The First Step in Staging: Remove the Clutter!

Positioning a property to stand out from the crowd is one of the most important steps in preparing a home for sale. This post will focus on the first step in getting there – removing the clutter. 

The first thing homeowners should do when they decide they want to sell their home is to remove clutter – and I mean all of it! So what counts as clutter? Out of season clothes that are in your closets, the 10 extra cookies sheets in the cabinet that you never use, incomplete sheet sets in the linen closet, boxes and holiday decorations that sit in the basement, the 13 basketballs rolling around the garage – they all need to get packed up. The baby blankets and books that are stacked in your daughters closet (the daughter that just celebrated her 10th birthday) they’ve got to go! They all need to be packed and stored neatly in your attic, garage, anyplace safe from the elements.

Personal items are also visual clutter – family photos, wedding albums, certificates, and trophies. These objects are wonderful, they make your home your home, but you want the buyers to see their home. Many clients have initially resisted, saying, “If I remove all the photos on the wall, I will need to patch and paint…” You don’t. Keep the frames on the wall, just place different wrapping papers of complimentary colors inside the frames. This is low cost and simple alternative that allows you to keep interesting artwork on the walls.

Trust me, with the clutter gone, potential buyers will walk in and be able to focus on the beauty of what may be their future home.

For more information on preparing your home for sale visit http://www.realtor.com/Basics/Sell/PrepHome/GetReady.asp?source=web

Next week's blog post will focus on what we can expect in the spring market.

Paula can be reached at Paula.Ostop@raveis.com.