Tips on Decluttering Your Home for Staging

You are preparing to move, and about to list your house on the market. The next step your real estate agent has told you to take is to stage your home for open houses. Staging is the process of preparing your home for viewing by buyers. You want the buyers to be impressed and interested in your home so you can move on out! You will want the buyers that view your house to feel as if they can move in that day!

This is where decluttering comes in, and it is an important step when preparing to sell your home. This, of course, is easier said than done when you are still living at the property and all of your things are still there and in use. However, it is simply a necessity. Buyers like open space, and they need to be able to imagine themselves living there when they come to view. Effort, the thing you need most to tackle this task. Your goal should be to end with your home looking like a spec home. Neat and neutral.

These tips below will help with the decluttering process go smoothly for those of you who are feeling a little overwhelmed.

Living/Family Room:

 

You can rearrange lighting to give the room a more open feel, you want to maximize the space that you have available. Clear out any excess books, magazines, photo frames, or sit-arounds that you may have on the your coffee table, end tables, or shelves. Any devices that are connected to the TV as well as remotes should be tidy or put away if someone is coming to view. Electronics tend to have many cords and remotes with them, a viewer does not want to see these things cluttering up the space.

Kitchen:

 

Take all small appliances, such as toasters, coffee pots, cooking utensil holders, and other things that are just sitting on your countertop or table off and away. Wash and store all dish towels rather than hanging or your stove handle or have the look that they have just been used. Organize your shelves, in this case if you have a special built cabinet that a buyer might want to look at, you do not want them to open a cabinet door to shelves full of disorganization.

Bedrooms/Closets: 

 

Bedrooms, the potential place your buyers value the most, especially the master. You will need to have the bed made and the throw pillows arranged in a neat manner. No clothes should be on the floor or piled in a chair as we tend to do after washing. Closets must be organized, this can be a selling point to some buyers. The closet space is very important to be seen as a space that will hold everything the potential buyer could need to hang or store in there.

Bathrooms:

First, take your personal items off of the countertops. Yes, everyone has a toothbrush, face wash, etc. but no one really wants to look at your things when viewing a home. Arrange them neatly in your cabinets but do not over crowd your storage space. Clean, clean, and clean again, your flooring, your toilet, your shower, and your sink. A clean shined bathroom is so important not only daily but especially to a viewer. Also, make sure that your shower curtain, decorative towels, and floor mats match as this appeals to buyers.

Patio/Outdoor Space/Garage:

Deck chairs and tables need to be wiped down and clean from pollen or dust that accumulates. A few small, decorative items like planters or floral baskets can remain, but any clutter of toys, yard tools, or pool items should be stored or removed. As far as painting, if you are able to touch up paint that has chipped or faded over time, then do it for this will help with the outer appearance of your home. As far as the garage goes, you probably are using it for storage as most homeowners do, but attempt to organize your storage space as neatly as possible. Invest in plastic totes to contain items that are sitting around and remove anything you do not need.

Extra Helpful Hints:

Moving might be the single best time to purge your personal belongings. This will be helpful when you move because you won’t have as many things to haul to your new home, and it will get items out of your house for staging. Whether you donate items, sell them, or simply get rid of things, it can help you simplify your life and declutter your home.

You can also rent self-storage spaces on a short-term basis to store items until you move. This will get them out of the house for the staging process but still allow you to keep them. This is an excellent option if you are moving to a larger home or do not want to part with your things you don’t need immediate access to.

Follow these tips and you should be able to successfully declutter your home for staging!

 

By Hannah Moses a contributing author for SMARTBOX Moving and Storage