If you’re getting ready to sell your home, clutter is your worse enemy. It makes packing a nightmare, and wastes considerable time and resources when searching for items. But decluttering is a great way to eliminate the things you don’t need before preparing your house for a walk-through. That’s why it’s so important to avoid some of the commonly made mistakes along the way. Here are four such mistakes that many home sellers tend to fall into and how to avoid them.
1. Not having an organizational plan.
Before you start pulling items from your closets, drawers, etc., you need to have an organizational plan. You don’t want to throw everything into one big pile; that creates another mess to sort through later. Instead, tackle things strategically by putting each item into a dedicated pile:
- Donate
- Sell
- Throw away
If you need someone to help or keep you on track, you can hire a home organizer to set a schedule and make the process more manageable.
2. Tackling too much at once.
Don’t expect to organize the entire house in one day; it’s just not realistic. Spend just a few hours each day decluttering, tackling one room at a time. Or break it down further; start with one closet or a dresser. Keep in mind, you will always have a bigger mess before you have something more manageable.
3. Letting your emotions get the best of you.
You may be tempted to keep certain items because of their sentimental worth. But, oftentimes, the pieces we hold onto are really of no use. You shouldn’t keep pointless items just for emotions’ sake, unless the emotions are so overwhelming that you simply can’t help yourself. Old toys, clothing, shoes — may well be better off at secondhand stores or even in the trash. Of course, there will be a few pieces of jewelry or photos to keep, but be choosy.
4. Procrastinating about getting things out.
Be careful not to let the garbage, donation items, or garage sale pieces just sit around. You need to drive them down to the secondhand store or landfill. If you need to sell stuff, arrange a garage sale for the following weekend. Take action!
Finally, when you’ve decluttered every room, and your home is ready to be staged and put on the market, congratulations! But remember, there will be another time, perhaps in your next house, where you will need to declutter once again. Getting rid of old items and making room for new ones is a natural part of life. People accumulate things throughout their lives, and it’s imperative to keep cleaning out your house — less you be called a hoarder!
Do you have any decluttering advice to add to this post? Please leave your thoughts in the comments below. And if you have any questions about selling or buying a home in metro Albuquerque, be sure to contact me today!
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