The housing market has undeniably been extremely favorable for sellers in the last few years. According to HomeLight’s End of Year 2021 Report, house prices, which have been extremely high in the last year, are only expected to rise even further.
If you’re a homeowner, you couldn’t find a better time to sell both quickly and profitably. Sellers currently hold an overwhelming advantage in the housing market, so selling should be relatively painless.
However, any great real estate agent will attest to the importance of prepping your home prior to selling. To get the best possible price for your home and really impress your buyers, decluttering is absolutely key.
The importance of decluttering
As a rule of thumb, top-notch real estate agents always recommend deep cleaning, depersonalizing, and decluttering a home prior to sale. These tasks are now doubly important thanks to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Stay-at-home orders forced large families inside, and already cramped living quarters became unlivable during the pandemic. While quarinting orders have lifted in most places across the country, many families have realized the importance of having enough space just in case a future pandemic forces everyone home once again. As a result, one of the top reasons buyers are currently relocating is due to the need for more space.
Therefore, a decluttered household will truly impress buyers. Even small homes will seem spacious so long as they’re organized and rid of clutter.
Where to start
The most important rooms for sellers to stage are the living room, master bedroom, and kitchen, making them also the most important rooms to declutter. Next, focus on storage spaces. Remember, you don’t have to remove all your belongings from these areas, just make sure they seem organized and spacious.
A great way to truly impress your buyers is to stage a home office. Thanks to the pandemic, families were forced to both work from home and school from home. A top buy priority in the housing market currently is a home office, as most families require a separate area for work and recreation.
Offices, however, are infamous for clutter. Old financial documents, postcards, and work papers start to pile up over the years. Remember to file away everything necessary, toss anything unimportant, and organize this space to the best of your ability. Look into affordable dumpster to make your cleaning prep efficient.
Tips for getting started
If you’ve been living in your home for a long time, decluttering may seem daunting. Over multiple years, your collection of miscellaneous keepsakes starts to add up, so decluttering seems overwhelming and hopeless.
However, decluttering is easy so long as you find a method that works well for you. Some people set timers and divy up the tasks over a few days. The first step is to label your boxes: keep, donate, and toss. Then, set your timer for about fifteen minutes each day and challenge yourself to fill your boxes as much as possible during that time. Remember, anything you haven’t used in a year — unless it holds sentimental value — should go.
The 12-12-12 method is another helpful decluttering technique. Everyday, you must find 12 items to keep, 12 items to throw away, and 12 items to donate. By the end of just one month, you’ll find your home is substantially more spacious, organized, and decluttered.