My wife and I are lazy. We don't store our winter clothes in the summer or our summer clothes in the winter. Our closet is just a jam-packed, year-round mashup of multi-seasonal clothing.
We also love to cook, so our kitchen is full of pots and pans and widgets and gadgets. And we live in an old house that we're fixing up, so we have every tool known to man crowding the corners of our basement.
We prefer our home this way. It's not dirty or messy. But we keep the things we want or need close at-hand. Still, when it's time for us to sell, we're going to have to seriously declutter before the first potential buyer walks through.
Why? Because clutter makes spaces seem small. It can obstruct pathways through a room, making them feel tight and unmanageable. And clutter just adds noise for buyers, who should really only be focused on how they can make the space their own.
Example: Our closet is actually a generously-sized walk-in. But we have hundreds of hangers, and shoes...oh, Lord, the shoes! All of that stuff gives the impression that there isn't a reasonable amount of space to store clothes. So, when we go to sell, we'll weed out the off-season items, and voila! Our closet will feel twice the size it does now.
The word "clutter" has negative associations with hoarding and dirty, messy spaces. So when most people hear the word "declutter", they're probably either offended or think it doesn't apply to them.
But real estate agents mean something different when we say "declutter". Maybe we should come up with a better word. Like "sparsify". Only that's not a word. But conceptually, that's the idea. It's not cleaning, and it's not tidying up. It's making less. Like, unrealistically less--the way no one actually lives. Except for minimalists, I suppose, and lucky them. Because when it comes to selling your home, less (stuff) is more.
So whether you "declutter" or "sparsify" or just "pare down", the point is to put away a bunch of your stuff. It's not dirt or trash or anything to be ashamed of. But it needs to go (or have the appearance of being gone), for the time being.
We also love to cook, so our kitchen is full of pots and pans and widgets and gadgets. And we live in an old house that we're fixing up, so we have every tool known to man crowding the corners of our basement.
We prefer our home this way. It's not dirty or messy. But we keep the things we want or need close at-hand. Still, when it's time for us to sell, we're going to have to seriously declutter before the first potential buyer walks through.
Example: Our closet is actually a generously-sized walk-in. But we have hundreds of hangers, and shoes...oh, Lord, the shoes! All of that stuff gives the impression that there isn't a reasonable amount of space to store clothes. So, when we go to sell, we'll weed out the off-season items, and voila! Our closet will feel twice the size it does now.
The word "clutter" has negative associations with hoarding and dirty, messy spaces. So when most people hear the word "declutter", they're probably either offended or think it doesn't apply to them.
But real estate agents mean something different when we say "declutter". Maybe we should come up with a better word. Like "sparsify". Only that's not a word. But conceptually, that's the idea. It's not cleaning, and it's not tidying up. It's making less. Like, unrealistically less--the way no one actually lives. Except for minimalists, I suppose, and lucky them. Because when it comes to selling your home, less (stuff) is more.
So whether you "declutter" or "sparsify" or just "pare down", the point is to put away a bunch of your stuff. It's not dirt or trash or anything to be ashamed of. But it needs to go (or have the appearance of being gone), for the time being.
Tips & Tricks
- Make sure each room has wide walkways and plenty of open floor space.
- Store excess furniture and other items that are "cluttering" pathways.
- Don't make potential buyers wonder "What's under all that stuff?!" They WILL imagine the worst. - Clear kitchen counter tops.
- Store items you'll still need in a laundry basket that you can easily bring in and out as needed. - Likewise, clear bathroom counter tops.
- Store items in a bin you can keep under the sink or under your bed. - Use your garage and/or unfinished basement areas for storage.
- Place items for storage in bins, and stack those neatly in the space. - Consider renting a storage unit or Pod.
- Rented storage space gets items you can live without for awhile out of your hair. - Don't forget the outside (lawn, pool, deck, patio, etc.)
Ready to Buy or Sell Your Home in NoVa?
Contact The Norris Realty Group!
- Call/Text: 703-472-4846
- Email: thenorrisrealtygroup@gmail.com
- Website: thenorrisrealtygroup.com
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