Declutter!

If you’re getting ready to sell your home your agent may have suggested you declutter your house so that it shows better. Decluttering seems to be an ongoing task even if you aren’t in the market to sell. Who couldn’t use a little help in this department, right?!  Here are a few helpful tips:

Have a plan before you start. Don’t just go into a room and move a pile of stuff from one spot to another. This doesn’t accomplish anything. Have boxes or bags ready and mark them “Keep”, “Donate”, “Sell”.  As you go through the room place each item that you are organizing into its appropriate box. When you’re done organizing make a point to get the boxes to the curb for trash pickup, or to the donation center. If you’re planning on having a garage sale, the sooner the better. Otherwise the boxes and bags you have worked so hard to organize will now be cluttering up the house again! It’s a vicious cycle.

Declutter one room at a time. Don’t get overwhelmed thinking about cleaning your entire house. You’ll never get started if you feel like the job is impossible. If even one room seems overwhelming, start with one closet, a dresser, or cabinet and go on from there.

Don’t get overly sentimental. If you haven’t used something or even looked at it for years chances are you can get rid of it. Of course there will be pictures and some items you don’t want to part with which is understandable. If something is truly sentimental or important however, it shouldn’t be sitting on a shelf in a dark closet or stored in a musty old basement.

One way to make decluttering easier is not to wait so long to do it in the first place! You’ll be glad you did, especially when it’s time to sell your home and move out.