Setting the stage: decluttering to sell your home

Published on 7/28/2019
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Setting the stage: decluttering to sell your home

Home staging can help to make a property highly desirable, and where better to start than by decluttering the place? 


Imagine if you could make the property that you are trying to sell look larger, brighter, cleaner, warmer, more homely, and, above all else, make people want to buy it. If you’re trying to do all this in the dark of winter, you’ve got a real challenge on your hands but we’ve got a few pointers that could help you out.


General DIY, a fresh lick of paint, clean the windows, hoover the carpet, plump those cushions, ensure beds are neatly made, a homeowner can do a lot to improve their property’s internal appearance to entice prospective purchasers, but first you need to begin by depersonalising and decluttering the place.


Home staging, or ‘dressing’, is an excellent marketing tool designed to appeal to various potential purchasers. Having a property that offers the appearance of being professionally dressed certainly makes the job of selling much easier!


In fact, a fresh poll of property industry analysts has revealed that decluttering your home prior to putting it on the market can help sell your property faster.

Among the main points highlighted by estate agents was the fact that decluttering allows prospective purchasers to visualise the home as ‘theirs’ and ultimately makes the property look bigger, with the impression of more storage space.


“About 70% of our clients take the advice to declutter their homes before selling. Most viewers cannot see beyond what is offered in front of them and find it hard to see anything other than clutter,” said Vivienne Harris from Heathgate estate agents.


The experts’ generally advice that you start by getting rid of all old furniture, appliances, gym equipment, boxes and other unused bulky items.


You may also care to consider sorting through old piles of paper, unworn clothing and more, clearing the kitchen counters and cupboards, sorting through the garage and spare rooms, and de-junk the kids room of old toys.



“Decluttering is always recommended. Usually, cluttered homes are harder to sell to buyers that would like to move in right away,” said Marina Filichkina, head of sales at international property broker Tranio.


“Overly cluttered houses can create the impression that a home will require repairs and renovation, even if that’s not the case,” she added.