How To Declutter Your Home To Sell

With all the effort you are putting into listing your property, it is crucial that you maximise your chances to get the best price. Decluttering your house before selling is a great way to stack the odds in your favour and find the best buyer. By removing excess furniture and personal belongings, you can showcase your home's features and make each room look its best. But how to declutter your home to sell?

If you have become attached or accustomed to the way your home looks, decluttering your home can be tricky. Fortunately, there are many ways to make the process easy, so we created this guide to assist you.
 

Why declutter your home for sale

Getting your home ready for sale is an essential step of the inspection process. You need to prepare it in a way that will help potential buyers project themselves living there. This is when decluttering comes into play.

Decluttering your home can allow for depersonalisation. This step is crucial as it can be difficult for a buyer to consider purchasing your house or apartment if personal items are prominent in every room.

This means that you should identify trinkets and family photos that don’t serve a design purpose and store them away. However, be mindful not to make spaces look too sterile. Leave art and decorative furnishings to ensure your home still appears warm and inviting to buyers.

A great benefit of decluttering is that it also gives you a headstart on the moving process. Boxing up excess personal belongings and throwing away anything useless will save you some precious time down the track. It will also spare you a bit of stress during the moving period. Moreover, removing your personal belongings may also help with any lingering emotional attachment to your home.
 

When and where to start decluttering your house

You can never be too proactive when prepping your house for sale, so as soon as you think of selling your property, you can start decluttering. If this seems unrealistic, then aim to begin the process at least once you have found your real estate agent, and definitely before professional photography is taken.

But where to start decluttering your house? The best places are rooms that need to return to their original or most common function. Remember that people generally look for bedrooms and extra space when buying a property, so it might be best to showcase what your home really has to offer.

Suppose you have been utilising a spare bedroom for alternative purposes, such as a home gym or storage room. In that case, it might make it difficult for buyers to see the real potential on offer. Remove all the items that alter the use of the space and store them. If the room ends up empty, don't hesitate to use home staging to give it a purpose. If you don't have the budget to buy or rent new furniture, then virtual staging can be a great alternative.

Once you have finished decluttering these rooms, move on to communal areas. Pay extra attention to the living room, kitchen and bathroom, as these rooms are usually the most important to buyers. Finish off with the bedrooms and other smaller spaces.
 

7 house decluttering tips

So, are you ready to start the process? Here are 7 house decluttering tips that will help you succeed in this task:

1.     Take the emotion out of the process. If you find it hard to do this, get someone who is cut-throat to help you. 
2.     Get inspiration online from professionals such as Marie Kondo or Alejandra Costello.
3.     Sort things into what you are keeping or throwing away. This will save you time later.
4.     Clear off surfaces, particularly window sills and kitchen benches and move into cupboards.
5.     Invest in stylish storage options such as filing systems and cupboards. If you need it now, you will likely need it at your new place too. 
6.     Remember to declutter the garden and garage as well.
7.     Make a start as soon as you can, even if it is small.

Your real estate agent can also advise you on how to declutter your home for sale and make the most of the space your home offers. Book a free property appraisal today to get more decluttering tips and much more precious advice to maximise your selling price.

There is no right time to sell a property - it really comes down to your own circumstances. However, when you know the facts about the value of your most important asset you can make smarter decisions that more positively affect your current and future financial wellbeing.

A property appraisal is an easy, informal and essential process if you’re thinking about selling, or just curious about the value of your most important asset.  Who knows, the appraisal results may even surprise you.

DISCLAIMER - The information provided is for guidance and informational purposes only and does not replace independent business, legal and financial advice which we strongly recommend. Whilst the information is considered true and correct at the date of publication, changes in circumstances after the time of publication may impact the accuracy of the information provided. LJ Hooker will not accept responsibility or liability for any reliance on the blog information, including but not limited to, the accuracy, currency, or completeness of any information or links.