How to Declutter Your Home

Selling your home is often very exciting but there’s also a lot to consider. You want to make sure your home stands out in the competitive property market, and one of the most effective ways to do that is by decluttering and organising your space. Decluttering not only makes your home more appealing to potential buyers, but it can also help you move house faster. 

Our top tips for decluttering

Decluttering your home can feel like a bit of a task, and even a hassle. However, it can be a valuable step when trying to sell your home on the property market. 

1. Start with a plan

Decluttering your home may seem like a daunting task, but a well-thought-out plan can make the process more manageable. Begin by creating a checklist of the areas you want to tackle and set realistic goals for each room or space. Consider breaking down your decluttering into smaller, manageable steps, setting aside specific days or weekends for different rooms or areas. 

A checklist by area might look like this….

Front garden

• Make sure it’s clear of weeds and garden bric-a-brac (tools, random bits of wood…)
• Keep your bins tidily away
• Does the paint on the front of the house need a refresh?

Entranceway

• Put away shoes and coats. If you have an abundance of both, consider storing the least-used items (neatly!) in an nearby cupboard to keep things tidier
• Have a “stuff” bowl as a catch-all for your keys, receipts, hair ties and anything else you might be tempted to let take over the whole sideboard

Living Room

• Clear your coffee table of any old magazines, takeaway menus and other junk mail
• Remove unsightly wires beside furniture or organise them using ties and hooks
• Make space on surfaces (this may mean removing some items)
• Clear your windowsills so you can let in as much natural light as possible
• Does the furniture placement make sense from an outsider’s perspective?
• Is there any furniture you never actually use or aren’t planning to take with you when you move? Donate, sell or take it to the tip before the viewings start

Kitchen

• Create countertop space by removing rarely-used appliances and general clutter
• If you usually leave your bread or butter on the counter, put it in the fridge or a cupboard
• Make sure all doors and drawers close properly
• If you have any fancy storage space you think might be a particular selling point, prioritise clearing those cupboards so potential buyers can look for themselves
• All dirty plates and cutlery should be washed and put away
• Make sure your fridge door is clear of knick-knacks (and give it a wipe!)

Bathroom

• Clear your surfaces as a priority – this means using up or getting rid of extra toiletries that have been lingering for a while
• This especially includes the bath/shower space, where it’s common to have large collections of hair and body products

Bedrooms (Start with the main bedroom)

• Clear your nightstands – only keep the items you use every night, like your bedside lamp, reading glasses, moisturiser, etc.
• Make sure your dresser drawers close properly
• Go through your wardrobes and clear the clutter by donating unworn clothes and storing out of season clothes (i.e. woolly jumpers in June) in boxes elsewhere

Other rooms

• Once you’ve successfully decluttered the rooms above, it’s time to move on to secondary spaces, such as the dining room, conservatory, back garden, etc
• Storage is also important! Make sure you tackle the attic, shed, etc, if you have time. Use tidy storage boxes to your advantage and use these places for any “off-season” storage to make your main cupboards and wardrobes look more spacious

2. Use the four-buckets rule: keep, donate, sell, discard

As you’re sorting through belongings, they’ll typically fall into one of the four buckets above. Depending on the room you’re decluttering, you might want to actually use boxes or buckets for donate and sell items and throw discard items directly in the bin, so you’re not tempted to rescue them. Don’t have a maybe bucket, as more often than not, you’ll keep items you were on the fence about — commit to a bucket right away. 

3. Storage units

If you’re struggling to find a place for all your belongings, consider renting a storage unit. This temporary solution can help you keep your home tidy without getting rid of items you don’t want to part with just yet. Just make sure it’s well-organised and labelled for easy access, and try not to fill up the storage unit with things you’ll never use again, as this can become an unnecessary expense.

4. Minimise personal items

When potential buyers visit your home, they want to envision themselves living there and your personal items can make it harder for them to do that. Temporarily pack away these items and create a neutral space that allows buyers to imagine their own life in your home.

This also applies to your pet’s personal items too! It may be shocking, but not everyone loves animals, so be sure to tidy away toys, bedding and treat/water bowls if they’re in a prominent place like the kitchen.

5. Focus on key areas

Not every room in your home requires the same level of decluttering. Concentrate your efforts on key areas like the kitchen, living room and bedrooms, as these are the spaces that potential buyers pay the most attention to. A clutter-free kitchen with organised cabinets and countertops can be a significant selling point.

Moving from one room to another without finishing each space will leave you with a big donation/discard pile without being able to see much difference. Tackle a room at a time and make sure you finish what you start to see and feel the maximum impact from your hard work — it’s far more motivating.

6. Ask for help

A good friend can act as an impartial, fresh pair of eyes. Ask them to imagine viewing your house for the first time. What are their first impressions? What do they notice that might be second nature for you but a turn-off for others?

An extra pair of hands is never a bad thing for helping to tackle the Donate and Discard piles of items, either!

7. One in, one out (until the house is sold)

Unfortunately, on average, it can take up to 4.2 months to sell a property if you don’t use a genuine cash house buyer. So, it’s important to maintain your new clutter-free home for as long as it takes. One great way to do this is to adopt a “One In – One Out” system. For example, if you want to buy a new pair of jeans, one of your old pairs must be recycled or donated first. Likewise for kitchen utensils, homeware and (definitely) furniture – however tempted you are by a second wine rack!

Reasons to declutter your home before trying to sell

There are many reasons to go through the decluttering process even before putting your house on the market – here are our top nine.

Depersonalise your house

Buyers want to buy the house of their dreams, not yours – give them a blank canvas while still being homey enough to imagine themselves moving in and living there. 

Make the most of available space

While visualising how a sofa might look in a living room is easier with an actual sofa instead of a bare room, it’s best to keep anything floor-standing to a minimum. Space is a premium, so you want to show potential buyers that your home has plenty to offer.

Don’t neglect cupboards and other storage areas

Yes, decluttering includes cupboards – some buyers will want to see inside the cupboard space, so don’t just throw everything in there!

Decluttered homes feel cleaner and are easier to maintain

Even if it’s not actually the case, a lack of clutter helps a house seem much better cared for and cleaner. The added benefit here is that making your house easier to clean means less time stressing before each viewing.

Clutter demands an explanation

You don’t want to be saying “excuse the mess” to anyone who comes to view — first impressions count! 

Decluttered spaces look better in photographs

Let’s face it; we find the homes we want online, rather than driving around the neighbourhood looking for “For Sale” signs, so help the photos to focus on the home rather than the clutter. This will result in more interest and, potentially, a better sale price.

Reveals issues that may need resolving

Whoops, that armchair was covering a massive chunk missing from the wall! It’s much better to find aesthetic “quick fixes” before visitors or surveyors do, so that you can deal with them early.

Make moving day easier

It’s not all about selling the house you have. Moving into your new home will also be much easier if you don’t have to pack, move, unpack and find space for items that you’re not actually all that bothered about keeping.

Earn a bit of cash

If you have items that you no longer want but could be worth something to someone else, you can always sell them and put that additional money towards your new home!

Do I need to declutter my home?

The simple answer is no! You don’t need to declutter your home when selling it on the property market should you not want to. Although decluttering can make it easier for prospective buyers to see themselves living there, and means you have to less to pack up when you move, sometimes life gets in the way and you may not have the time (or the inclination) to do it. Don’t fret if that’s the case, you may still sell your home the traditional way or can look at other options which means you can leave your home in its existing condition. 

The cost of decluttering

There are a lot of costs involved in selling your house, but decluttering doesn’t have to be one of them. If you do choose to declutter your home, you don’t have to spend a fortune: simple actions like rearranging furniture or giving rooms a fresh coat of paint can make a big difference without breaking the bank.

However, if your home needs renovation work as well as decluttering, this can cost more and be a bigger financial investment before moving. With any renovation work, you’ll need to decide if the cost outweighs the benefits of completing the work as well as whether to sell your home in a better condition or sell your home as-is. On the open property market, this may need accepting a lower offer, or you could consider using non-traditional routes such as a quick cash house buying company.  

Selling to House Buyer Bureau

If the thought of decluttering, potentially renovating and preparing your home for the market overwhelms you, there’s another option to consider. Here at House Buyer Bureau, we specialise in buying properties quickly, in as-is condition. This means you don’t have to go through the time-consuming process of decluttering, renovating and staging your home. It’s a convenient choice for those who need to sell their property fast without all the traditional hassles.

Get in touch with our friendly team of house cash buyers today for your free cash offer. If you have questions about our services, our property experts will be glad to help. We have the funds to buy your home in as little as 7 days!