any way you like. Remember to stash personal papers—especially financial documents—safely out of sight.
DECLUTTER AND DISCARD
It is understandably inconvenient to live in your home without your “stuff.” It’s like living in a hotel. However, it’s a necessary component of getting top dollar for your house. Extra furniture and items such as books, magazines, CD collections, and hobby supplies add weight and visual distraction in a room. Your salt and pepper shaker collection is going to look like clutter, even if the buyer collects salt and pepper shakers. The more spacious your home appears, the more appealing it will be. Minimize as much as possible. You want the home shopper to see what your home has to offer, not to guess about the potential or possibilities. Store what you need to keep, but consider discarding the expired coupons, week-old newspapers, political fliers, and other meaningless papers that seem to accumulate on every desk and countertop. You’ll be tempted to throw unwanted items in the trash receptacles but empty your inside and outside waste baskets and garbage containers daily and keep them pristine and smelling sweet.
WORK FROM A PLAN
• List each room of the house, noting the clutter in each room, including closets. • Declutter rooms one at a time, attacking from the smallest project to the biggest. • Clear out each room, keeping only essential items. • Donate or discard clothes, decor, toys, and other items no longer used.
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