Sell Your Home Faster with these Tips to Minimizing Clutter Before You Move

An abundance of household stuff can make a home appear cluttered and over-crowded, which might send a red flag up to potential buyers that the home might be too small—for all their stuff too!  There are ways that sellers can minimize clutter and maximize space.  The following article discusses options for reducing the amount of household clutter that could detract from a home’s selling potential.

The first step to take to reduce clutter is to perform an honest assessment of all household items.  From discarded toys to dusty figurines, most people have a tremendous assortment of items that they own but do not use or need.  While donating these items to charity or having a yard sale are both time-honored options (and a great tax deduction), they do take some effort. If you don’t want to donate or sell them, those items that add to the home’s cluttered appearance must be removed, at least temporarily.

Sellers who hate the idea of getting rid of anything should consider renting a storage space while their home is on the market.  Various storage facilities, such as those offered by MoveStar, offer differently sized units, so sellers have the option to pay for the space they need—no more and no less.  Not only will this option allow for a clutter-free home, it also gives the homeowner the added space to properly organize these items off-site before removing them to their future home.

Yet, when it comes to clutter, organization can be a great factor that can make or break a jam-packed house.  Sellers that have basements or backyard storage sheds have plenty of space to organize all their items.  The key is to remove all excessive items from the essential rooms that buyers will look at closely such as the living room, kitchen, bathrooms, and master bedroom.  A “minimalist” appearance has the best opportunity to convey a sense of clean space.  This might mean going from three stuffed chairs to two or removing superfluous pieces like magazine racks, ottomans, end tables, and so forth.

Of course, the garage (or even a basement) is not simply a dumping ground for the items you remove from other rooms.  Items must be stored there in an organized way that still demonstrates to the buyer that the area is orderly, clean, and spacious enough to suit the household’s needs as a storage area.  To make this work effectively, sellers should consider spending several hundred dollars to purchase heavy-duty shelving units and clear multiple-sized totes and containers with white lids.

Take as much as half or possibly three-quarters of the garage to transform them into aisles using the shelving units.  The aisles allow access to both sides of the units.  Then, of course, the fun of organizing truly begins by placing all items into totes.  Holiday decorations, small trinkets, or items not used often should be placed in totes, and the totes can neatly be stacked on one shelving unit.  Each room of the home could feasibly have one or two corresponding shelving units for its items.  Such careful and attractive storage containers will send a signal to the buyer that if the sellers are careful about their items, they are likely to have been careful about the rest of the home. It also makes it easier for the movers to place these items in your new home.

Items that cannot be stored on shelving units might be placed atop a simple pallet and neatly covered with a clean white sheet.  The abundance of white conveys cleanliness and order.  Note that a lot of mismatched colors could detract from a sense of order, thus keeping colors light and consistent.

The careful organization and storage of these items are beneficial in many ways to the seller; homeowners can easily find and retrieve the things they may need once strategically placed.  The key to being clutter-free is to maintain the storage systems by returning all used items to their container or spot in the garage.

The organization is not always as simple as it sounds; it requires commitment and, initially, a considerable portion of time.  Once the organization is complete, homeowners should notice that it takes less time to perform routine chores and find needed items because they will be pretty easy to retrieve as needed.  Sellers should also see increased interest from buyers, who will undoubtedly find a clutter-free home more appealing than one filled to the brim.

MoveStar Firemen Movers offers several storage options and moving solutions to help you stay organized or to help you transition from one location to the next. Contact us today to learn more or to schedule your next move.