Decluttering Is the First Step to Selling Your Home

When you decide to sell your home, a lot of things need to fall into place to make it happen. Finding the right real estate agent and completing any home repairs may be at the top of your list. But there's one step you should take first: decluttering your home. Not only will your home look cleaner and more spacious when all the clutter is gone, but it will also give you a head start on packing and moving. Here are three easy steps to get you started.

Choose one area to declutter. Start by focusing on one room or one area at a time. It won't seem so overwhelming, and you can accomplish a lot in small chunks of time. Pick the room or space that will have the most impact. If you declutter an extra bedroom, buyers will be able to picture it as a guest room or a home office. Even working on a small area like a closet or a bathroom is a great way to get started.

Decide what to do with your stuff. You'll need to ask yourself some tough questions when it comes to getting rid of things. Do you need it? Do you love it? Do you ever use it? If you only use the item once in a while, then it's a good idea to put it in a storage unit for now. But if you answer "no" to these questions, then put the item aside to sell or donate. You can donate items to a local charity, or sell more valuable items online using Marketplace, NextDoor or Craigslist and make some money at the same time.

Consider self storage. Going through your house and deciding what to keep or throw away can be extremely stressful, especially when you have to involve other family members. But with a storage unit, you can safely put your clutter out of sight without having to go through messy arguments or stressful decisions. This will also let you focus on selling your home instead of having to make painful choices.

With a little bit of planning, you can easily declutter your home and give yourself an advantage when it comes time to sell. The more clutter you remove, the more attractive your home will look to home buyers and to yourself!