Top Realtor Gives Organizing and Decluttering Advice for Home Sellers 

Royal Hartwig

Royal Hartwig

Before selling your house there are some things realtors want you to do so your home shows well. Number one is organizing and decluttering. No one wants to walk into a messy house, especially potential buyers. How can organizing your house increase its appeal to potential buyers? We asked Royal Hartwig, president of Royal Family Real Estate LLC, with offices in Schaumburg, Palatine, and Crystal Lake, Ill., why it’s important for home sellers to keep their home organized before and during its time on the market. Royal has more than a dozen successful years experience selling real estate through national brand firms and now his own firm. He shows a lot of houses and has built a reputation for quick sales at a good price.

What advice can you give for organizing a house that is being readied for a sale?

The easiest thing is to clear the clutter! Clearing off countertops, taking magnets off the refrigerator, etc. If you need a place to put the stuff and you do not want to rent storage, you can put it in the garage. That is the least important place for showings.

Any advice on keeping the house organized while on the market?

Plan like there can be a showing any day. You have to be ready because any minute you could get a call for someone that wants to see the house. Have a routine of what you do to get the house in showing condition.

Which rooms do you see as being most often in need of organizing?

Kitchens tend to have the most stuff on the counters and bedrooms typically have more furniture than they should for showings.

What is it about a house that makes a big difference to potential buyers?

The house being clean makes the biggest difference. Buyers can tell if a home is well maintained by how clean it is. That means it really helps to do a deep clean before putting a home on the market. Make sure those baseboards are clean too!

Is it easier for you as a realtor to sell a home when it’s well organized?

When there is less stuff in the house the buyer is not focused on looking at the owner’s belongings. If it is staged, the buyers can get a sense of themselves living there.

What should home sellers do with stuff that may distract or turn off potential buyers?

I would say put it in the storage room in the basement, in the garage or rent a storage unit.

If someone is struggling with organizing their home would you refer them to a professional organizer?

For sure! I have referred clients to professional organizers in the past. Organizing Coach has done a great job for my clients.

What advice can you share on making the process of selling a house more manageable?

Try not to think of it as your home anymore. You are getting it ready for the next chapter and want it to appeal to the broadest amount of buyers. It is easier said than done, but if you take the emotion out of the sale it will make the process much easier for yourself and everyone involved.

Home Decluttering

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