One of the first (and maybe the most important) steps to do when getting your home ready for sale is:
DECLUTTERING!
The main reasons to declutter:
- A clutter free home LOOKS bigger
- Showcase positive features in your home – without clutter buyers can see the wonderful things about your house.
Clutter decreases home value because one of the things a buyer is buying is space! A cluttered home looks smaller because the less of the floor you can see, the smaller the home look
Go through each room of your house, from least-used to most-trafficked, and sort each and every item you see. Most decluttering advice recommends dividing everything into three piles: keep, donate, and toss but I add a fourth pile – ‘maybe’. If you are like most people, (including me) some items just don’t fit in the three standard categories. The ‘maybe’ pile is for things you are just not ready to get rid of because you fear as soon as you pitch it …you will need it.
Definition of throw out: to get rid of as unnecessary
My answer is instead of keeping these ‘maybe’ things in your closets and cupboards decide what category they would go in if you were getting rid of them today; “is this t-shirt something I would donate or should it go into the toss pile”. Put each item in a labeled box dated six months from today. When the six months is up- get rid of the box, without looking in it.
Going through all your stuff and getting rid of clutter is a great start to getting your home ready for sale…not only will your home look more inviting, but it will be easier to keep your home “ready to show” and you will have less to pack!
Here are the 10 questions to ask yourself when decluttering!
- If I were shopping right now, would I buy this?
- Is the only thing that’s keeping me from disposing this item that I don’t want to waste money?
- Am I holding on to this for sentimental value?
- Have I used this in the last year?
- Am I holding on to the broken item to fix in the future?
- Do I have multiples of the same thing?
- Do I have other similar items that mean more to me?
- Do I spend more time cleaning and storing this item than I do using it?
- Do I feel an obligation or expectation to keep this item?
- Is it taking up space that I could use for something else?
- BONUS QUESTION – (and the sign that you should definitely get rid of it)
Is this an item I’m holding on to ‘just in case’?
For help assigning the correct categories? Take a cue from Marie Kondo and her book “The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up” and ask yourself, “Does it bring me joy?” If the answer is YES, add it to the keep pile. Otherwise, it’s time to say goodbye.
Once you have the donate and toss piles in order, deal with them immediately—put the donations in your car and the toss pile in the garage in plastic bags.
Call PITTSBURGH STAGED HOMES at 412-427-2675 to find out how staging can add to the value of your home.
SOME ADDITIONAL INFORMATION ABOUT DECLUTTERING: