De-Cluttering Your Home Before Listing
Whenever I list a house that is part of an estate, I am always a little saddened to see all the things a couple or a person has collected during their lifetime that will now be sold to strangers with the unsold items donated to Goodwill. Many times the survivors want very little of what is left to them by a relative. People collect an amazing amount of "stuff," and many people collect a lot of "junk." Some people even hoard "stuff" and "junk" which creates a big problem for themselves and their loved ones. If you haven't used it in over a year, you probably don't need it. Before a home is listed for sale, consider the following:
- If you don't need it, sell it, donate it, or throw it away.
- Remove all books from bookcases.
- Pack up the knickknacks.
- Clear everything off the kitchen counters.
- Put items used daily in a small box that can be stored in a closet when not in use.
- Use this process as a head-start on the packing you will need to do anyway.
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As an SRES® designee, I have received additional education on such topics as tax laws, probate, estate planning, equity conversion strategies, and can offer you information on current market trends as well as valuable resources regarding real estate transactions.
Shirley I definitely understand what you mean. I wrote a post about two months ago Sell this house. Would you?" And thanks for commenting earlier on my Autism Awareness Month post. Great post.
Shirley - Good advice even for those who don't plan a move any time soon. You just never know when change will come your way and keeping down the clutter will eliminate stress if and when you need to move.
I fell the same way when listing estates. It's so very sad to see a persons belongings , photo's, collections etc. What is even sadder is when they leave personal items behind that their children do not want. Those items were important to the homeowners but not their children. There is a history left behind and it feels like your stepping back in time. Knowing we will all be there someday, I guess it's a good idea to not collect so much stuff.
Arlene Trunzo
Great Post! Any decluttering you can do now, will save alot of time in the future. Yours or someone elses.
What I think is interesting when dealing with situations like this is that the parent or realative thinks that some of their family will actually want some of the stuff they have left behind, Old newspapers or magazines, coupons, etc. I think that some people really do feel that they are throwing away their "memories" if they throw away some things that they have in their home, Have you noticed that most people that do keep alot of stuff always have a story or something behind each item?
I learned a secret a long time ago, take a picture of the treasured item and then get rid of it, either by selling, donation, giving it or throw it away. You will still have the picture and usually a picture will takes up less room than the "treasured item". Of course that means that some people would be taking pictures of some strange things but its better than having all those items hanging around!
Have a great and bless day!