{"id":16379,"date":"2020-04-29T14:37:52","date_gmt":"2020-04-29T21:37:52","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.homelight.com\/blog\/?p=16379"},"modified":"2021-07-16T08:08:36","modified_gmt":"2021-07-16T15:08:36","slug":"decluttering-home-in-quarantine-coronavirus","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.homelight.com\/blog\/decluttering-home-in-quarantine-coronavirus\/","title":{"rendered":"Decluttering Tips to Sell Your Home: How to Conquer the Mess While Quarantined"},"content":{"rendered":"

In the coming months (and maybe even into next year), many people will be staying home more than usual and are looking for ways to keep busy. While large scale remodels that require outside help aren\u2019t ideal for social distancing, one productive, safe, and highly rewarding use of time is to declutter your surroundings.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m going room by room in my house, and I\u2019m shocked at how much stuff I have that I really don’t need,\u201d says Jeremy Kahler<\/a>, a top real estate agent serving Rapid City, South Dakota.<\/p>\n

Decluttering will also pay dividends when you sell your home, a task that some people are putting off for a stint until the pandemic eases up. According to HomeLight\u2019s research, reducing clutter can add over $2,500 to your home\u2019s value at resale<\/a>. Let\u2019s sort through a few ways to declutter your home in quarantine \u2014 a process that doesn\u2019t have to be as overwhelming as you think \u2014 so the moment you want to sell, you\u2019re ready.<\/p>\n

\"A<\/a>
<\/a> Source: (Ceci Freeman \/ Unsplash)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Get motivated: See your house as a buyer would<\/h2>\n

\u201cBuying a home is psychological,\u201d says Trisha Roe of Designing Impressions<\/a>, a licensed professional stager for 16 years in Sturgis, South Dakota, whose business also has a branch serving South Carolina and its neighboring states. \u201cBuyers only know what they see, and if they only see your stuff, they\u2019re not seeing the house.\u201d<\/p>\n

We live \u201cconveniently,\u201d keeping favorite items handy, she says. That\u2019s why we set out lotion on the nightstand, or a toaster, a mixer, and a knife block on the kitchen counter (not to mention our favorite knickknacks, photos, and mementos).<\/p>\n

But when buyers see all these items, they think your home must have no storage. Storage is a top concern, says Kahler, noting that buyers always want to look inside closets and cabinets when they\u2019re serious. So he recommends those places ultimately be neat. \u201cIt just makes the home look like it has more storage,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n

Choose a sorting method<\/h2>\n

Organizing and decluttering doesn\u2019t have to be a chore, especially while people already are at home (and perhaps on each other\u2019s nerves) more than usual.<\/p>\n

If you live with other people, don\u2019t point fingers<\/a> over whose mess is whose, Nancy Meck<\/a>, owner of Meck Organizing, which serves Los Angeles and Atlanta, Georgia, wrote on the blog of the National Association of Professional Organizers<\/a>. Rather, map out a joint \u201cmission\u201d or focus for your first project, turn on some music, set out some snacks, and take \u201cbefore\u201d and \u201cafter\u201d photos of each space to celebrate your progress.<\/p>\n

If using the Marie Kondo method<\/a> of organizing your belongings \u2014 holding each to gauge which \u201csparks joy\u201d \u2014 doesn\u2019t appeal to you, here are a few other methods to try before going room by room:<\/p>\n

Use the day-to-day test<\/b><\/h3>\n

Stand in each doorway and think, \u201cWhat can I do without on a day-to-day basis?\u201d Pack up what you don\u2019t need just now, and store it until you\u2019re able to donate it or move it to your new home. Buyers are understanding about storage in a garage, a shed, or part of the basement, as long as it\u2019s neat. \u201cKeep everything high and tight, like a military haircut,\u201d Roe says.<\/p>\n

Get an objective opinion <\/b><\/h3>\n

Take smartphone pictures of each room and note where your eye goes. If you need help looking beyond your belongings, forward the photos to a trusted relative, friend, or neighbor who can be kind but honest about that basket of magazines next to the sofa or that bike helmet on your desk.<\/p>\n

Think 12-12-12<\/b><\/h3>\n

Each day, locate 12 items to throw away, 12 to donate, and 12 to be returned to their proper places<\/a>, advises Joshua Becker<\/a>, author of\u00a0The More of Less\u00a0<\/i>and\u00a0The Minimalist Home<\/i>. (He also recommends setting out four boxes \u2014 Trash, Donate, Keep, and Relocate \u2014 for each room or space you declutter.)<\/p>\n

Pare down by category<\/b><\/h3>\n

Pick 10 categories from this decluttering home checklist<\/a> of items you can easily reduce. This includes kitchen glassware and coffee mugs, toiletries, books, over-the-counter medications, and craft supplies. Even that amount will lift your mood and boost your momentum to tackle something a little more unwieldy.<\/p>\n

\"Books<\/a>
<\/a> Source: (Fallon Michael \/ Unsplash)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Room by room tips for decluttering<\/h2>\n

A survey of HomeLight\u2019s top agents ranked the living room (84%), the master bedroom (75%), and the kitchen (66%) as the rooms that are most important for a seller to stage<\/a>, although our experts also say that bathrooms tend to be clutter spots. \u201cKitchens and bathrooms are typically the worst for sellers to prepare,\u201d Roe says.<\/p>\n

That said, buyers will expect to see some items in a home, or else it looks too sterile. Roe says she never asks sellers to put away a TV, a coffee maker, or a fan. \u201cI\u2019m not living without them, and I don\u2019t expect anyone else to.\u201d<\/p>\n

Decluttering and staging is a matter of keeping your eye moving to the right places and highlighting the amount of space that you have.<\/p>\n

Living room<\/h3>\n