The Do’s and Don’ts of Decluttering (When Staging A Home For Sale)
The very first step in staging an occupied property for sale is decluttering and depersonalizing the home. It’s essential, yet also one of the most emotionally challenging and overwhelming aspects of the staging process – and while it may seem intuitive, bringing a method to the madness can help the whole process feel more manageable and even more enjoyable to the seller.
However, before we get ahead of ourselves, let’s take a step back and get some perspective. Moving is overwhelming. Staging can also feel overwhelming. It’s all enough to send some sellers over the edge (metaphorically, of course). Therefore, decluttering and depersonalizing begins with a choice: does the seller want to declutter before moving, or just throw everything into boxes and deal with it on the other side? Honestly, this needs to be considered – and there’s no judgement here if Option B is chosen. It all comes down to what feels less overwhelming to the seller, because we’re all about maintaining seller sanity throughout the staging process. If it’s all just too much, or if time is of the essence, it’s perfectly okay to pack every little thing up and deal with it during the unpacking process.
However, many sellers would rather not pack (and unpack) anything unnecessarily – not only does it save money on boxes and other moving expenses, but it prevents their new home from being cluttered just like their last. For those sellers, read on for our top do’s and don’ts of the decluttering process. These tips can help keep them on track and keep it all in perspective when things get messy – because things are bound to get messy before they get clean!
OUR TOP DO’S AND DON’TS OF DECLUTTERING FOR STAGING
DO keep your goals top of mind.
Repeat after me: decluttering will sell my home faster, sell my home for more, and make my life simpler. Put it on Post-Its and stick it up everywhere – this is your new mantra.
DON’T underestimate the monetary value of minimalism.
You’re not selling a house, you’re selling a dream – the buyer’s dream of living their best lives in what is currently your home. Most buyers dream of a neat, orderly, uncluttered home – and although no one can live comfortably in a model home, the model home look is what entices buyers to make big offers. Do model homes have clutter and personal mementos at every turn? No, no they don’t.
DO have a heart to heart with your family.
The decluttering process impacts everyone living in your home, even the furry ones – and while you can’t have a conversation with your pup about why you’re discarding his old, raggedy toys, you can have an honest conversation with the other humans in your home about what you’re doing and why you’re doing it. Be honest with your family and let them have a say in what stays and what goes, but…
DON’T underestimate your family’s (or your own) resistance to change.
Change is hard because we’re humans. Our human brains are wired to keep us safe – and they consider what is known to be safe and what is unknown to be unsafe. Decluttering? Decidedly unsafe, as far as your primitive brain is concerned! Therefore, give yourself – and your family – a whole lot of grace. Talk about your why behind decluttering, give rational that makes sense to each person, and motivate each as appropriate. With kids, stickers can work wonders. With teens and adults, you will likely need to get more creative. Long story short: do whatever you need to do to work through each family member’s individual level of resistance to decluttering and moving. This is where the hard work happens and communication is key. And, perhaps, a pint or two of Ben & Jerry’s.
DO be intentional (and take a second look.)
Do yourself a favor and decide to be intentional about the decluttering process. Make a plan, discuss the plan (see above), and execute the plan – and make giving everything a second look part of that plan. Think you’ve decluttered as much as possible in your pantry? Give it a second look. Additionally, give your discard piles a second look – decluttering is not about getting rid of everything, it’s about being intentional with what you have.
DON’T feel like you have to keep anything around you don’t truly need or love.
It doesn’t matter how something came into your home. If you don’t truly need it or love it, it should go – regardless of who gave it to you, who made it, or how much you spent on it. Let go of the guilt. There’s freedom (and increased profit on the sale of your home) on the other side!
DO take it one room (or drawer) at a time.
I’ve said it before but I’ll say it again for the friends in the back – decluttering can be overwhelming. While time is money in real estate, your family’s sanity is also worth something. Work through your plan methodically and take it one space at a time. Only have 15 minutes? Work on your flatware drawer. Have a few hours? Tackle the pantry. Taking decluttering in manageable chunks is a great way to get through it all while maintaining your sanity.
DON’T give small kids too much authority
Kids are people, and all people need a sense of authority. I whole-heartedly believe in giving little ones the freedom to make as many choices on their own as possible, as evidenced by my 4-year-old’s outfit every single day. However, when it comes to decluttering, the decisions need to ultimately reside with you.
I’ll never forget the day I told my kids we were going to donate their old toys to kids who don’t have toys – and they ran around the house throwing their FAVORITE things in the bag. All of them. It was then I realized they had zero concept that “donating” means you won’t ever see those things again. Cue the thoughts of endless tears (theirs and mine) in my mind. The moral of the story? Talk to your kids about decluttering, let them choose a few things to give away, and do the rest once they’ve gone to sleep. Is this risky? For sure – because kids have a Spidey sense and will immediately look for those things you just discarded. But it’s a risk worth taking.
DO follow the Rule of One
One of my favorite books on this subject is Minimalista by Shira Gill, and she has a fantastic and very simple concept called the Rule of One. Essentially, it’s this – keep only one, and only one, of everything that’s essential. One set of flatware. One set of coffee mugs (only one travel coffee mug, for that matter). One of everything – and make that one the best/your favorite/the one that trumps all others. I can tell you from personal experience it is FREEING to look in your closet and see only one pair of running sneakers, not the one you use every day plus three other old, worn out pairs you keep around “just in case.” The Rule of One is a game changer and a simple guideline to keep in mind for every decluttering project.
DON’T just throw everything in the trash
It won’t take long to realize there is A LOT of stuff to get rid of. While it may be tempting to just bag it all up and put it out on trash day, please be mindful of your environmental impact.
The best way to do this is to use a 5-pile method for sorting:
1. KEEP– for only the best and/or your favorite things
2. RECYCLE– for anything your town will accept at your local recycling center, including textiles, that’s not good enough for donation
3. DONATE – for things in really good shape that can be used by someone else
4. RELOCATE– for things you want to keep but don’t belong where you found them (I’m looking at you, pile of bills on the kitchen counter)
5. TRASH– for things that are truly trash and cannot be disposed of any other way
DO remember to enjoy the process
While letting go of the things you’ve been holding onto (either literally or figuratively) can be challenging, it can also be cathartic, energizing, and freeing – as well a profitable in the case of a home sale. Let your decluttering be the start of a new chapter for you and your family – and enjoy the promise of possibility that comes with a fresh start.
DON’T think you have to go it alone
Still feeling overwhelmed? It’s totally normal – and where a stager can help. A professional stager can help you identify exactly what needs to be removed from the home to maximize the sale price and, in some cases, even how to dispose of items in question. A stager’s support can be just what you need to get through the decluttering, staging, and selling process with your sanity intact.
PS: I’m a stickler for grammar so this post is giving me agita… Is it “Dos and Don’ts”, “Do’s and Don’ts”, or “Do’s and Don’t’s”??? According to my favorite grammar website (yup, I have one of those), there is no consensus. AAAGGHHH!!!! I went with the one that visually looks best but am in no way comfortable with the ambiguity. These are the times when I wish my grandmother was around - she’d know the answer, for sure. When it came to grammar, manners, and baseball, Virginia May Cochrane was the boss.