Many homeowners are thinking of cashing in on the high home prices plaguing the housing market by putting their property on the market. If you’re considering selling, now’s the time if you want to get the process done quickly and profitably.
Before staking that ‘For Sale’ sign on your property line, however, consider some last minute home maintenance tasks. Any top-notch real estate agent would attest to the importance of not only presenting a clean and tidy home, but also a decluttered one as well. To get the best possible price for your home and really impress your buyers, decluttering is absolutely essential.
Can I skip the decluttering process?
Ultimately, the decision is yours. However, real estate agents across the nation estimate that decluttering adds substantial value to a home. In fact, according to HomeLight’s Top Agent Insights for Fall 2022, decluttering could add approximately $6,523 to a home’s sale price.
Consider this task doubly important in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. Buyers want spacious properties in case future stay-at-home orders arise. Families, especially, realize the importance of having enough space should another pandemic force everyone home.
Since most buyers are motivated by the need for more space, a decluttered household will truly impress buyers and increase your home’s value.
Where to focus
If you’ve lived in your home for a long time — or even just a few years — decluttering might seem like a hopeless task, but the best way not to overwhelm yourself is by tackling the process room by room. Start where buyers are going to be most focused on: the living room, master bedroom, and kitchen.
As those rooms are the focal points for most buyers, those are the most important areas to declutter. Next, check out your storage spaces. Remember, you don’t need to clear all your belongings from these areas, just make sure they appear neat and organized.
If you still have the energy once those areas are decluttered, target your office space next. While home offices are at the top of many buyer wish lists, they’re also infamous for clutter. Outdated financial documents, postcards, and work papers pile up over the years, so file away the necessities, toss away what’s no longer needed, and organize the space to the best of your ability.
How to get started
Start by labeling your boxes so you know what to keep, donate, or toss. From there, divvy up your tasks into a manageable timeline. If you’re having trouble finding the motivation or you keep getting overwhelmed, try one of these tips.
Set a timer for a certain amount of time — around 20 minutes depending on your timeline — and challenge yourself to fill your boxes with as much as possible during that time. If you do this everyday for a week, you’ll be surprised how much you’ll accomplish with jut 20 minutes of work each day.
Try the 12-12-12 method next. This one’s simple. Each day, collect 12 items to keep, 12 items to donate, and 12 items to toss.
If neither of those methods work for you, create your own decluttering schedule. Perhaps you’ll set a goal to complete a room each week or schedule out a day to tackle one of your closets.
You’ll be shocked over the worth of your home once the decluttering process is over, so contact a real estate agent today to get started on the selling process!
