Recently, I was helping a dear friend get her house ready for sale. She was so overwhelmed and didn't know where to start. We first talked about looking at the home through a stranger's eyes. And, since I was an organizer and have helped people move many times throughout my career, I explained to her she needed to do these specific things and have a plan in order to make sure nothing is missed. Below, I am sharing with you my ten tips to get your home organized and ready to sell. I hope it helps you as well.
Jump to:
- 1. Small Details Matter when selling your home:
- 2. Clean EVERYWHERE in your home:
- 3. Organize ALL the Closets:
- 4. Organize The Basement:
- 5. Organize The Garage:
- 6. Organize the bedrooms:
- 7. Organize The Kitchen and Kitchen Cabinets:
- 8. Clear out the Shed and improve curb appeal:
- 9. Repair any broken items:
- 10. Getting Your Home Organized and Ready to Sell Task List
1. Small Details Matter when selling your home:
Update light fixtures with more up-to-date ones. By doing this, the house appears to have been taken care of. Have a friend or family member check out your home. If you know someone in the real estate industry, have them come over and check out the house.
2. Clean EVERYWHERE in your home:
The most hidden places in your home need to be cleaned. Some areas you may overlook are cleaning walls, cleaning the bottom of railings, around the back of toilets, and light switch plates. Paint bright-colored walls with more neutral colors. People want to imagine their furniture (affiliate) in the space, not yours, and neutral colors help do this.
3. Organize ALL the Closets:
In an organized home, you should always have the closet cleared. Add decorate bins to your closets to hide piles of clothes. Add an affordable, organized drawer system if you store small loose items in your closet. Here is an example of one from Amazon (affiliate)(affiliate): Sterilite 29308001 3-Drawer Wide Cart with See-Through Drawers and Black Casters, White
Below are some more posts that talk about closets.
4. Organize The Basement:
The basement can hold things in it, but they should be contained. Adding cheap vertical storage shelving (affiliate) to have the items will give you a clean look without too much expense. And it will even make the room look bigger. You can leave it there when you move or take it with you.
Visit our other basement organization posts to help you.
5. Organize The Garage:
The garage (affiliate) can't be the drop zone of your home any longer. Add tall vertical shelving if items are on the floor. You can even get ones with casters. Here is an example from Amazon (affiliate) (aff.): Whitmor 6060-322 Supreme 4-Tier Shelving Unit, Chrome
Visit our other Garage (affiliate) organization posts below to help you get your home organized.
6. Organize the bedrooms:
We can't forget the bedroom, especially the main bedroom. Take out extra pieces of furniture that make the rooms look too cluttered. Clear off surfaces of any personal items. Remove a desk from a bedroom and make it a bedroom again.
Below are some of my favorite bedroom organizing posts!
7. Organize The Kitchen and Kitchen Cabinets:
The next area to tackle is the kitchen and kitchen cabinets. Cleaning the shelves (affiliate) and cabinet doors will give them a fresh look. Also, getting rid of any freestanding items for storage will show the buyers that they will need additional storage in the kitchen. It makes it look like there isn't enough storage in the room, and the room is smaller than it is.
Here we talk about everything and anything kitchen organization (affiliate) related.
8. Clear out the Shed and improve curb appeal:
We can't forget the outdoors! Make sure your shed (affiliate) and other structures are also organized. Remove any unused items that may clutter up space. Take out some furniture (affiliate) to make the room look bigger. Store furniture (affiliate) off-site if you want to keep it.
Below are some of my outdoor organization posts for inspiration.
Clean the front and backyard:
Curb appeal is so important when you are listing your home. Some things you can do are clear leaves in the mulch beds and add pots of flowers to make the front inviting. Be sure to repair any bald spots on the lawn and remove any plants or trees that have died.
9. Repair any broken items:
Make a punch list of things you want to repair before putting the house in order. This task will make the process less stressful.
These areas have helped you see all the details you need to do before selling your home.
10. Getting Your Home Organized and Ready to Sell Task List
Below is a task list image to make your to-dos less stressful. Use one section for each room. Print as many as you want out to help you organize your home. Space out your deadlines by date to not stress yourself too much. It takes some planning, but all the tasks can get done.
By having your home organized, it will show well and, as a result, hopefully sell quickly. Have you sold a house before? What tips can you share with the readers? Please leave a comment in the section below.
Here are other expert tips to help you get your home ready for sale.
34 Important Things to Do When Planning to Sell Your Home
Home Selling Checklist: 12 Things to Do Before Selling Your House
Stacey Agin Murray says
Most people trying to sell their house don't realize how important it is to get it organized before a prospective buyer walks through the door. I didn't even think about the shed--great idea! Leave no space disorganized!
I'm sure your friend was very happy you helped her get her home ready for sale. That second set of eyes is crucial to making sure your home will be attractive to others.
Diane N Quintana says
I love your strategy for getting your home ready for sale. It's so important to create space so the potential buyer can envision themselves (and their belongings) in the home. I also really love the room by room task sheet you created.
Julie Bestry says
These are all such excellent tips. I think most people are so overwhelmed by the process of acquiring a new house that they don't give enough thought to what's going to help them sell the old one. That tip about getting clutter off the counters so people don't think there's not adequate storage is really fabulous. The printable is great!
Linda Samuels says
These are excellent tips for getting a house sale-ready. I've been working with a client on a project like this. When he met with the realtor, it was surprising how little she suggested he do to prepare the house. Her main concern was removing clutter and items that personalized the houses. I was surprised she didn't mention some of the other things, like small repairs or refreshes.
She said the market is so 'hot' in our area that doing more wasn't necessary. When I cleared out and sold my parents' house, I invested in some updates, which significantly impacted how it looked and what it sold for.
Seana Turner says
That's such a good reminder about getting rid of countertop storage, because it does connote insufficient concealed storage... even if you have it there just for convenience. Clear closet floors for the same reason.
I think once you decide to list your home, it helps to stop thinking of it as yours, and start thinking of it as the next person's. This makes it easier to make changes. Of course, once you start decluttering, you might just end up loving it (wink, wink).
Janet Barclay says
Great points! It's so hard to look at our own spaces objectively.