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2. The Feel: Get Rid of Clutter

Most of us have way too much “stuff” in our houses. In fact, it’s one of the most
common reasons for moving. We need more space.

An over-stuffed (for lack of a better term) house makes it look smaller. Second, it
makes a home look older, because it presumably takes time to over-fill a living space.
And third, it makes the space feel disorganized and sometimes even uncared for.

Because of this, it has a negative effect on the Buyers’ emotions.
Why? Because clutter creates stress. Emotionally clutter is not peaceful or relaxing.
We become accustomed to our own “clutter” because it tends to increase gradually and
we know where everything is, so it doesn’t feel like chaos to us. However, to someone
looking at a house they’ve never seen before, clutter is the ultimate distraction. It’s like
not being able to see the forest for the trees. The clutter simply gets in the way of them
seeing or feeling the house as if it were theirs.
So what is the best way to deal with clutter? Here are some ideas that may help. First,
go through your closets and take all your clothes that you haven’t worn in over a year
and donate them to charity. You’ll feel great about it after you’ve done it, and your
closet will magically grow!
Second, any furniture that is not going to your new place, get rid of it now. Sell it or give
it away. Big furniture and/or too much furniture makes any room look smaller.
Obviously, if it is still your primary residence, you want to keep enough furniture to keep
your home livable.

Third, go ahead and box up everything that you will not need or use in the next 6
months and put it in storage. Again, the goal is to de-clutter. I know this is a hassle,
but trust the experts…it will be worth it. Two especially important areas are you kitchen
countertop and your bathroom counter space. This is the law: the fewer items the
better.
TIP: Take a Saturday or Sunday afternoon to go look at some brand new homes that
have been professionally staged. Remember, there is proven strategy behind what
they do, so your goal is to make your house look like those houses.

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