Preparing your property for sale or even making it more enjoyable to live in, often involves throwing out unwanted or unused possessions and injecting some discipline into your housekeeping.
Nothing turns off a prospective buyer faster than an untidy or dirty home. Viewings that include your dishes in the sink or clothes in a corner of a bedroom rarely produce an encouraging offer.
As an experienced local agent, I’ve picked up a few decluttering tips over the years. So, whether you’re thinking of selling or want to remain happy in your home, I’m sure you’ll find some gold in this 10-point list.
- Get the household hooked on having their own hooks. Create spots to hang coats, caps, towels and so on. Anything that can’t fit on the hook needs to be put away correctly.
- Dedicate trays, or drop spots, for keys, sunglasses, umbrellas and even loose change. These will reduce clutter and stop family members from asking, “where are the car keys?”. Sound familiar?
- Grade your kitchen equipment by the amount of use each item gets. The least-used items should be the farthest from the action. For example, dedicate a tray for your favorite cooking utensils next to the stove. Keep the cups near the coffee maker and see if you can store plates close to the dishwasher.
- Keep countertops free of clutter. This is not only practical but a big fashion focus for buyers. Coffee makers, toasters, slow cookers and the like are all kept out of view these days. That’s one reason why modern designs are so big on storage.
- Hang your Young Picasso’s art in a dedicated area that’s not the fridge door. If you have wall space, install a magnetic board to keep track of family schedules, homework deadlines and so on.
- Random shoes discarded on the floor is a bugbear if you have teenagers. So, buy a boot rack, put it near the door and insist all excess footwear goes in everyone’s respective bedrooms.
- Ever felt the pain of a Lego brick in your instep? Stop that nonsense by investing in plastic bins so the bricks are easy to stow and access, even for a small child. Also, consider adapting a magnetic knife rack to stash discarded toy cars.
- Store out-of-season sports equipment. Stash that baseball bat, mitt and helmet for next summer in the garage or utility room. What’s the point of them hanging around, getting in your way for six months?
- Corral that linen cupboard! Keep your sheet sets together by placing each item into one of the pillowcases. That way, they won’t mysteriously separate, never to be reunited.
- Minimize the items on your bedside table and dressing table. These are two favorite dumping grounds upstairs. Keep them free of unnecessary objects, and they’ll be easier to clean, too.