Selling your home…it’s so
much more than calling a Realtor and putting a “for sale” sign out front. Your Realtor will tell you selling your home
is easier when it is clean and de-cluttered, but taking the time to do those
things on top of the many other “jobs” we have in our lives can seem
overwhelming and stressful.
What exactly does “clean”
and “de-cluttered” mean, and how can you fit those tasks into your already busy
life? Everybody has different definitions of “clean”, but when selling a home
attention to detail is vital. Surfaces
from floors to ceiling (including ceiling fans) should be free of dust, cobwebs
& dirt. This is the time to replace burnt out light bulbs and bleach dingy
grout (yes, you read that right – you’ll be amazed at what good-looking grout
can do for a bathroom’s appeal!). Every
nook and cranny of your home should sparkle. And, as if a major deep clean
isn’t enough of a task, the cleanliness needs to be maintained while your home
is on the market. Often home buyers will equate lack of cleanliness in a home
to lack of maintenance – if they see grime on the surface they’ll assume things
behind closed doors haven’t been taken care of as well.
How DO you fit a cleaning
of this magnitude into your schedule, without giving up precious time
elsewhere? One answer is to break the project down into manageable tasks, doing
a little each day or weekend. If time is of the essence, and it often is when
putting a home on the market, consider hiring a cleaning service. They can come
in and do the massive top to bottom clean, and also help you maintain with
regularly scheduled touch ups.
“De-cluttering” a home can
be as simple as packing away unneeded items, or as in depth as color
coordinating clothes in a closet to give a little extra “wow” factor. The
objective is to allow the buyer to envision their things in the space – which
is impossible if space doesn’t exist!
Professional Organizers
are prepared for exactly this type of project. They are able to go thru a home
and evaluate objects with fresh eyes in a non-judgmental manner, pointing out
where de-cluttering needs to be done, and the easiest way to go about it.
Professional Organizers are also very good at creative storage solutions!
As with cleaning,
investing in a Professional Organizer to help you de-clutter your home can save
you time, sell your house faster, and give you a return on investment of
200-500%. Not to mention that packing away those unneeded items now puts you a
step ahead when moving day comes!
Close your eyes and think
about the first time you went to friend’s home – what were your thoughts when
you first walked in the door? What did you see? Did what you see and thought
alter your perception of the friend?
Walking
thru your own home and trying to “see” it with fresh eyes will clue you in on
what prospective buyers see when they come thru your front door. If your “fresh
eyes” make you want to step inside your home, your prospective buyers will feel
invited as well.
Tammy Schotzko is a
Professional Organizer and the owner of We Love Messes, which also offers
eco-friendly residential cleaning. She loves helping people de-clutter their
homes and lives, freeing up space and time for that which they truly love.
Tammy offers no-charge consultations for cleaning and de-cluttering, and can be
reached at (218) 766-0197 or thru her website at www.welovemesses.com.
