Hi,
I have been reading the unclutterer newsletter for over a month now-it's great!
I love systems and uncluttering etc and am always looking for new tips, and even though I have been a homemaker for 18 years i am still learning!
ATM I am on the threshold of a huge challenge and I thought I could jump on these forums. We put our house on the market yesterday and now will have to go through viewings and open houses-ugh. We cannot buy our next home until we sell this one because our deposit is tied up in this house, we may even have to rent for a few months before we buy our new house- so that will be 2 moves!
I am facing a period of exhaustion as I go into overdrive decluttering, repairing and keeping this house (it is a quite large house) in tiptop condition for viewings so that we get the best price.
Love to hear your feedback!
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Posted 1 year ago #
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Welcome to the forum sdbenjamin! Wish you well on the sale and move.
In the last 5 years we have sold 2 homes and in all have lived in 5 different places.
Suggestions:
You stated you have a large house.1. Hopefully you do not have to worry about this point. Contact everyone that is storing things in your space (like an adult child that that has not taken that old box of trophies, an inlaw storing their xyz in your garage). Inform them that you will be moving and they have to pick up their item(s) by x date. If they fail to do that the items will be (whatever you decide) given away, put to trash, donated to charity. Do not feel guilty about it. Their things are not your responsibility and should not be your clutter in the new home.
2. If you have a room in the home (not a basement or garage) that someone cannot walk into or understand from the clutter or furnishings what it is supposed to be, make it a priority. Clean and declutter so the room has a definition so when a buyer walks in they are like OH this is a x .
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3. If you have not done so already - write down EVERYTHING you need to do to declutter and repair.
Take a good amount of time to empty your head of what you recall. Then walk away - ask others in the home what you missed or should add- and add more. If you need the help of someone besides yourself to accomplish the item list that. Like an appliance repair person, a significant other, the kids, etc. You may want to spend some money on hiring people to get it done quickly. The housing market where I live is HOT and I would hire as much help as I could in that situation.
Next group those items by importance. I would have one that is the MUST GET DONE NOW, Do Next, and the last one would be WISH TO.
Personally I would put things that impact first impressions on the MUST list. So the main facade and yard of the home and guest entry space. Things such as Broken screen on a front door. Porch light fixture that is full of dust and needs a lightbulb. Declutter the hall table from extra keys etc. Cleaning a door sidelight or transom. Also those rooms that mean so much to buyers, kitchen and baths, should be on this list. Like Repair crack in kitchen tile, replace the knobs in the bath, declutter the bath medicine cabinet. The Do Next list I would move to other visible things. Those that you see out in the open (not hiding under a bed or in the closet or taking space in the garage). Examples- Washing down the walls of a kids bedroom, hanging a needed window treatment, declutter built in bookshelves in the den. The Wish to list would move to the closets, under bed, garage, basements... get a large trash can for trash, boxes for donations/give away, and your boxes of choice for keeping like items (these you label once filled to satisfaction - on the top and two sides). *So the the first two lists would get your home to show well and the last is to help you declutter to move.
4. Set time aside to accomplish an item.
5. As you complete a can full of trash/ box of donations/ keep container- place it in the appropriate place right away. Trash- put it out or to the place where you put it before collection. Stick the donation box in the car to drop off. Place the keep containers in a clean and out of the way place just for this purpose.
6. Set up a daily cleaning schedule that does not overwhelm you. Concentrate on having a clean kitchen, bath, and entry area.
Hope this helps! Good luck
Mid America Mom
Posted 1 year ago # -
Thanks for your reply Mid America Mom.
My main problem is that I overdo it trying to make everything perfect and then wear myself out. I have fibromyalgia and when I do too much physical work or lay awake worrying I suffer for it. I have written a list for my husband to help with, and since he controls the finances I have to do things alot of things as he decides.
I need to keep reminding myself to work to a timer, that there is no rush (at this stage) and not to try to make everything perfect.It's just not in my nature to be laid back about things!Posted 1 year ago # -
Hi :o) There is a thread here in the forums called "Tips for sellling a home" full of useful tips, there's a lot of "fine tuning" like don't cook curry the night before, don't leave too many family photos around so buyers can imagine themselves there, oh and don't let your plants die ;o) Anyway, here is the link: http://unclutterer.com/discuss/topic/tips-for-selling-a-home
To help deciding the importance of repairs, why don't you act like you are a potential buyer who sees the house for the first time, so you could fix/clean/declutter everything slowly and in no rush with a timer, in the order you see it when you come in -- just like Mid American Mom said. Also, remember that buyers don't need something perfect, they just want to be able to imagine themselves living there. So, for example, a broken window: Priority. But everyone can imagine what a room looks like without cobwebs, so cleaning cobwebs: Not a priority. (There could be better examples, but I hope you know what I mean.)
