Decluttering a property when selling – deciding what to keep & what not to keep.

When decluttering, deciding what to keep in the house and where to put things can pose particular difficulties. I have found that most people are reasonably happy in their own environment and tend to accumulate possessions.

It can come as a shock when they are told that their property is in need for decluttering due to being messy or over furnished. How can you tell?

A simple trick with decluttering is to stand at the doorway of any room. This is how a buyer will view it. Your eye can immediately take in everything. Does the room look open an inviting? Could you walk into without tripping over something? The golden rule is decluttering. If it doesn’t need to be there, take it out. It has to go when you move so use the opportunity to pack it up now.

Next Look at how the furniture is arranged. You want every room to seem as large as possible without looking bare. A main bedroom should have the bed with lamps on small bedside tables and a comfortable chair in the corner. If it is big enough, you might have a chest of drawers, but it is generally better not to have a TV or anything too bulky. If a buyer cannot easily walk around the furniture there is too much of it or it is too big –  decluttering is required.

Often homes have collections of ‘things’. They probably will not interest anyone else and will distract from the sale. Books need to be restricted to a study and neatly presented. If you have too many to display, simply box up the excess in readiness for your move.

In the process of decluttering you will probably need to find somewhere to store things. If you cannot afford it, putting items in storage is best. Many companies rent storage space for short periods of time. You want a place reasonably close by, or it will cost you to get the items there, and subsequently retrieving them, than you could save in cheaper rental. Often family, friends or neighbours can help. As a fall-back, it is generally acceptable to store things in your own garage if you have one that is safe and dry. The fact that the property has the garage is important to buyers, not always what’s necessarily inside it.

Vendor Marketing – Melbourne’s most qualified vendor advocates, specialises in both property marketing and real estate agent selection for property sellers within Melbourne, therefore we are able to assist you with decluttering as part of preparing a home for sale.