This is the hardest thing for most people to do because they are emotionally attached to everything in the house. After years of living in the same home, clutter collects in such a way that may not be evident to the homeowner. However, it does affect the way buyers see the home, even if you do not realize it. Clutter collects on shelves, counter tops, drawers, closets, garages, attics, and basements.
Take a step back and pretend you are a buyer. Let a friend help point out areas of clutter. Let your agent help you, too.
Kitchen Clutter
The kitchen is a good place to start removing clutter. First, get everything off the counters. Everything.
Find a place where you can store everything in cabinets and drawers. You may notice that you do not have cabinet space to put everything.
Start packing! The dishes, pots and pans that rarely get used? Put them in
a box and put that box in storage, too.
Homebuyers will open your cabinets and drawers, especially in the kitchen. They want to be sure there is enough room for their "stuff." If your kitchen cabinets, pantry, and drawers look full, it sends a negative message to the buyer and does not promote an image of plentiful storage space. Have as much "empty space" as possible.
If you have a "junk drawer," get rid of the junk. If you have a rarely used crock pot, put it in storage. Do this with every cabinet and drawer. Create open space.
If you have a large amount of foodstuffs crammed into the shelves or pantry, begin using them – especially canned goods. Canned goods are heavy and you don’t want to be lugging them to a new house, anyway – or paying a mover to do so.
Beneath the sink is very critical, too. Make sure the area beneath the sink is as empty as possible, removing all extra cleaning supplies. You should scrub the area down as well, and determine if there are any tell-tale signs of water leaks that may cause a homebuyer to hesitate in buying your home.
Closet Clutter
Closets are great for accumulating clutter, though you may not think
of it as clutter. We are talking about extra clothes and shoes – things
you rarely wear but cannot bear to be without.
Furniture Clutter
Many people have too much furniture in certain rooms – not too
much for your own personal living needs – but too much to give the illusion
of space that a homebuyer would like to see. You may want to tour some builders’
models to see how they place furniture in the model homes.
Storage Area Clutter
Basements, garages, attics, and sheds accumulate not only clutter,
but junk. These areas should be as empty as possible so that buyers can imagine
what they would do with the space. Remove anything that is not essential and
take it to a storage unit.
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