Moving home can be one of life’s most stressful moments. The idea of packing up your life in boxes can induce anxiety, but it’s always be tempered by the excitement of new beginnings at your new home.
Equally stressful can be the idea of keeping your home in pristine condition for prospective buyers when they walk through the property for your open for inspections.
The best way to make this easy is to declutter. A messy home gives the appearance of being small and insufficient – the very opposite impression you’re trying to achieve.
Sometimes, this is easier said than done, especially with a young family. So, here are some great tips for maintaining a tidy regime in your home. They’re not only useful if you’re about to sell but may also improve the enjoyment of your current home!
No drop-zone
Is your kitchen or living room under siege with bags, coats, caps and shoes scattered everywhere? If so, implement a no-drop zone that forces members of your household to store items properly for the duration of your open. You may enjoy this new regime so much, you make it a general rule in your new home!
Shelve it
Do you keep every book after you’ve read it? If so, it’s time to change that habit. Put those paperbacks back into the community, hand them on to friends, or start a neighborhood library at your front gate.
Tornado of toys
Lego bricks spearing your instep is a pain in more ways than one. Work with the kids to audit their toys. You can give away those out of favour and throw out the broken ones. Organise a generously-sized toy box to make life easier for them and you. Keep six to 10 favourite toys out for the open for inspections, and store the rest until the move. It will make moving into a new bedroom feel like Christmas as old favourites are refound.
Read my lips
Magazines are often scattered around, often left on the dining table or dropped on the floor next to a chair or couch. You won’t need them during the opens, nor is their any point moving them to your new home. Do a big cull and throw them out, or donate to school or kindergarten for art projects.
Don’t get wired
Many kitchens have turned into charging stations for phones and tablet computers. Clean out a kitchen drawer (and throw out everything you haven’t used for ages or can’t remember what device it works with) so you’ve got a clear place to sweep these into at open for inspection time. Most local councils have places to take ewaste.
Big garden items
Trampolines and kiddie pools can make a garden look cluttered. Consider putting them into storage or loaning to a neighbour or friend for the duration of your sales campaign so your kids can visit them if they really need a fix. It will make the relocation of them to your new home even more special.
Storage is king
Buying furniture with storage space, such as a trunk that doubles as a coffee table, can make the declutter challenge so much easier. It means you can do a hotlap of the living room and throw everything left out into the trunk just before the open. Voila. Instant declutter!