∗ View the decluttering process as a start to packing for your move , something that you ’ re going to have to do anyway . You ’ re actually getting a head start !
By the time you have depersonalized and decluttered , you will probably have a lot of stuff that needs to be stored , sold , or given away . For storage , consider having a portable storage unit delivered to your house . As you pack , you can walk it right into the unit . The unit can usually be delivered directly to your new home for easy unpacking .
Holding a yard sale is always a good way to get rid of your excess possessions , but please keep the big picture in mind . If a yard sale will take one weekend to plan and another to execute , our opionion is that you would be better off giving your things away and taking the tax write-off . The few hundred dollars you MAY produce from a yard sale may cost you thousands of dollars if the time could have been spent on additional home preparation activities .
While you are packing your personal effects , consider how much stepping around furniture you are doing . If you constantly have to watch your step as you are moving around the house , you may have too much furniture . Excess furniture in a room will make the room appear smaller .
You may also have to reposition some of your furniture to showcase the space of a room as well as the best features of a room . Advice on what should stay and what should go and rearranging furniture is a very important part of our consultations .
Home Cleanliness
We cannot stress enough the importance of a thoroughly cleaned house – it can literally make or break a sale ! Nothing personal here , but if your home is not clean , it will not sell . Nothing will turn a buyer off faster than dirt . It raises all sorts of questions as to how well the home was maintained and whether the buyer will ever be able to get the images of the sink full of breakfast dishes or the mildew in the shower out of their heads . Buyers will move on to a home that leaves them with more pleasant thoughts .
Your home needs to look as much like a model home as possible – neat and pristine and almost like no one lives there . This is especially true for the kitchen and bathrooms . In the kitchen , make sure that all dirty dishes are put in the dishwasher , and run the garbage disposal ( drop a quarter of a lemon in there before running it to help clear out odors ). Wipe down the kitchen table and countertops , as well as the sink and faucet . Put the dishrag or sponge in the cupboard under the sink .
Next , make sure that all personal items are put away in the bathrooms . A countertop full of makeup , deodorant and hair gel prevents the buyer from
The Listing Triangle™ Page 18