Smart Packing Tips: Don’t Move What You Don’t Want

closet-clutter-monster-1412702This is the hardest part of moving, but it really pays: discard everything you can before you start packing. Here are some suggestions on how to approach this.

Take a room-by-room approach: Go through each room and get rid of the obvious things. Is it time to recognize that you will never use that mini-trampoline? Then let it sit in someone else’s garage. Be brutal. Call Goodwill or your favorite charity and get that stuff out of your house. It will give you more room for your packing process and boxes.

Don’t pack anything that you won’t look forward to unpacking in your new home: Can’t see that gift from Aunt Betty in your new family room? Let it go. There may be things that you have been living with so long that you no longer see them. Packing them up is a good opportunity to give them a second look.

Marie Kondo in her book, The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up: The Japanese Art of Decluttering and Organizing, talks about holding things in your hand to see if they give you joy and letting go of anything that doesn’t. This is actually a smart approach. Are their kitchen utensils, cleaning tools, or other household items that you have held onto but never use? Maybe now is the time to discard them rather than bring them to your new house to never use them there.

Help your spouse and children to go through this process too: Whether it’s clothes or toys, talk about letting go of those things that you no longer use, need or want. That way you can all start fresh in your new home, and only bring those items that you truly value and want to take with you.

Selling your Old House – Clutter

9831625_MWhen you’re ready to buy a new Fulton Home, if you’re already a homeowner, part of the process is selling your current home. You may want to check into the Fulton Homes Trade In Program. Many buyers of new Fulton Homes will qualify for the program, which offers three options for handling your current house. Visit our Trade-In Program website for information on your choices.

Even with help from Fulton Homes, you still will benefit from preparing your home properly for sale. The first step is clearing out any clutter. You’ll hear this from realtors all the time, but they may not tell you why this is so important. Here are three key reasons why eliminating clutter will help sell your home for top dollar.

Clutter makes your Home look smaller: Subconsciously, potential buyers who see a cluttered home think that the home doesn’t have enough closet or storage space. Clutter also makes a room feel smaller than it is. Many people want to buy a home to give them more space, and your clutter says they won’t find the space they want in your house.

Clutter makes your home feel too personal: People want to imagine the home as theirs. Your clutter makes it clear that the home is yours, so that they can’t picture themselves in the space. This is also the reason to eliminate any family photos, drawings and notes on the refrigerator, and anything else that makes your home obviously yours. People need that extra space to picture their own furniture and accessories.

Clutter distracts: Too much clutter can keep potential buyers from noticing the special features of your home. A fireplace that’s blocked by toys or magazines isn’t a focal point for a room anymore. Beautiful bow windows can be hidden by a room with too much furniture. Most people can’t visualize your home without all your things in it.

If you just have too much stuff to clear your home easily, rent a storage unit for a few months. And don’t dump it all in the garage – you’ll just make the garage look too small. First clear out all the extras, then eliminate at least some of the furniture – just keep saying “less is more” to yourself, and ask your realtor for advice as to when you’ve cleared enough to make your home totally sellable.