How to Declutter Your Home to Sell Fast: 6 Expert Tips

 
 

How to Declutter Your Home to Sell Fast: 6 Expert Tips

 

Sandie Timm, Sales Associate

A question we often hear when meeting with a client to start preparing a home for sale is, “What can I do today to make this easier?”

My answer: Start decluttering and purging now.  

A 2022 OnePoll study revealed that 49% of Americans have attempted to declutter their homes and 78% want to declutter, even if they aren’t moving. On top of that, 54% are “completely overwhelmed” by the clutter in their homes. 

Experts share the following six decluttering tips:

1. Start small. Maybe start with your kitchen. Do you need six different whisks? Decluttering drawer by drawer and then room by room. 

2. Use the three-category system of editing and decluttering:

  • KEEP - items that serve a purpose in your life TODAY. These are the items that you truly use on a regular basis. 

  • SELL/DONATE - If something no longer serves you but still has life left in it, there are many local organizations that would love to receive your items. High-end items in excellent condition can be consigned. Other items can be donated to resale/thrift stores. 

  • RECYCLE/SHRED/TRASH - for items that are no longer serving you and for which you cannot find a home, it’s time to throw them away. Recycle whatever you can and shred or trash the rest.

3. Be ruthless about the “I may need this someday” items. You can’t possibly keep everything you may ever need someday. 

4. When considering whether to keep or store antiques or heirloom items, realize that future generations probably don’t want them. Gen X and Millennials favor a simple, less heavy aesthetic and place more of an emphasis on sharing experiences than accumulating things. 

5. Once you have decluttered, you need a plan for creating and maintaining your new space. One of the keys to a well-organized home is ensuring that everything in your home has a designated space.

6. Call in the experts. Decluttering can be time consuming, exhausting, and emotional. A professional organizer can make the process faster, easier, and more efficient. 

 
Nick Anderson