WHY YOU SHOULD DECLUTTER YOUR HOME BEFORE YOU LIST
Let’s talk about why you should declutter your home before you list it. Don’t forget what sold you on the house you are presently in. You probably bought it new, or you could just SEE yourself in that house. You’ll want potential buyers to see themselves in your home. The way to do that is to make your home a blank canvas.
Before we talk about how to declutter your home before you list it, let’s start with the first impression a buyer gets of your home – curb appeal and their entry into your home. Make sure your yard is mowed, edged, no toys in the yard, and some nice color (if you have to, buy a few colorful annuals and plant them by your entryway, or add potted plants. The small amount of money you spend here will come back to you in buyer interest and offers)! Don’t forget to sweep/blow the walkways and wash/power wash or otherwise “spiff up” your front door/entryway; and, make sure your foyer is just as welcoming.
Now, back to decluttering the inside of your home. The 3 most important things to do inside are:
1. Clean
2. Declutter
3. De-Personalize
Clean – Consider steam cleaning all of your carpeting. Dust all of your corners and ceilings so that you don’t have any dust “bunnies” anywhere. Mop all floors. Make sure bathrooms sparkle. It’s a good idea to have all of your windows cleaned as well. This is another expense that is worth it when a quick offer comes your way.
Declutter – What you may find comfy and cozy, others may find crowded and excessive. Remove oversized furniture and rearrange rooms to maximize the size of the room. Remember that you want the potential buyer to picture their own furniture in the room, so the less furniture there, the better. Put away all collectibles and knickknacks. Books are fine, as long as you don’t have piles and piles of books spilling out of cabinets. Clean off all counters in the kitchen and bathrooms. Put as much as possible in your cabinets. (Keep cabinets well organized though. Buyers will be looking to see what kind of storage space you have. If you must, do as much pre-packing and storing off-site as possible. Pre-packing and storing is a fabulous plan that goes perfectly with decluttering your home before you list). One other place to declutter is the outside of your refrigerator - remove all magnets, calendars, photos etc.
De-Personalize – Yes, you need to take down all of your personal and family photos. You really do want those viewing your home to be picturing themselves living in your home, not admiring your family living there. Put away all medications as well – don’t leave them out on counters (not just for decluttering, but for safety as well).
Where else should you declutter? The garage! You want those buyers to see that they can pull their cars into that garage, and maybe even store their sporting goods etc. in there. A great idea would be to pre-pack your garage items and store them away from your property. After all, your goal is to sell your home, not stay in it!
So, why should you declutter your home before you list? Because, my friends, you want a quick contract so that you can go find that next decluttered dream home of your own!
Call me today and I’ll help you get started!
Celia Reis, Associate Broker
Reis Properties
Keller Williams North Atlanta
Email: celia@reisproperties.com
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