The curse of clutter: don’t let it damage selling prospects

There have been multiple surveys of prospective buyers, asking them what would put them off buying a property, and one thing crops up time and time again – clutter.

Clutter can harm a sale in several ways. If your home is photographed full to the brim, just the mere sights of ‘stuff’ may stop someone booking a viewing. If your property is cluttered during a viewing, the potential purchaser may struggle to see the home’s true potential, or they may get distracted. 

Some people want to buy a place that’s ‘move in ready’ and if there’s any suggestion they may have to purge possessions, they’ll lose interest. Finally, and probably the biggest motivator to present a streamlined, tidy property, is the harm clutter can do to a home’s value. 

While there are countless anecdotes from estate agents detailing how potential buyers have submitted low offers for cluttered properties, a survey by Rated People quantified just how much money a seller stands to lose. The results found that mess and clutter would result in an offer decrease by an average of £9,290. 

Start way ahead of a sale

Moving home is the perfect time to streamline as, before long, you’ll be faced with the prospect of packing all your worldly goods into boxes. The key to decluttering success is not starting too late. You’ll want to give yourself weeks, not days, and have the job finished before you invite an agent in to give a valuation. 

Work room by room

Systematically declutter rather than adopt a scattergun approach. If you work through one room at a time, you’ll be focused and more likely to complete the task in hand. It’s logical to start with the rooms and areas you don’t use on a daily basis, such as spare bedrooms, lofts, sheds and garages.

Set yourself a time limit

If you think you’ll be there sorting for hours, you’ll lose your enthusiasm before you even start. Professional declutter expert Ingrid Jansen of Organise Your House suggests setting yourself a 30 minute time limit to keep on track, or tackling a small area at a time, for instance, one cupboard. By keeping it short and sweet, it will feel rewarding and not like a chore. Be aware, however, that rooms such as kitchens and living rooms may take time to declutter. These are often the rooms that buyers will focus on the most, so don’t leave them to the last minute.

In, out, away & bin

As you declutter, create four piles. Everything in the ‘in’ pile is to be packed up and moved with you. Everything in the ‘out’ pile is for recycling or reselling. Everything in the ‘away’ pile is to be given to charity shops or a friend. The ‘bin’ pile should be put in with your household waste or taken to your local council’s waste recycling centre. Have packing boxes and bin liners to hand and if you’re starting a huge decluttering exercise, consider hiring a skip or booking a licenced waste carrier to remove bulky items.

If you’re sitting on the fence

The beauty of decluttering as you move is that you have a second chance to appraise your possessions while getting your home ready for sale. If, when you’re decluttering, you’re not sure whether to bin it or bring it, take it with you. The chances are you’ll be more ruthless when you arrive at your new home and see your items in a new setting.

If you’d like our advice on decluttering ahead of a sale, we can give you some pointers at the same time as we visit to give you a valuation. Contact us to make an appointment.