If you are contemplating selling your home, begin by looking at your home's interior as well as its exterior and removing clutter before you place your home on the market.  Nobody wants to walk into a home that is cluttered with too much stuff whether it’s due to too much furniture, overflowing closets, or a garage filled with potential yard sale items.  The more clutter you have, the smaller your home will appear and the less attractive it will be to prospective buyers. 

The Closets and Cupboards

One of the first things you’ll want to do when selling your home and removing clutter is to clean out all of the closets in your home.  If you have closets that are messy and packed with things, buyers will not be able to appreciate the potential storage space in the home.  Consider donating unwanted items, put things into storage, or have a yard sale.  The important thing is to eliminate as much of the clutter as possible and neatly organize the rest.

The Kitchen

In the kitchen, you’ll want to clean up the counters and put all appliances away as to leave the counters completely empty if possible.  You’ll also want to clean out all the cupboards and clean out any junk drawers.  Don’t forget the pantry.  Check for expired cans and other out of date foods and toss them.  This will free up space and leave potential buyers with a more favorable opinion of the storage space available.  Also check below the kitchen sink for any leaks or old water stains.  Make sure to fix any leaks and tidy up the area by removing any excess cleaning agents, sponges, etc.  Buyers will most likely open all of the cupboards in order to see how much storage space they would have if they purchased your home. 

The Bathrooms

Another very important aspect of selling your home and removing clutter is to make sure that your bathrooms are neat and impeccable.  As in the kitchen, eliminate all unnecessary items from the counters.  Make sure that the tub and toilets are as clean as possible and completely mildew free.  A dirty bathroom leaves a very negative impression so be sure they are immaculate and make any necessary repairs to broken fixtures before listing your home for sale.

The Garage and Storage Sheds

Clean out the garage and any storage sheds you may have on the property.  If the garage and storage sheds are packed full, potential buyers may not be able to visualize having enough space to put their cars and this may deter some buyers from purchasing your home.  Also, if they can’t see the floor space, they may not be able to imagine there own things in there.  Selling your home and removing the clutter first is a must.

The Outside of Your Home

Preparing the outside of your home is essential as well.  Look around your home and throw out all debris or garbage that may be lying around.  Have the lawn mowed and irrigated regularly as needed.  Pull weeds from the flower beds if necessary.  Make sure the garbage cans are neatly placed in the side of the house and try to store any loose objects such as bicycles, skates, basketballs, etc. in the shed or garage in order to have the exterior look as neat as possible.

The fact is that selling your home and removing clutter go hand in hand.  If you don’t remove the clutter, it’s almost guaranteed that your home will be for sale for a longer period of time.  Clutter will actually detract a buyer from the potential they could see in your home if it were neat and clutter-free.  Don’t let your buyers get away because of clutter.  Clean the closets, cupboards, and shelves and don’t forget the garage and storage shed!