How much is too much? That is always a question that we hear when we advise people that they should start to declutter their home before selling. Homes with too much ‘stuff’ tend to be a tougher sell. It is hard to see past other people’s items and picture yourself in that space.  

 

We aren’t talking hoarders, we are talking everyday people who have knick-knacks, old broken furniture, too many dishes in the cupboards, etc. Stagers and realtors alike will tell you the first step in getting a home ready for sale is always to start decluttering. A few tricks we have picked up along the way:

 

1 – For your health, start getting rid of those dust-collecting knick-knacks. You have them sitting on the shelf, all 8 of the nice tokens you have received from weddings. Guess what, they are building up dust and likely can be tossed or donated. As well as dust bunnies running around, it is also harder on your mental status if there is too much clutter in your home. Toxins and other environmental issues are one thing, but the chaos it can create in a space can affect your mentality. A clean space equals a clear mind. 

 

2- Can you Remove it? Reuse it? Or Dispose of it…? Every day there is a new online garage sale, or a charity willing to pick up your gently used belongings for them to sell. Grab a bin or bag and start to decide what the dust collectors can be worth in your home (we bet you will find a few that you can sell and a few you can donate). Something else to keep in mind, if you are a parent – donate those old toys that you aren’t using to local libraries or schools.  

 

3- Identify the space – seems simple right? We can guarantee you aren’t doing that in your home. For instance, how many of us use our beautiful dining room tables as the craft/homework/clutter room? Or you have your office desk in the bedroom and the laundry is hanging in the bathroom? We all do it… use rooms for multipurpose. To help declutter, identify the space for what it is and if you don’t have room for the other items – then put them away until you do or dispense of them. 

 

4- Finally – how often have you used the junk drawer as a holding space for everything on the counter? With everything available online these days, it doesn’t make sense to have the take-out menus in the bottom drawer anymore. As well as alleviating space, the cleansing of the junk drawer often means you will probably find that missing item sooner :). For sale purposes, clean drawers show better to the potential buyer – how much can fit and how big are they? The less clutter, the bigger the space seems.

 

Cleaning, minimalism and decluttering all equal a sounder home. You can feel the weight lifted off your home and your shoulders. If you need some direct advice about how your home needs to be decluttered before a sale – ask us or your realtor for some advice.