When a home is listed for sale, its “clutter” can be the difference between a rapid sale and no sale at all.

Clutter, in its strictest sense, is defined as anything untidy; or in a disorderly state. In real estate, the term is broadened to include unnecessary furniture pieces; unwieldy artwork or collections; stacks of papers and/or magazines; and anything that otherwise restricts the open flow of a home’s floor plan.

In other words, clutter is anything that distracts from your home’s natural footprint.

As a Home Seller in Hiawassee or Blairsville, understanding how your home’s clutter can affect a buyer is paramount to helping your home sell faster, and at a higher contract price. First, there’s the psychological angle. A potential home buyer may see clutter and think “mess”. Few people want to buy a house they find messy or otherwise disorganized. Second, there’s the practical angle. A home that appears full of “things” also appears as if its lacking in storage space. This, too, can turn off buyers.

When you list your home for sale, here are basic tips to de-clutter your home. Some of this advice may not be practical with respect to your home, in particular, so make sure to ask your real estate agent for follow-up help.

1. In each room, remove photos, trophies, plaques and other personal items on display.
2. Remove large collections such as dolls, cars, miniature cans, and the like.
3. Remove worn throw rugs
4. Remove items from kitchen countertops, including small appliances
5. Remove items from bathroom countertops

You should also consider removing distinctive artwork from your walls, or replacing pieces with items that are more bland. The over-reaching goal of de-cluttering is to depersonalize and neutralize your home so a buyer can visualize himself/herself living there. De-cluttering your home can also make your home appear larger, accentuating the features of each room.

It’s no wonder that minimally-cluttered homes tend to have a wider appeal among buyers.

With housing prices down across the country, there are a lot of homeowners in Blairsville and Blue Ridge, GA. that are lucky to break even on their respective home sales. Some are even losing money.

You may find yourself in that position, too; wanting to sell, but worried about bringing cash to your own closing.

It creates an interesting dilemma. You want your home to “show nicely” relative to comparable properties, but you don’t want to invest big dollars that may never be recouped into upgrades or renovations. So what do you do?

The answer is simple. Do the bare minimum.

From an advice piece in the Wall Street Journal, we learn of 10 basic home improvement projects that will help your home have better showings. The advice requires almost no technical skills, and the projects be tackled in a weekend.

The theme? Handled your home’s delayed maintenance.

1. Repair or remove screen doors with holes and tears
2. Pressure wash windows, sidewalks, and siding
3. Paint your front door and polish the doorknob
4. Pull weeds, seed bare spots, and lay down mulch
5. Touch up holes, dings and cracks in paint
6. Clean grout and re-caulk sinks, bathtubs and showers
7. Buy new cabinet hardware
8. Fix leaky faucets and toilets
9. Spray lubricant on squeaky doors
10. Get clutter into storage and out of the way

Now, you’ll notice that none of these projects can be considered “major”. By contrast, each is minor; they’re the items you’d add to your to-do list for work on “another day”. However, they’re extremely important for a home that’s about to be listed.

Here’s why. A prospective buyer doesn’t notice that the above repairs were made. He only notices if they weren’t made. When a buyer sees ripped screens or chipped paint in your home, it makes him wonder what else hasn’t been cared for. This is the why you should also hire an exterminator prior to selling your home. If a buyer spots a trail of ants in your home, it’s unlikely you’ll get an offer.

You don’t need to spend big bucks to get your home ready for sale, but you may want to use a little elbow grease. The good news is that time spent up-front can be worth it in the end. Homes that show better tend to sell faster, and at higher prices.

Well-made beds aren’t just for comfort — they’re for presentation, too. Especially when you’re selling your home.  A pristine bed conveys an image of cleanliness and order to potential home buyers and that can help you get more of your asking price at the point of negotiation.

When homeowners don’t take the time to make a bed, buyers wonder what else around the home is getting neglected.

And there’s a proper way to make a bed, too.

In this 15-step video from Howcast, you’ll learn how to start with a stripped down mattress, add bedding, pillows and a blanket, and end with the hotel-quality look that today’s home buyers expect.  The alternative is to leave a bed sloppy, reducing your home’s overall appeal.

To make a bed the right way takes less than 2 minutes. When your home is listed for sale, make making the bed a part of your daily routine.

Chad,

We had a contract less than six weeks after we listed out cabin with you. We consider this spectacular, given the current market.

You handled all aspects, from our initial contact through the closing, gracefully, personally, and professionally. We had a lengthy negotiation, with unexpected bumps in the road. Throughout this process, you provided knowledgeable guidance without imposing your opinions on us. You dealt well with the buyer’s agent. You were patient with us and the buyer.

We appreciated the data that you gave us to help us set an asking price. The weekly updates were also quite useful.

Your website aided in the sale, I am sure. It is far above the average Realtor presence on the web.

Thank you for your work, help, and friendship.

Jim and Maria

Jim,

It was an absolute pleasure working with you during the sale of your Cherry Log Mountain Cabin in the beautiful North Georgia Mountains. You were a great listing client, listening to my advice and making the requested changes and repairs that ultimately helped with the quick sale of your cabin, even in a tough Buyer’s Market.

Thank you for your loyalty, kindness and your friendship as well. I look forward to building on our relationship as you begin to look for your new Mountain Home. I am also grateful for the gift of the book Footprints Across The South, that you authored and signed for me. I appreciate you so much.

Chad

Difficult home odors plague homeowners.  Ground into rugs, absorbed into walls, and clinging to furniture, some smells are slow to fade, leaving lasting impressions on both guests and potential buyers. Often, that impression is unfavorable.

Do something about it.

In this 4-minute piece from NBC’s The Today Show, you’ll learn how to eliminate bad smells and prevent them from returning.  It’s all basic direction, too:

• How to use the porous nature of wood to your advantage
• How to remove get “smoke smell” out of a wall
• How to improve a home’s air quality by cleaning carpets

For more serious offenses, the video covers in-home air purifiers, too.

“Smelly homes” are undesirable and can make your home less attractive to buyers.  Watch the video, follow the instruction, and declare your home an Odor-Free Zone.