Clearing out clutter is an essential step prior to listing your home because purchasing a home is an aspirational process, and buyers want to picture themselves in a space that is attractive, clean, and organized. Eliminating clutter is often an arduous task, however, because it may require parting with things that hold emotional value. Here are tips for tidying up your home, room by room:
*Bedrooms: remove anything from your nightstands that doesn’t belong there (books you’ve finished, pieces of mail, pens and paper, eyeglasses, etc.). Throw out or recycle anything you no longer use. Repeat for dressers, chests, and/or bureaus. Fold or hang and store any clothing. Store items like chargers, gadgets, and gaming equipment. For children’s bedrooms, assess every toy for wear and tear, determine whether it still functions and if your child still plays with it.
*Bathrooms: empty the contents of your medicine cabinet and throw out anything outdated or that you no longer need. Continue onto cabinet drawers, removing anything you don’t use.
*Kitchen: move through each part of the kitchen, completely emptying each space and assessing whether you use and need the stored items. Start with storage spaces, including the pantry and upper cabinets, then move onto lower cabinets and drawers. Keep only what you use every single day on the countertops.
*Living Room: locate permanent storage spaces for frequently used items, such as remote controls and reading material. Empty contents of bookcases, console, and side tables, assess the items, and then return anything not being discarded or donated to their proper spaces.
*Office: Set aside time to catch up on your filing, and then shred any unnecessary paperwork. Scan anything for which you don’t need a physical copy. Evaluate your electronics and associated cords; figure out what you still use and discard or donate the rest.