Home staging is an important part of selling homes in the digital era. Many houses never get past the initial inquiry stage because potential buyers are nonplussed by the pictures they see online. So if you're going to sell, you have to put the work into proper staging. A key component is decluttering.
Decluttering is good in that it helps clear the way for potential buyers to imagine themselves living in the home they are viewing. Still, it is possible to go too far. Many an agent has decluttering down to the point of making a house look too perfect. That is no better than presenting a house that looks too lived in. When decluttering, the key is to find the right balance.
Decluttering the Kitchen
As an agent, you know that kitchens and bathrooms are the most important rooms when it comes time to sell. It is as true here in the UK as anywhere else. Homebuyers want clean and modern. They want updated appliances and fixtures. In the kitchen, they certainly don't want to see decades of clutter.
The best thing to do is remove unused small appliances and other objects from countertops. Clean out the cupboards if they are packed to overflowing with decades of collected flatware, stemware, and so forth. But don't get rid of everything.
If the kitchen has a fire extinguisher, leave it alone – even if it sits in plain view. A fire extinguisher tells prospective buyers that the current homeowner is concerned about safety. That's a selling point. If you'd like to know more about adding UK extinguishers to the homes you show, contact your local fire service. They should be able to furnish the proper information.
Decluttering the Bedrooms
When it comes to bedrooms, buyers want space. A primary goal of decluttering bedrooms is to give the perception of more space than is really offered. Therefore, you declutter by removing unnecessary furniture and decorations. You want to open up the space as much as possible to facilitate easy and unimpeded movement at every turn.
Can you go too far in decluttering the bedroom? Absolutely. If you remove everything that gives the space a homey look and feel, you might end up with something that looks more like a hotel room. That's no good either. It is not what buyers want to see. They want to be able to imagine themselves making that bedroom their own.
Hotel rooms are temporary spaces you merely pass through. Giving off that vibe is a sure way to discourage buyers from considering an offer.
Decluttering the Living Spaces
The hidden dangers of decluttering living spaces are similar to those related to bedrooms. Your goal is to clean up living spaces – like family rooms and formal living rooms – so that buyers can move freely through them. Decluttering also cleans up the visual presentation. Anything that might remind them of the current owners is bad for that presentation.
This is where you might end up removing the largest volume items from a home. Extra furniture, obtrusive artwork, wayward electronics, etc. are all subject to decluttering. But don't make the space so sterile that it resembles a museum.
People cannot get comfortable and relax in museums. They can't flop on the furniture and enjoy a cold drink while they watch TV. When you are staging a home, you still want a slightly lived-in feel despite the fact that you're also trying to de-clutter.
General Decluttering Tips
With the understanding that you can take decluttering too far, it's time to get into some general tips for doing it the right way. To start with, safety is always the first concern. Some houses have to be decluttered simply because they are unsafe to move around. Everything from furniture to boxes of stored items has to be removed before you can even think about showing the house.
Here are some other things to consider:
- Storage – Decluttering does not necessarily mean throwing everything away. The homeowner can rent off-site storage, for the time being, keeping things out of sight until the house is sold and everything is moved to a new home.
- Decorations and Art – Sometimes a homeowner's decorations and art only add to visual clutter, even though the items don't take up much space. As far as staging is concerned, decorative items should be as neutral as possible. The one exception is staging a home that is intentionally designed to be quirky.
- Furniture Arrangements – There are times when decluttering creates the need to come up with a new furniture arrangement. A different arrangement could make a space look bigger or brighter. It could also facilitate easier movement around the space.
Staging a home properly not only leads to a potentially faster sale, but it could also lead to much higher offers. Just remember that decluttering is an important part of staging. It is something that has to be done, but something that can also be taken too far. Be careful to not declutter too much.
