If you’ve decided to sell your home, then you want to make sure that it sells for a good price. And, also, that it sells as fast as possible. Decluttering your home before selling it is quite beneficial for its overall appearance. And appearance later translates into the financial aspect of your home sale. Although it can be very challenging, especially if you’ve managed to accumulate many things, it will certainly pay off. Here are some benefits of decluttering your home before selling it.
The rooms seem bigger
Yes, objectively, nothing changes when it comes to the size of your home when you declutter. But, as many real estate experts will tell you, oftentimes it is not simply about objectivity. It is about perception. And clutter does make your home look smaller. If there are too many things in one place, that will alter the perception of the prospective buyer. Numerous furniture pieces and trinkets everywhere make the home look lived-in. However, they also make it seem smaller. Decluttering your home before selling it is a great way to visually expand it.
It is easier to clean afterwards
As many seem to forget, or remember too late, you want to invite prospective buyers into a clean home. Cleaning is much more difficult when there is a lot of things to move around. And this pertains especially to furniture. It can take you forever to clean something when moving too many furniture pieces here and there. So, if you want to reduce the cleaning time, you should definitely declutter first. If you have too much furniture, you can put it in storage for the time being. Just make sure that you protect your furniture before putting it in storage, as you don’t want it to get damaged.
Decluttering your home before selling it can reveal potential problems
Sometimes, the clutter masks underlying problems with your home. You cannot see mold when it’s hidden behind the row of things you have by the wall. Or, there might be a crack in the wall you have never noticed before. Less clutter opens up the space, opening your perspective, as well. That is also why it is good that you leave yourself plenty of time to declutter. In case any problems arise, you will be able to deal with them in time. Use decluttering as a chance to fix any problems, as they might deter buyers.
Decluttering means less distraction
Aside from other vital disadvantages of clutter, it is also quite distracting. Instead of imagining their own future in the space, prospective buyers are sometimes bombarded with the remnants of the past, so to speak. That is, when they see personalized items in a home, that distracts them sufficiently to consider not purchasing it. Decluttering your home before selling it can be a chance for you to remove all those distractions. Aim for a neutral space. Remove family pictures, any possibly unsightly paintings that only you may find adorable. Those are the things that might distract potential buyers most.
It inspire the buyers’ imagination
One of the most important things when selling a home is to spur people’s imagination. As it has been mentioned, clutter can only deter them. Before you sell them your home, you want to sell them the idea of their future home. You want it neutral enough, but on the brink of greatness. Clutter can hinder all of that.
Also, for most people, the viewing process is a tad bit uncomfortable. After all, you’re walking through someone’s home, which is not something many people like. Decluttering your home before selling it can also help with that. If the space is neutral enough, potential buyers won’t perceive the home as belonging to someone else. This, in turn, can help them imagine the home as theirs.
This is particularly important if you’re renting out your place. Most people that look at homes for renting only want the basics, because they have their own things to put there. Selling your home doesn’t have to be the final goal, as you can even make some cash by renting your property. Still, be mindful that the people who want to live there don’t want to live among constant reminders of someone else’s life.
Decluttering your home before selling it increases its value
Of course, the main goal of any home improvement actions, including decluttering, is to increase the value of the home. And you’d be surprised that this can be done with the simple act of decluttering. Again, this boils down to perception. Homes that have plenty of clutter seem like they haven’t been maintained. They can be clean and perfect in every regard, but they seem like they aren’t. On the other hand, homes without clutter seem like they have been maintained well. And people are willing to pay a higher price for a well-maintained home.
Other benefits of decluttering your home before selling it
There are some other benefits of decluttering your home before selling it that you might not have even thought of. Decluttering has so much influence on so many aspects of the sale that it is difficult to list it all. But here are some other most common benefits of decluttering.
- It smells cleaner. Clutter can often preclude air circulation. And no potential buyer can imagine themselves living in a home with stale air. Also, the smell is one of the first things that the client will notice when entering your home.
- Easier to paint the walls. If you want to paint your home, it will be much easier if you’ve decluttered. There’s less furniture to move around, you’re not always worrying that you’ll break or paint something inadvertently. Painting your walls is also quite essential if you’ve had bold colors on your walls. When preparing your home for sale, you should always strive for neutrality.
- It is easier to stage when clutter-free. Aside from decluttering, staging a home is one of the ways you can increase its price. But, even professional companies can have a difficult time staging a home when the space is buried under piles and piles of clutter.
You have a chance to put your precious belongings somewhere safe. Some of the fears of opening your home to strangers include things going missing when no one is paying attention. Decluttering can give you a chance to remove valuable things and prevent any possible problems later.