Preparing a home to sell is no small feat. Whether you’ve been in your house for a few years or decades, miscellaneous things can accumulate in every closet, cabinet, and drawer. Waiting until your home is on the market to eliminate these items can be daunting. Breaking this task up several months before listing your home can make it feel more manageable.
Prepare and take inventory
Before you begin cleaning out your home, set goals, make a plan, and take inventory. Create a timeline of when you need to clear out your home. Then, assess what rooms need the most attention. One way to do this is to take photos of each room so you can view the room through a buyer’s eyes rather than how you see the space daily.
Once you have a timeline and priorities, gather the boxes, bins, and bags, and you’ll need to corral the items. Divide these storage vessels into items you’ll keep, donate, and throw out.
Starting in the non-living area rooms, such as the basement, attic, and garage, will give you space to begin storing the boxes you pack as you go. This will provide good momentum for clearing out items you no longer need and create more space to stash away the items you do use when the home is being professionally photographed and during showings.
Go one room at a time
Clearing out one room at a time will bring order and a sense of accomplishment. Once each room is complete, you can move on to the next room without being stuck on the remaining to-do’s in the previous space.
Tackle the main living areas and kitchen
Begin by depersonalizing your space and removing photos and unnecessary decor pieces. This first step is essential to prepare for professional listing photography. Then, begin clearing out cabinets, drawers, and closets, packing up the items you won’t use before moving, and donating and throwing out the rest. In the kitchen, there are many appliances and accessories you likely won’t use before listing your home. Begin to pack up any seasonal dinnerware or servingware, as well as infrequently used utensils and countertop appliances. Also, conduct a full refrigerator, freezer, and pantry purge to throw out expired and stale items.
Pack seasonal clothing
Packing away season clothing is an easy way to create space instantly. If you’re packing the winter with the intent of listing your home in the spring, pack away your summer and fall attire, shoes, and accessories. This will be one less task to complete when you’re preparing to move and will create more visual space in your closets.
Clear toiletries
Throw out expired and unused toiletries in the linen closets and bathroom cabinets, and donate the linens you no longer use. Storage space tops many buyers’ lists, and removing all the items you don’t need will make these spaces feel more significant.
Donate regularly
Instead of letting the donation bags accumulate, drop them off at the donation center as soon as they are packed to quickly remove the items from your home and mentally feel like the project is moving along.
