Selling a home can be an emotional and overwhelming process. But for those who have been living in their home for 30 years or more, it can be especially difficult to part with the memories and belongings that have become such a big part of your life. From family heirlooms to childhood toys, packing up decades worth of stuff when selling your home can feel like an insurmountable task.
The Benefits of Purging When Selling Your Home
While it’s important to keep items that you treasure, it’s also beneficial to de-clutter when selling your home. Purging unwanted items not only lightens the load when moving but it also helps buyers envision themselves living in the space. The less clutter they see, the easier it is for potential buyers to imagine what changes they might make in order to make the house their own.
Additionally, reducing clutter before selling your home will help increase its value. By removing excess furniture and knick-knacks, you’re opening up the space and making it appear larger than it actually is. This creates an illusion of added square footage which could potentially increase offers from interested buyers looking for more space than you actually have to offer.
How To Get Started Decluttering
When faced with decades worth of stuff, where do you even begin? Here are a few tips on how to get started decluttering when selling your home:
1. Make A List – Start by making a list of all the items you would like to keep versus those you would like to get rid of (sell, donate, or throw away). Organizing items into categories makes this process easier and more manageable.
2. Take It Room By Room – Instead of tackling everything at once, focus on purging one room at a time so that you can stay organized as you go through each area of the house. This also gives you an opportunity to take stock of which rooms need some cleaning and minor repairs prior to listing your home on the market.
3. Create An Action Plan – Once everything is organized into categories based on what should stay or go, create an action plan for each item on your list so that nothing falls through the cracks as you move forward with prepping your home for sale.
Conclusion:
Selling a home after living in it for 30+ years is no easy feat! But by purging unwanted items before listing your residence on the market, you are creating valuable opportunities both financially and emotionally as well as helping potential buyers easily envision themselves living in the space without being weighed down by years worth of memories and belongings from another family’s past life. With some planning ahead and taking things one room at a time, decluttering before selling your home doesn't have to be daunting—it can actually be quite liberating!