Clearing out your junk is a tiresome but very important part of attracting offers when selling your house through a realtor. Closets need to look tidy and spacious, as if a family easily fits in this house! The yard needs to be un-cluttered, and extra boxes and furniture stuffing the rooms have to go.
Most people don’t realize just how much space in their house is being absorbed by stuff they will never use again. Use the method below on clothing, paperwork, old homework, toys, tools, appliances – everything stored in your house, garage and shed.
Tackle separately each closet and cupboard, each area of the basement and/or attic, each box sitting in a corner without a proper spot, each kitchen cabinet – everything in the house, actually.
- First make a large, clear space where you can put every item you pull out and have a clear view of each. It’s helpful to put a sheet or table cover down to make smaller items more visible. In bedrooms, the top of a made bed works well.
- Remove each and every item from the storage area, be it closet, cabinet, box, etc. Put each item down in your viewing area.
- Items that are currently in use – that is, someone has used them in the last few weeks or months (just thinking of using them does *not* count) – can be put aside to be returned to the closet or storage at the end.
- Here’s the critical step that will free up space you never knew you had – Every item that has not been used recently must pass this test before it can be returned to your storage.
- The test is answered with ‘yes’ or ‘no’, and only 100% ‘yes’ answers pass!
- All items that flunk must be put into the donation box, never to be looked at again!
- Here’s the test:
- § If the item is clothing or a wear-able such as shoes or a coat, does it still fit someone in the house who will wear it?
- § Do you have a specific near-future event, with a date, when you will use this item? A place to wear the clothing; a time you will use the barbeque pit?
- § In the past few months, have you thought about wearing or using this item – but didn’t – because it was out of style, unsuitable, or for any other reason?
Only 100% ‘yes!’ answers are keepers in your household! If times have changed but the item has not, it is unlikely to ever be used, no matter how good it looks. It’s time to let it move on so you can move on as well!
To prepare your house for a realtor sale, or before moving, or just when you need the space, diligently performing this exercise is better than continuing to waste space on things you will never use again!
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Question or Prompt for Response – open ended, relevant
Do you have areas of storage in your home that you haven’t looked at in a long time?
Call to Action
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