{"id":97031,"date":"2019-08-23T09:01:21","date_gmt":"2019-08-23T13:01:21","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/stage.bhgrelife.com\/bhgrelife\/?p=97031"},"modified":"2020-03-10T13:43:55","modified_gmt":"2020-03-10T17:43:55","slug":"getting-rid-of-clutter","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/stage.bhgrelife.com\/bhgrelife\/getting-rid-of-clutter\/","title":{"rendered":"Seven Reasons Getting Rid of Clutter Helps a House Sell Faster"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Whether\nyou bought a starter home or what you hoped would be a forever home,\ncircumstances change. One thing that doesn\u2019t change though, is the inevitable\nexpansion that occurs when you become a homeowner. As time goes on, you acquire\ntools that need to be used just once or twice a year, like step ladders and\nextension ladders, lawn mowers, edgers and leaf blowers. When it\u2019s time to\nsell, you may find you\u2019ve expanded just a bit too much. Getting rid of\nclutter<\/a>\nis the first thing you need to do when you\u2019re thinking of putting your home on\nthe market, and sadly, unless you move frequently, there are very few people\nwho don\u2019t accumulate more than they should.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Here\nare seven reasons you need to get rid of that clutter to ensure a quick home\nsale.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Minimalistic
Minimalistic spacious house interior with two floors<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

1. It\u2019s all about imagined lives<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Clutter\nmakes it hard to\nthink<\/a>.\nYou may not think of your collection of exotic masks from your foreign travels\nas clutter. But let\u2019s face it, we don\u2019t all like the same things, and if your\nhome is bursting with small objects, buyers can\u2019t imagine themselves in your\nspace. You have to make room for them and their imagined lives in what might\nsoon be their home rather than yours. Store the highly personal collections\nduring the selling process so buyers can see the space as theirs, and they\u2019ll\nbe more likely to make an immediate offer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

2. Help the potential buyer\nmaintain focus<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Extra\nseating, family photos and bone china tea cup collections are all distractions.\nYou don\u2019t want potential buyers to become so intrigued (or puzzled) by the\nthings you\u2019ve collected\u2014none of which they\u2019ll be purchasing\u2014that they don\u2019t\nactually register the house itself. You want them to look at the space,\nappreciate its best features and become convinced of its potential for their\nfamily. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Built
Built in closet with warderobe in home interior<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

3. Create the illusion of space to\nentice buyers<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

By\ngetting rid of extra seating, paring down the clothes in your closets and\nweeding out everything in the pantry that\u2019s past its best-before date, you\ncreate the illusion of more space, which is always a good thing when trying to\nsell a home. After all, empty rooms always look bigger than rooms filled with\nfurniture. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Be\nstrategic, though, and don\u2019t leave yourself with nowhere to sit. Think of your\nhome as wearing its Sunday best rather than sweats and a t-shirt, and if\nthere\u2019s a chair the cat\u2019s clawed, the sun has faded or that needs cleaning or\nreupholstering, get it out of the house while potential buyers are viewing.\nThere will be plenty of time to kick back and relax in that past-its-prime\nlounger when you\u2019re moved into your<\/em>\nnew home.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

4. Well-staged homes photograph better<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

While\nyou might get a viewing from a drive-by or after an open house, most potential\nbuyers these days are going to look at your house and its listing online. Good\nphotos make all the difference here, but you\u2019re not going to get them if you\nhaven\u2019t decluttered. Put the family photos away, get all the toys into the toy\nbox, remove the gym equipment that\u2019s migrated from the basement to other living\nareas and make your real estate agent\u2019s job easier by presenting a home that\nshows to advantage in both photos and real life.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"white<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

5. Maximize kitchen counter space<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Yes,\nit\u2019s a pain. But even though your family uses the toaster and blender every\nday, putting them away in cupboards before viewings provides a clean slate and\nmakes potential home buyers think about all the meals they\u2019re going to prepare\nin their new home. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

If\nyour home\u2019s being shown to first-time home buyers, chances are good they\u2019re\nlooking for more space, particularly an opportunity to expand from a galley\nkitchen to one that has room for a table and chairs. Help them believe they\u2019re\ngoing to be transformed into hosts with the most when they buy your home by\ngiving them the visual space they need.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

6. Don\u2019t borrow trouble<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Cluttered\nhomes make potential buyers uneasy. Viewing someone else\u2019s occupied home is\nslightly uncomfortable for most people. Clutter is not only a distraction; it\nmakes your home look uncared for. This can make potential buyers start to ask\nthemselves, \u201cif they haven\u2019t taken care of their possessions, what other\nproblems are brewing here?\u201d You could lose an offer if this kind of nebulous\ndoubt sets in.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

7. Let your home show itself<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Let\u2019s\nface it\u2014you\u2019re selling your home, not the couch and coffee table. By getting\nrid of clutter and replacing it with neutral but stylish accessories, you lead\nthe buyer\u2019s eye to the features of your home that are its true selling points.\nThat means you\u2019re going to get a quicker sale and a higher price than if you\nmake a potential buyer struggle to see your home\u2019s merits.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"