When a homeowner decides to put his or her house on the market, one of the first things he or she typically does is call a real estate agent to come over, look around, and provide a reasonable assessment. The agent will undoubtedly give suggestions to help make the home more attractive to potential buyers. The two then work together to present the home in the best possible light.
One of the things a typical real estate agent will tell a client is to declutter prior to showing the house. Agents know that a cluttered home is more difficult to sell in almost any market. It is even more difficult in a depressed market that favors buyers over sellers.
At My Divine Concierge, we have quite a bit of experience helping people declutter their homes. Here are a few of the things we have learned in regards to decluttering prior to selling:
Buyer Vision – Homebuyers enter a house with rose-colored glasses and a unique vision of what they hope the property will look like once they move in. Clutter interrupts that vision, making it harder for potential buyers to imagine themselves living there. Moreover, if a buyer cannot create an attractive vision of your home, no offer is likely to be made.
Added Age – Even the most modern house will look older than it is if it is cluttered with lots of personal property. Why? Because clutter attracts dust and dirt, it changes the way light moves around the room, and each piece of clutter brings its own age into the environment. Unless someone is specifically looking for an older house with lots of character, they might be wary of a cluttered home that looks old and worn.
Spatial Perception – A cluttered home also looks much smaller than it really is, for obvious reasons. Buyers that are especially sensitive to space issues will not be interested in a home they perceive as being too small. By decluttering your home, you let homebuyers see a more accurate picture of how big it really is.
Seller Perception – Homebuyers develop their own perceptions of sellers based on what they see during the walk-through. If your house is cluttered, you may be giving buyers the perception that you are untidy and less-than-concerned about the quality of your home. That is not the image you want to project when trying to sell.
Above and beyond the points we have already addressed, decluttering prior to selling your home is also necessary if you intend to do those little things that make a real difference. For example, you will not be able to put a fresh coat of paint on the family room walls if there is too much clutter in the room. You will also have difficulty cleaning your carpets, washing windows and so on.
Decluttering for Good
It has been our experience that a cluttered home is something that does not occur on purpose. People just begin accumulating things without considering the limited amount of space, only to find later on that they are living in a cluttered house that really could use a good cleaning. We have also discovered that helping home sellers declutter is a good way to start them down the road of decluttering for good.
Living free of clutter is a combination of developing some good strategies and taking advantage of available tools.
That is what we do. My Divine Concierge will come into your home, at your request, and help you do the following:
- Decide what stays and what goes
- Organize and store what you decide to keep
- Help you make arrangements to dispose of what you don’t want
- Teach you how to stay de-cluttered in the future
Whether you are planning to sell your home or you’re just tired of living amongst the clutter, please call us for assistance. We specialize in helping homeowners clean up, clean out, and live more organized lives.