Homeowners often struggle with the task of decluttering when preparing for the sale of their home and the upcoming move.  As you make decisions to keep, fix, donate, or toss items in your home… there is another factor to consider: The HIDDEN costs of keeping it. Ask yourself this simple question: How much will it cost me to keep it?  If you say, nothing…

Consider these real hidden costs:

Monetary
• What would the cost be to fix it, repair it, or mend it so it is usable again?
• What is the cost to store it properly?
• What would the cost be to move it?
• What are the lifetime maintenance costs?

Let's say clutter takes up 20% of the total square footage of your home (which is VERY conservative). Now calculate what your home costs per year to heat, light, maintain, now add in mortgage costs and property taxes. Finally, take 20% of that total number and that's what you're paying per year to keep all your extra stuff!
Many move to a larger house thinking they've outgrown the current one. Often, if they just purged all the “stuff” they didn't  really need or use, many of them would already have enough space or  wouldn't need to spend quite so much on the next house because they'd realize they don't need all the extra room.

Physical
• Consider the exhausting work of packing, lifting and moving boxes, and then unpacking them at the new home…. for items you don’t use, do not LOVE, and are not essential.
Emotional
• The cost of living in a cluttered, stress-inducing space versus a clean and serene home
• The missed opportunity to recycle goods to those less fortunate who could really use that coat, or the toys that are still in good enough condition to make a child's eyes light up.

Finally the last and most important:

The Sale of Your Home

Ask yourself, how much will it cost if I have not decluttered my home for selling, and I lose a potential sale because buyers cannot see past the clutter.   Houses are filled with objects we love and treasure. Look in just about every home and you'll find a shelf stuffed with favorite books, a mantel loaded with collectibles or a wall covered in family photos. But when it comes time to sell a house, those items we cherish may look like just plain clutter to prospective buyers. 

Consider the following:

1) If you have your belongings falling out of cupboards, shelves crammed and closets bursting, it sends a subliminal message to viewers; not enough storage. The logical mind knows that THEY will have different furniture and different belongings but it’s not the logical mind we are talking about here.

2) There is one single thing everyone wants when they buy a property: Space. The less stuff there is in your house the bigger it looks.  A simple mind trick; your home isn’t actually any bigger, it just looks like it is.

3) It saves time later. If you starting eliminating all your less-than-loved items now,  it will be much easier to keep clean, and easier to tidy up when viewers come around. In addition, you won’t have to rush when you finally pack your belongings at moving time, and you will reduce time when unpacking and having to find places for all that stuff in your new home!

The Competitive Edge

Even though it is YOUR home-sweet-home, it's a good idea to get used to the fact that your house is now a product. It has pluses and minuses, as well as competition. To be competitive, your house should be priced right and look better than the others. You have to look at your home with a buyers' eyes, The house needs to be as perfect as you can afford it to be.

Since you're going to be packing to move anyway, how about a head start by making your rooms look larger by boxing up excess items and crowded or unnecessary furniture. This allows the buyer to mentally move their furniture into your home. By removing some of the clutter, the focus shifts from the "stuff" in the room to the room itself.

Ok, I need to declutter, Now What?

First, realize you're hardly alone when it comes to clutter. Most American households now struggle against an inflow of more items than they can handle.

As a starting point, visit your next residence (if it’s already known) to take photos and room measurements to see what will fit and where it can go.  Next, set a schedule for your decluttering program, allowing two to three times as long as you'd expect it to take. 

If you are crunched for time, are feeling overwhelmed, need advice, or just don’t know where to start; contact a Professional Organizer.

For more information on how to contact this NAPO-DFW member, view Sandy's profile.