Clutter Camo

Hunters use camouflage to blend into the background. So do soldiers.  It allows them to get closer to what they are hunting or to hide from the enemy. This is just two examples of when camouflage is a great thing. When it comes to selling your home, being invisible is bad.  Really Bad!

You might be thinking you don't have camouflage in your home. I have a question for you. Do you have pictures of your family all over the mantle? Do you have all your kitchen appliances on the counter? It's that clutter that can make your home invisible to a potential buyer.  Yes that happens. I took a client to a home that checked off all of the items on my clients' wishlist, but it was full of things. The client never really saw the house. All they saw was the furniture and all of the home owner's stuff.  Buyers want to envision their stuff in your house, not your stuff!  Too many things makes your home camouflaged to potential buyers.  If possible, it is best to move out two-thirds of the things you have in your home and that includes furniture.  Leave the other 1/3 for staging.

I know it's not easy to sell your house, keep it spotless and still live there. By decluttering the home, it will be easier to keep it clean. Plus you don't want your house to look like there is not enough storage in the home. It's one of the things buyers look for. They want their things to fit into the house.

Go through your home and pack up the things you don't use every day. Are you like me and have appliances that you only use once in a while? Pack those up too. Buyers want to see spotless, spacious kitchens.  Create more space by having bare countertops! That's goes for the bathroom as well. Buyers want to see clear counters and clean bathrooms. So go through now and clear out what you don't need and find a place inside to store what you do need. Buyers are also looking for closet space. Is your's bursting at the seams with all your clothes and shoes. Do you still have last season's clothes in there? Take all those out and put them in storage, your attic or any extra storage area you may have in a basement or extra room.

Take a look at your furniture. The large furniture can make your home look smaller. So that large corner sofa may be comfortable but buyers may think the living room is really small. Look around and see if there is any furniture you don't need right now.  Also look at furniture placement. You want buyers to be able to easily move into the next room.

Do you have family pictures on the mantle? How about the wall? I hate to say it... but those need to be taken down, along with anything stuck to your refrigerator, and packed-up. People want to imagine themselves in the home. They find it hard to do with family photos. Many buyers feel as if they are intruding in your home instead of looking to buy it.  As many memories as you may have in your home, as much as you may love it, make them see it as their home, not yours!

Don't forget to round up the valuables you have. You will want to find a place to put those. People will be coming into your home and it's best to have a plan for what you will do with those things. Take important papers and jewelry that won't be worn to a safe deposit box.

You might be asking what to do with all the other stuff you packed up? You can always have a garage sale for the items you don't want anymore. Storing some of the items in a garage is an option but keep in mind you don't want your house to look like it doesn't have any storage. So you will need to make sure it is done very carefully. It's one of the reason we recommend renting a storage unit while the house in on the market.  But just think!... doing all this packing will make it easier for you to move into your new house.  And that is certainly an added bonus to selling your home faster.