Girl On The Move: Decluttering

Better grab that super oversized cup of coffee for our chat today. You’re gonna need it. It’s that kind of day!

Recently we talked about making a list of all the things you need to do to make your house it’s most appealing to potential buyers and I suggested starting by decluttering!

Of course with my 5 kids and 3 dogs my house doesn’t have any clutter.

Of course I’m selling oceanfront property in Arizona with a stunning view of the Eiffel Tower from my 2nd floor windows.

I think I better pour myself another cup of coffee.

Imagine your phone rings, your realtor tells you someone wants to bring a potential buyer by in an hour (or even two). Your heart STOPS! Of course you can’t say no and risk losing the potential sale but your mind instantly flies to the mountain of laundry all over, the muddy dog prints covering your floor, the toys strewn everywhere, the sick kids that won’t stop fighting, the dirty dishes piled in the sink….am I close?

Been there! Its the WORST part about moving in my opinion. The listing/selling part. I’d rather pack any day and I don’t love that process but it’s better than having your house looking like a magazine on a moment’s notice for however long it takes to sell. Am I right?

This is why I am dead serious about the importance of the decluttering being done FIRST!

So I started mine today.

And thanks to hayfever I think I probably now own part of a tissue company and I’ve also coughed myself hoarse from the dust I’ve stirred up. Maybe starting in my youngest daughter’s bedroom wasn’t my best idea. It seemed like a good idea at the time because it seemed like getting the most daunting task out of the way first was brilliant.

Now – not so much!

My youngest daughter takes after my mother. I hope my mother doesn’t happen to choose to read this blog post! That would be very bad luck!

Let’s just say they feel that everything will serve a purpose at some point for someone, some how and needs to be preserved. Forever. And ever.

I was hoping aforementioned daughter would want to go play while I did all the hard work of packing up her room. Normally she would jump at the chance and I would insist she had to help and there would be tears and stomping of feet (the smaller set of feet not the larger ones) and cloudy looks and threats of not speaking again. Ever. I had planned to insist just a little for a very short time and then cave very easily. I didn’t even get to insist at all. Like not even a bit.

I grabbed a box and the tape and a permanent marker and walked into her room and in comes this cheerful little thing and a chirpy little voice that was asking what were we going to pack first and could she write on the boxes because wasn’t she such a wordsmith now (okay maybe she didn’t quite say that). I almost asked who she was but she looked an awful lot like me so I thought maybe not.

Lets just say there would have been a lot less boxes packed to go to storage and a lot more bags going to a donation center and our trash bin would have been loaded down a lot more this week had I been left on my own to fulfill my brilliant plan! Perhaps I will have to arrange for a playdate when its time to unpack at the new house 😀

Well I’m out of tape, out of energy, out of coffee and it’s time to put the kids to bed so until tomorrow friends.

Remember when decluttering, the more you pack now, the less you have to keep tidying while you have your home listed to sell, the less you have to pack when the house sells and you can get on with your actual move to your new home that much faster. Just don’t pack so much that your home looks empty like it’s not being lived in or it will look cold and put buyers off. Leave homey things and signs of life and those things you need to function normally and live comfortably. I’m not saying pack every toy your child owns but they don’t need everything and think how it will be like Christmas for them when they get to open those boxes at your new home!

As for decor. If you are a collector, remember not everyone is and if a potential buyer is NOT a collector they will simply see your treasures as old clutter. It’s best to tuck those things carefully away for your new home and put just a few choice pieces out here and there. Remember from the moment you made the decision to put your house up for sale it is no longer your home. You don’t have to love it anymore. It’s not about you now. Suck it up and trust me – it will be worth it in the end when your house sells much more quickly!

Until next time, my friends…..

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