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An open, spacious home sells more quickly than one that is full of clutter. Get rid of it and be ruthless. Eliminating clutter and excess furniture makes rooms appear larger. Try this simple test: take shoes, sweater boxes, and so on off your closet floor and look again. Small rooms such as closets and bathrooms seem larger without a ton of stuff all over the floor.
 | Where furniture is concerned, less is more. Go through your house room by room with your real estate agent or a friend who isn't a packrat. Get their opinion on what to eliminate. Set a goal of getting rid of at least a quarter of the furniture in each room — half would probably be better. Big furniture such as large sofas or grand pianos make a room look smaller. A glass table, for example, seems smaller than a solid wood table of the same size. Think visually. If you want a better idea of what your room looks like, take pictures of each room. |
Remember the rule of three: No more than three items should be on your kitchen and bathroom counters, tabletops, and mantels. Keep dirty dishes out of the kitchen sink. Store, sell, or give away surplus or bulky furniture. Recycle those stacks of old magazines and newspapers you've been saving for no good reason. Don't just move stuff into the attic or garage. On the contrary, dump all that junk from your attic, basement, and garage that you've accumulated over the years.
Closet space sells houses. Create additional space in your closet by weeding out all those old clothes you never wear anymore. Clean and organize closets, bookcases, and drawers. Like it or not, serious buyers inspect your closets and open built-in drawers. Be sure that they're neat and roomy. Closets look more organized if you replace wire hangers with matching wood or plastic hangers.
| Ironically, the clutter that reduces your house's value is far from worthless. On the contrary, your junk is someone else's treasure. Make a donation to your favorite charity and earn a tax deduction (be sure to ask for a donation receipt). Have a garage sale. Who knows? You may make enough from a garage sale to pay for your move. |
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