Decluttering is among the best things you can do to improve photos of your home and the buyer’s perception of the property. Having less clutter can influence potential buyers’ perception of how they view the house. Less clutter and personal items will also allow them to better visualize themselves living there. Decluttering allows a full view of the space, and the staged version of the house to shine.
Clutter Can be Distracting
Since we live in our houses all day every day (especially right now) we have a tendency to gather things in a way that makes practical sense to us. However, it might be off-putting for someone to walk in and try to imagine their own life in the room. For instance, a messy desk could look like a successful work week to you, but a visitor might just see a lack of space for their own possessions. Or worse, they can see uncleanliness. Clutter can distract buyers from viewing the floors, windows, or other features of the room itself. All of which are things that you want the buyers to focus on.
The Solution: Decluttering
Try storing personal items and projects in places you can access easily, but can also put away when your home will be shown. Just getting the floor and furniture surfaces clear will help buyers view the rooms and the condition of the house – and hopefully envision themselves and their own belongings in the space.
For more tips on decluttering and storage solutions, please check out some of the blog posts below. The first blog has step-by-step instructions on how to declutter your home.
- Spring Cleaning Tips For Success
- Organizing Your Home In The New Year
- Creating Storage In Underutilized Spots
- Tips For Increased Productivity
- VIDEO: What Do I Need to Do to Prepare My Home for Sale?
This home was completely empty when we first got hired to put it on the market. We worked with a stager to help maximize the home’s visual appeal. Decluttering doesn’t mean having completely bare surfaces. The staging helped amplify the modernity and functionality of the home. Click the photo for more information on the home.
Photos Matter
The very first photos buyers see can have a world of difference in their perception. Improving that perception can include simple things like removing magnets from the refrigerator, keeping mail and paperwork out of view, or moving content from your closet floor to a section of the garage to deal with later. While it can be hard to take down some of your more personal items, it’s worth it. The more of the house people can see, the better.
Want to see how we use photos and other marketing techniques to make our listings stand out? Click here!
Decluttering and Staging
Staging can be an extremely important step in the real estate process. It encourages decluttering to the point of making a home a blank slate, but in an elegant way. Staging is used to optimize the furniture layout, decoration, and visual impact to influence buyers to see a home in its best light. Since the home is almost a blank slate, the buyers are able to picture their own belongings in the space.
When people buy a home, they’re purchasing a house, but also an idea of what their life will look like and be like in the home. This is why it’s even more important that you remove personal or messy items that may interfere with a buyer’s vision. You want to help buyers create a vision of how a house works for them, not how it’s currently working for the owner. Keeping things tidy helps show the house in its most idealized, magazine-ready form.
While you should remove personal items and personal pictures, you also don’t want completely bare surfaces. Don’t be afraid to display some items like pottery, trays, and other functional, attractive objects. However, in most cases, keep in mind that less is more. If you need some advice on how much decluttering you should do, hire a professional. Or, ask your real estate agent if they can recommend someone to you.
Above all, try not to let it bother you that your house isn’t quite your own at the moment. Staging and decluttering will benefit the sale and help you earn top dollar, by making the house as accessible as possible to a wide audience. Plus, starting your transition earlier, rather than on the closing day, should help your stress levels.
Click here for more tips on how to stage your own home!
Readying Yourself for Sale Success
While decluttering and staging are important steps, one of the best things you can do to set yourself up for sale success is to hire a local, experienced real estate agent. The right agent will be able to offer you invaluable advice on what it will take to sell your home. If you are still looking for the right agent, let’s connect! Please fill out the form below or give us a call at 562.896.2456. We look forward to talking with you.
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