Good luck! :o)
Posted 1 year ago # -
Clean and clean again. We went to an open home last Saturday and my partner kindly pointed out the coachroach in the corner of an otherwise clean place! arrghhh!
Apart from that, it seems that everyone is staging their homes, by clearing the clutter. Most of the places look like no-one lives there, until you get to the basement/garage where you see where everything is stored. It defintely makes the houses look nice though and me more determined to get our place looking less cluttered.
I really like the idea about contacting family etc to move their stuff. My cousin asked me if I could look after her late Grandmother's sewing table for a couple of weeks. That was now two years ago, and everytime we look to clear the garage of stuff, my partner reminds me we need to get rid of the sewing table!
Posted 1 year ago # -
@trillie "don't cook curry the night before" ... LOL!
This may seem more along the lines of a design tip rather than decluttering, but it does actually go to visual peace ... if you have furniture that's upholstered in a busy or high-personality print, slipcover it (or cover for showings with a solid-colored throw you may already have). If your kitchen or bathroom has a window with patterned curtains, replace them with plain ones. I see so many houses where it's just pattern on pattern on pattern, so tiring to the eye.
When there are health issues to consider it's also worth discussing whether you are willing to sell the house "as is" at a slight discount, rather than make yourself crazy doing upgrades that a buyer might not even want. Obviously, if something is damaged, it should be fixed. But cosmetic stuff like paint, knobs, tile - I'd leave it unless you are in a really competitive buyers' market.
Posted 1 year ago # -
sdbenjamin- oh yes don't overdue it. timer is a great idea. You may want to try to do whatever you can while sitting.
Posted 1 year ago # -
I agree with Sophie regarding cleanliness. We looked at a town house not too long ago and the sellers just didn't put a lot of time into preparing the place for showing. Even though this was not their primary residence, There were cobwebs in one of the bathtubs, kitchen countertops had light dusting and some lights were not working. Additionally, one bedroom had torn and stained carpet.
I'm not a picky person by nature, but in this instance the seller could have at least put some effort into the overall presentation. A dealbraker for me?..maybe not, but for some it would be.
sbenjamin, don't knock yourself out and definitely make sure people get their things out of your house. Also, don;t be shy about enlisting extra help. In the long run it will save you a lot of time and wear and tear on your body and mind. Good luck!
Posted 1 year ago # -
Thanks guys for all the advice. I have to say our house is only 7 years old and fairly clean and uncluttered. No one has stored anything in our house but the real estate agent told my husband to clear out the foosball table (WOOHOO!) and I have packed my kids toys in lidded tubs under the stairs. Our decor and furniture is fairly neutral. My worst problem is a stain in my eldest sons room from black fingerprinting powder from a spy kit- it is never coming out-even the professionals couldnt do anything:( so I guess that is out of my hands.I plan to keep the house clean (it is 36 sq) and do an extra 20 minute task a day.
I will check out that thread Trillie but I may have trouble with the curry tip-I do love a curry :)Posted 1 year ago # -
We are going to be doing this pretty soon, too, sdbenjamin. My hope is that you will get through it with the least amount of stress and exhaustion. Good luck and blessings!
Posted 1 year ago # -
We have our first viewing in the morning!
Posted 1 year ago # -
Good luck!
Posted 1 year ago # -
The first people to view our house made and offer then a counter offer but both were lower than we need to be able to buy our new house. Still it's an encouraging start. Got to keep on keeping up appearances though until we get an offer we can accept.
Posted 1 year ago # -
That is great news on the offer. Hopefully a solid offer will come through soon.
Posted 1 year ago # -
We accepted an offer on our house today with the first couple that had come through only 4 days ago!
Now it is time to move on to finding a new home and packing all in 8 weeks.
I spent alot of time worrying about how to deal with the presentation and upkeep of the house and I guess it was needless.Proves worry is a waste of time-but will I ever learn that lesson?!
Thanks for all the help everyone!
Shall be checking out the moving tips threads next.Posted 1 year ago # -
Yay - congratulations! that's a huge milestone!
My one big tip for packing: label and number the boxes (kitchen 1, kitchen 2, etc....), write down in a notebook exactly what you packed in each box, then unpack in descending order.
Also, I would pack all the laundry supplies a day ahead and designate a box for dirt laundry to be dealt with when you arrive to your new place.
Posted 1 year ago # -
Congratulations!
Posted 1 year ago # -
We have a final date for moving now, hopefully, and packing is well under way!
Posted 1 year ago # -
Wow, congratulations!
Keep decluttering while you pack so you don't bring unwanted stuff into your new home!
Posted 1 year ago #
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