One of the things that is guaranteed to be a ‘put-off’ to potential buyers when it comes to selling your house, is clutter.
Clutter tends to fall into three distinct categories when you’re selling; the first of which I like to call your ‘Cherished Clutter’ – you know, the kind of stuff that you think looks wonderful, but your buyers think would be better placed in a box in the garage!
What I’m talking about here is all the lovely nic-nacs you might have collected over the years, walls full of photographs, trinkets, candle-sticks, keepsakes and all the other bits of stuff that clutter up your surfaces collecting dust, helping to make your rooms look & feel smaller, stagnating the energy and distracting your buyers from the real assets that your home has to offer.
My 10 Step Guide applies just as much to that kind of clutter as it does the more obvious kind – the kind that creeps into your home, takes hold, reproduces and expands in the blink of an eye – often without you noticing until it’s become more of an issue. This I call your ‘Creeping Clutter’ – and will equally put your buyers off, in a similar proportion to which it is present. The reality is that the more clutter you have, the less likely buyers will be impressed.
Thirdly, and probably most important, is your ‘Mind Clutter’ – all the different aspects of preparing to sell your house that are vying for your attention, and can often leave your brain feeling like ‘mush’ because there’s so much to consider.
So where do you start? Follow my 10 Step Guide to Clutter Free Selling to achieve a tidy, organised home (and mind!) that will impress your buyers and have the offers rolling in;
- Decide on a clear outcome – if you want to sell, the starting point is that you fully make that commitment, and immerse yourself into being a ‘home- seller’, rather than a ‘home-owner’.
. - Detach yourself emotionally from your house – sometimes easier said than done, but an absolutely essential step towards selling up and moving on.
. - Decide on your ideal timescale – when do you want to have sold by? There’s no magic wand, but setting a date keeps you focused.
. - Identify your buyer – be as specific as possible, who exactly is your home perfect for? And how would they be living there?
. - Walk around your home with ‘fresh’ eyes – see what your potential buyer would see. Are there any ‘trouble spots’ that could put them off? Does your home reflect how they would live?
. - Set your budget – very few of us live in a house that is ‘show home’ standard all of the time. So be realistic – chances are, you’ll need to spend something to bring it up to scratch.
. - Give yourself some time & space to think & plan – once you’ve followed the previous 6 Steps, you’ll have a much clearer idea of what you need to do.
. - Write things down. If everything is spinning around in your head, that’s not the best way to get some clarity and direction. Externalising & writing things down helps you focus, keep perspective and stay grounded.
. - Break down each item into bite size chunks, prioritise the order of completion and buy anything you need.
. - Tackle each chunk one step at a time – whether that’s decluttering, organising or home staging – and if you need some additional help, support or expertise, think about using the services of a Professional Organiser & Home Stager.
If you’d like my help to sell your home more effectively, please answer a few short questions here and if I think I can help you, I’ll be in touch.
