How to Declutter Your Home Before Showings

how to declutter your home before showing it

If you’re like most people, you know that you need to stage your home properly to create a good impression for potential buyers. Your Realtor® has probably already told you that many of your personal effects will need to come down; that’s because buyers want to envision themselves (and their belongings) in your space.

What that means is that you need to declutter.

However, that’s not always as easy as it sounds.

Using the 3-Box System to Declutter

Organization experts know something that most of us don’t: we’re all sitting on things we may not need, and sometimes it’s tough to recognize what they are.

To make it easier, set up three boxes: one marked “Keep,” one marked “Donate,” and one with a question mark.

Keep

Go through each room in your house and place things in the “Keep” box first. The things that belong in this box are those that you don’t even need to think twice about, such as family photos, heirlooms and other items with monetary or sentimental value.

Donate

The best way to find items that you should donate is to begin looking forward duplicates and triplicates. A great place to start? Your kitchen cupboards. We all have too many coffee mugs, mismatched silverware and lids for containers we don’t even own.

The “?” Box

This box is for items you aren’t sure whether to keep or discard. In many cases, this ends up being the box that overflows – but that’s OK, because at least the items are in a box and you can tuck them away before potential buyers visit your home.

Are You Selling Your Tampa Bay-Area Home?

Download our free home selling eBook to get a good idea of what you can expect while selling your home.

You can also call us at 727-584-8480 or 813-961-6000. If it’s easier, get in touch with us online. We’ll be happy to help you sell your home in the Tampa Bay area.