CLUTTER: Disordered mass of objects (Collins Dictionary)
If you are selling your home as you read this article, there is not much you can do about 'location, location, location' but there is always something you can do about 'presentation, presentation, presentation', and presentation is the single most important thing for you to attend to when your house is on the market.
In today's busy, overcrowded, frantic world, what is it that attracts top dollar? It is a space where people can create their own sanctuary; a space where they can relax and lock out the stresses of life. It becomes, therefore, your task to show your prospective buyer that your home, more than any other, provides them with that space.
There are screeds of things to think about and masses of information available as you present your house to prospective buyers, whether or not you are using an agent, but in my (considerable!) experience the most neglected aspect of presentation of properties is the problem of clutter.
There really is only one solution to this problem because there is a very high probability that you will not be able to see the clutter in your own home; it is very difficult to dissociate yourself from your beloved home and to see it as a product that needs marketing. You will almost certainly need an outside opinion; your agent may be able to do this, or a close friend who can be totally honest with you, but you really need someone who can be totally dispassionate about his or her perceptions.
I came across a very good example of this quite recently. A house I looked at was on the market at a very reasonable price, tidily presented, great garden and excellent value all round. The owners and their children were obviously very keen sportspeople. Trophies; cricket trophies, tennis trophies, golf trophies, dominate the living room, a glittering display of expertise that is of no interest to a prospective buyer whatsoever! In fact, to buyers, the impression is that there's not much room to put anything of their own, because the fact that those trophies won't be there when (or rather 'if') they move in does not register.
Take a look around the room you are in as you read this. A computer is fine; the pens and paper, disks, cheque books and other accoutrements that collects around it is clutter. Anything to do with pets is clutter; the cat's litter box and scratch post is clutter, the dog basket and the rat cage, all clutter. When someone looks at your property, pets should not be visible, and this is triply important if you have a big dog, however affectionate!
The nice warm fire on a cold day is fine: the cardboard box of logs is clutter. Get rid of it! Create more welcoming space.
The family photograph or two on the wall is acceptable: the two dozen photographs of the grandchildren is clutter. Get rid of them. Create more welcoming space!
The coffee table on the rug on the floor is fine: the library books, shoes, magazines, footstools, floor cushions, TV remotes, mobile phones, etc are clutter. Get rid of them. Create more welcoming space!
Don?t forget the garage. Clear the space. Tools, half empty cans of paint, oils stains and spiders are clutter. Get rid of them. Create more welcoming space!
All these things occupy space that the incoming people need to be able to feel that they can appropriate for themselves.
You are aiming to show the buyers that this haven can be theirs. This may involve your local furniture storage units or other temporary storage in a friend's garage, a small investment for maximum returns. It may involve your local second-hand or opportunity shop, or even an on-line auction.
REMEMBER: THE KEY POINT YOU ARE AIMING FOR is a spacious, clear, inviting ambience where the buyers can see themselves fitting in with their own lifestyle, rather than yours. Do this, and your house will sell quickly and easily, for the best price. Mission accomplished.
