Once you have made the decision to list your home for sale, there are several things you should consider if you want to actually get your asking price. In fact, these things should be considered if you want to even elicit interest in buyers. One of those important selling points involves decluttering your home and here are several very good reasons why this should be a top priority before showing it to potential buyers.
Clutter Makes the Room Appear Smaller
If there is a lesson to be learned from minimalist décor it would be that less is better when you want a room to appear larger. Conversely, with a room packed with clutter, it will appear much smaller than it actually is. Most realtors suggest that you pack up as much as possible while getting rid of things you don’t intend to keep. You’d be surprised how much bigger each room looks once you’ve decluttered what probably took years to acquire.
Depending on where you live, there are probably several self-storage facilities you could rent. For example, in the High Desert area of Southern California, you could check out the availability of units on https://thestoragelocker.com/.Not only will you have a place to store all that packed-up clutter, but it will be so much easier when moving day arrives to just load the truck and go.
Difficulty Imagining Their Décor
When you are clearing each room of clutter, perhaps you could also pack many of the personal items within your décor. Too many photos of family, holidays, pets, vacations, and personal memories make it difficult for potential buyers to imagine how their décor would fit in each room. One or two photos on the mantle or desk would be fine but an over-abundance of trinkets and personal mementos will spoil the effect. Remember, you are trying to get them to envision their life in this home, not yours!
Are You Hiding Something You Don’t Want to be Seen?
Finally, it is human nature to wonder what you are trying to hide. This is especially significant with those photos spoken of above. Too many times sellers try to hide nicks and holes in walls with photos and wall hangings. It’s one of the oldest tricks in the book and even if you are not doing this, potential buyers may wonder. Many will not insult you by walking over to move photos about, but they will still be concerned enough to continue viewing other homes for sale even if they favored yours. Once a seed of doubt is planted, it’s hard to overcome a negative mindset.
Not only does clutter make your home seem smaller and lead a buyer to wonder why you have so much stuff around, it may also call into doubt how clean you’ve kept things over the years. There are really so many reasons to declutter your home when listing it for sale. One thing you can do today is to step back and look around as if this were the first time you stepped foot in the room you are in. What would your first impression be? If it would be unfavorable, then figure out why and start decluttering from there.
