When you open that door to your first home, or your next home, you never know how your life will change during your time there. One thing we know for certain is that inevitable collection of stuff that starts to fill every drawer, cupboard and room in your home. When you decide to place your home on the market a simple dust and vacuum is not going to be enough; one of the first things you need to do is to get rid of your clutter. The quickest way may be to bin everything you no longer want or need. As easy as this may be, it isn’t good for the environment. This is why, when you decide to sell your home you should start with sustainable decluttering.
Why do I need to declutter?
There are many reasons why you should declutter your home when preparing it for sale. When potential buyers view a home they want to be able to imagine themselves living there. If your house is filled with numerous collections or bursting to the brim with personal mementos, all a buyer will see is you and your family. Personal items can also make a buyer lose focus – when they are intrigued by you they are failing to see how they can make your property theirs.
A full or disorganised room will make the space feel smaller, and one thing all buyers are looking for is space. Clutter is space sucking, and instead of seeing the true possibilities a room holds, potential buyers will be struggling to see how they will fit in. Marketing your home with beautiful images is certainly going to catch a buyer’s eye, but an image of a home in need of decluttering will just be ignored, and this is the last thing you want when selling your home.
Start with electronic waste
We are positive that if you start looking through drawers, the back of cupboards and in your garage you will no doubt find an array of electronic devices from old mobile phones, televisions, printers, used printer cartridges and game consoles. Separate the electronics you find: those that work and those that are broken and could possibly be used for parts. There are many charities looking for electronics which they refurbish and donate to those who are digitally excluded. Should you be looking to dispose of your broken devices, search your council website for the correct way to do so. At Deakin-White we would suggest this be your last resort, as you may find that even parts can be useful to someone rather than going into landfill.
Have those good intentions gone?
January is now behind us and that New Year’s resolution to get fit and healthy could mean that you have some unused sporting equipment gathering dust in your home. Many of these pieces of equipment are big; they can take up so much space making the room feel a lot smaller than it actually is. Be proactive and honest, if you’re not using it then sell it or donate it to someone who will really appreciate it.
The ‘Just-in-case’ curse
Time to get to your clothes, and we guarantee that you will have items in your wardrobe that you have kept ‘just in case’. It is time to be realistic – do you want all those clothes cluttering up your new wardrobe and still never being warn? Empty your wardrobe and drawers and get tough; only keep those clothes that fit, you love, and you actually wear.
There may be some items that really have seen better days, but there will be many which are in excellent condition and perfect to donate to a local charity. You may look at trying to sell some on Facebook Marketplace to make a few extra pennies – ideal to help you purchase a little something for your new wardrobe.
Hard to part with
It is funny how things like books, DVDs, and albums can be hard to part with; many people are mini-collectors and have more books on their shelves than they are likely to read. If you are a book lover, of course keep those that you love, are on your to-be-read pile or are hard to replace. Go through your entire collection and, again, it is time to make some tough decisions, or pack them away ready to decorate your new home.
Family photos are extremely personal; pack these away whilst your home is on the market, this again will help potential buyers to see themselves, not you, living there. Artwork is subjective, what someone may love, others could loathe. If you think the art in a room is distracting it may be worth removing it, even if it is only for viewings, so a buyers eyes are focused on what is important.
Sustainable move
We all have a responsibility to do our bit to help the environment, and we hope we have given you some ideas on how to get your home ready for sale in a sustainable way. Decluttering is an essential process for preparing your home for sale, and helps to give buyers the best experience when viewing your home.
If you’re thinking of selling your home and want advice on the best way to prepare your property for maximum impact, contact our team.
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