Decluttering To Sell: How Much Do You Really Need To Put Away?
Let me previse this by saying this does somewhat depend on how much ‘stuff’ you have to begin with.
That being said, the golden rule is that you can usually expect to pack up about 3/4 of your things. Yes, 3/4!
Why? Because you are essentially staging your home, and that means the bare minimum.
But don’t stress! You have to pack it all up anyway to move, so this just gets you ahead of the game!
Now besides the broad ‘pack up 3/4 of your things’ comment I can offer you specific steps and specific things to pack away before listing your home for sale.
Where to Put Everything:
Now when I say ‘pack up’, I don’t mean box up and shove in a closet. I mean get the items off of your property! Buyers look in storage areas, closets, garages, etc. so you want ALL those spaces to be clear too.
For most people this means renting a storage unit for a few months, or housing things in a utility trailer.
What to Declutter:
Family Photos
This is a tough one for a lot of people, but remove all family photos! This helps buyers envision themselves in the home. People struggle to see themselves in homes surrounded by pictures of another family.
Seasonal Décor
All those bins full of your seasonal décor need to be moved out of the house as well. This opens up all your storage space, showing off how much storage space your home has!
Knick Knacks
Pack. Them. Up. Put your décor items away with the exception of a few keys pieces – think of it as staging the home.
Extra blankets/bedsheets/pillows
Go through your closets and store all of your extra bedsheets and pillows. Show off all that closet space! Make sure it isn’t busting at the seams with all those extras.
Furniture
Don’t be afraid to pack up and store furniture. Removing a few pieces could actually make the room feel larger! And that is exactly what you want buyers to see and feel!
Purge, Purge, Purge…
This is really a great time to go space by space, drawer by drawer and trash/donate anything you don’t want to take to your new home. It will go a long way in decluttering your home to sell and ensures you aren’t bringing things you don’t want to your next home!
I know this can seem overwhelming, but I like to look at it as giving you the opportunity to pack early and make your actual move that much smoother. It’s all about mindset and how you look at it!
Enjoy the cleaning, organizing, and decluttering. And just think how rewarding it will be to load of your car full of items to donate!
Go get packing & purging!
