Home Staging Advice Made Simple - How To DeClutter

If you're looking for advice on how to prepare your house for sale, you don't have to look very long. 

Home staging advice is on HGTV and all over the Internet. 

There certainly isn't a shortage of information on the subject.

The problem is that generalized terms like "update" and "depersonalize" aren't specific enough.  

And of course...

No checklist for preparing a home for sale would be complete without including the term "declutter."  It has to be the most frequently used term in real estate preparation today. 

Knowing you need to declutter is only helpful if you know how to declutter.

Uncertainty can leave you feeling overwhelmed with the task ahead. 

The problem, as I see it:  your definition, your agent's definition, and my definition of "declutter" are probably all the same: to remove excess and disorder.  However, what each of us deems as clutter, how each of us would actually approach the task of decluttering, and what the end results would be, is another story.  

Unless you are a professional home stager, or clean freak, your approach will most likely result in frustration and avoidance, neither of which is going to get the laundry and toys out of the dining room and the hockey trophies out of the living room.

I know what you are thinking...

How does she know I have laundry in the dining room? 

Psychic powers.....a secret Home Stager ability.   But that's a subject for another post.

The subject of this post is to help you understand exactly how to declutter.   

The best approach for dealing with clutter is to deal with it in small doses, one room at at time.  The most influential rooms (to buyers) are the kitchen and master bedroom. 

Let's start with the kitchen...

 1.  Closets, cabinets and drawers.  Remove anything you do not use on a regular basis.  Items removed go into one of three piles: trash, donate, pack.  Everything remaining in cabinets should be arranged in an organized fashion; cans together, boxes together, etc.  (Pack up the holiday stemware, extra coffee mugs, and 2/3 of that Tupperware) Your objective - clean, organized, and spacious. 

 2.  Appliances.  Clean inside and outside of all appliances.  Replace damaged or worn stove burners. Clear off top of refrigerator and remove all magnets, notes, and photos.  

 3.  Countertops.  Start by clearing everything off counters.  Wash windows, counters and cabinets.  Adding cabinet hardware or replacing old hardware will add perceived value.  To add color and depth, strategically place a few accent pieces, such as a large platter, cookbooks, or assorted oils on counters.

 4.  Sink Area.  Clean sink, faucet and drains.  Keep paper towels, soap and sponges under sink.  Never leave rack or dishes in sink. 

 5.  Personal Items.  Use a basket or box to keep keys, mail, bills, address book, and other personal items off counter and out of view.

Now that you have successfully prepared your kitchen, it's on to the Master Bedroom:

The master bedroom should give an impression of calm sophistication. 

1.  Remove all toys, stuffed animals, pet items, hobby/craft items.   Ideally, TV should be removed.

2.  Organize closets,  repeating procedure used for kitchen.  Remove anything you are not using regularly and sort into trash, donate, or pack.

3.  Remove personal items (jewelry, lotions, paperwork, medications) from nightstands and dresser.

4.  Remove all family photos and religious items.  

5.  Remove excercise equipment and computer/desk.  The master bedroom should not double as gym or        home office. 

Next stop...Master Bath

 The key to the master bath is achieving a spa-like atmosphere.  The bathroom is a very personal room and buyers don't want to be reminded that other people use it.  Purchase new towels and soaps and accessories for your new home and use them now to help you sell this home.

1.  Start with closet, cabinets and drawers.  You should be getting pretty good at this step by now.  Towels should be stacked neatly, paper products arranged orderly, and all personal hygiene products should be stored in a storage container out of view.

2.  Remove everything from tub surround and vanity.  Never leave your toothbrushes and other personal items in view.  Keep them in a plastic tote that you pull out to use each day and then return to hiding.

3.  Clean tub, toilet, sink, faucets, vanity and mirror until they shine. 

4.  Add color and texture using rolled towels by tub and rolled face cloths by sink.  For color, add a pair of candles, silk florals, and baskets or glass jars full of bath salts or soaps.

In case you are doubting that all this work is necessary, it is important for you to understand that there is a psychology involved.  The more organized and neat the closets and cabinets are, the more of a "clean, anal, martha stewart" you are perceived as by buyers.  This in turn means the house has been well maintained.  This is perceived as value and justifys asking price.

Work smart, one small area at a time.  No matter how much stuff you have to deal with, it all has to be dealt with eventually for you to move, so do it now and be ahead of the game. 

If you really want to have the best possible results,  hire a professional home stager to come in for the finishing touches. 

If you want to avoid the work all together, you could hire a stager to do it all.  Unlike you, who does not enjoy organizing, stagers thrive on it. 

It's not just our business, it's our passion!