become so much a part of their lives.  All it usually takes is one picture...uncluttered...to say, "WHAT STANDS OUT TO YOU IN THIS PICTURE?"  A beautiful kitchen is hidden behind all that stuff on the fridge.

Jan 24, 2011 02:24 AM
Saralou Durham
RE/MAX Preferred Group - Cincinnati Real Estate Team - Cincinnati, OH
Cincinnati Perspective Hyde Park,Anderson,Mt. Adam

The scary part is that my refirgerator looks much the same...filled with things to remember and pictures of oved ones.  Good thing I don't plan to list my house enytime soon, because it is really hard to live everyday like that!

I guess it is way better that the 4' X 6' bulletin board I used to have...what was I thinking with that mess?

Jan 24, 2011 03:28 AM
Tom Bailey
Margaret Rudd & Associates Inc. - Oak Island, NC

Great idea. I hope you can get a photo. I would love to see it.

Jan 24, 2011 03:49 AM
Cynthia Larsen
Cotati, CA
Independent Broker In Sonoma County, CA

I have one of those refrigerators too. But if I put my home on the market, I wouldn't have any photos out, period.

Jan 24, 2011 04:11 AM
Marte Cliff
Marte Cliff Copywriting - Priest River, ID
Your real estate writer

The fact that is so hard for sellers: "You don't sell a house the same way you live in a house."

I'm glad these sellers "got it" and are making your job easier.

Jan 24, 2011 05:27 AM
Hilary Young
The Nines Team Realty - Lodi, CA
Team Assistant - The Nines Team in Lodi

So I guess that the magnets used to cover a big scratch in the fridge is a no-no as well?? Just Kidding. What a great idea!

Jan 24, 2011 06:57 AM
Lyn Sims
Schaumburg, IL
Real Estate Broker Retired

Not me, get rid of it all. People don't want to see it because it's distracting. That home in the pic needs more work than just the magnet removal. Can you say 1986?

Jan 24, 2011 09:13 AM
Rebecca Gaujot, Realtor®
Lewisburg, WV
Lewisburg WV, the go to agent for all real estate

Suzanne, great post and enjoying reading and learning about what to do with ALL those magnets. Great idea and congrats on the feature.

Jan 24, 2011 02:16 PM
R Grodin
Worland, WY

Jan 24, 2011 02:44 PM
June Piper-Brandon
Coldwell Banker Realty - Columbia, MD
Creating Generational Wealth Through Homeownership

What a great idea!!  I have a couple client's with stuff on their fridge, but she did remove them for the listing.

Jan 24, 2011 03:13 PM
Jan Laurie
JL Residential Styling & Staging - Nanaimo, BC

Many people can't see their own clutter. They need to be reminded that prospective buyers need to be focused on the positive aspects of the house rather than the personal items of the sellers. That's one of the many reason that professional stagers are worth their weight in gold. 

Point well made Suzanne.

Jan 24, 2011 04:21 PM
Robert Jarvis
Keller Williams, Chicago, IL - Chicago, IL
MBA

I once cleaned a clients refrigerator from the INSIDE.  It was not a good day for me, but the client ended up thanking me afterward...  And after I did that, they cleaned up the drawers and cabinets because they believed me that I was serious that buyers will open them too and look! 

Point well made!

Jan 24, 2011 05:16 PM
DeeDee Riley
Lyon Real Estate - El Dorado Hills CA - El Dorado Hills, CA
Realtor - El Dorado Hills & the Surrounding Areas

Great idea Suzanne!  My refrigerator is a stainless surface that doesn't hold magnets.  I guess it's really a blessing in disguise!

Jan 24, 2011 06:59 PM
Paul Armstrong
Realty Network - Laguna Hills, CA
Serving Orange County & The Long Beach Area

Great Idea Suzanne, it is so important to de-clutter every where you can. 

Jan 25, 2011 08:13 AM
Mike Henderson
Your complete source for buying HUD homes - Littleton, CO
HUD Home Hub - 303-949-5848

When we had our house on the market it took my wife about 15 minutes to take all the magnets off the fridge.

Jan 25, 2011 04:58 PM
Les & Sarah Oswald
Realty One Group - Eastvale, CA
Broker, Realtor and Investor

Great blog. Why not start packing? I will have your house sold before long. Lets start packing the magnets first.

Jan 26, 2011 03:04 AM
Margaret C. Taylor
Century 21 New Millennium MD - Mechanicsville, MD
St Marys/Calvert/Charles MD Real Estate Agent

Great clean up idea.  I wish all decluttering was that easy.  Margaret C.

Jan 30, 2011 02:30 PM