Maximizing Your Home's Value: The Power of Decluttering Before Listing
Photo credit: Heyday Homes
In today's competitive real estate market, first impressions are everything. As professional organizers, we've seen firsthand how decluttering can transform a property from "lived-in" to "must-have." With the spring real estate market in full swing, we’ve asked our friend Meg Daday of Heyday Homes to help explore why decluttering is a crucial step in preparing your home for sale and how it can significantly impact your bottom line.
The Impact of Decluttering on Home Sales
Decluttering isn't just about tidying up; it's about creating a vision for potential buyers. When you declutter, you're not only organizing your space but also:
Showcasing your home's full potential
Creating an inviting atmosphere
Allowing buyers to envision themselves in the space
Highlighting your home's best features
As Meg points out, "Buyers want to feel like they can grow into the space, so if the closets are overflowing, they will immediately think there isn't enough storage."
The Decluttering Process: More Than Just Cleaning
We work closely with real estate professionals like Meg to ensure your home stands out in listing photos and open houses. Here's what the process typically involves:
Initial Consultation: We assess your home's needs and create a tailored plan.
Deep Decluttering: We help you sort through items, deciding what to keep, store, donate, or discard.
Strategic Organization: We organize remaining items to maximize space and appeal.
Staging Assistance: We work with your realtor to stage your home effectively.
Real Results: The Power of Preparation
Meg shares a compelling example of how decluttering and strategic positioning can make a significant difference: "Last year, we helped a client sell for $65,000 more than the nearly identical unit below, who sold just a few months later. Both were listed at $495,000." (Nope, she’s not exaggerating - here are the photos - 2533 N Orchard 3S sold for $575,000 in March and 2533 N Orchard 2S sold for $510,000 in August.)
The key differences? Strategic positioning and timing. By decluttering, refreshing the space, and professionally staging the home, they were able to capture the "magic" of the property in photos and attract more potential buyers.
Why Decluttering Matters in Marketing and Staging
In the digital age, your home's online presence is crucial. As Meg explains, "Less clutter = better listing photos, and better photos = more buyers in the door + potentially, more $$$." Decluttered spaces photograph better, making your listing stand out in a sea of options.
Professional Help: Your Secret Weapon
Meg understands that preparing a house for sale can be overwhelming, which is why they partner with experts like us to streamline the process. "At Heyday Homes, we partner with vendors like The Clutter Curator to take as much as possible off the seller's plate to get the best listing photos possible, so they can focus on their next move," Meg explains. This collaboration aims to create listing photos that make potential buyers wonder if the home is staged or still occupied.
Meg shared a success story of clients Jessica and Mike, who, with the help of our team and Heyday Homes, transformed their home in just two weeks. The result? Multiple offers in a slow market and an impressive return on investment. "Ultimately, a few thousand dollars spent upfront yielded about $30k in additional profit on their home," Meg reveals, highlighting the significant impact professional staging and decluttering can have on a home's sale price.
Ready to Transform Your Space?
Don't let clutter hold your home's value hostage. Whether you're planning to sell soon or just want to enjoy a more organized living space, we here to help. Contact us today to learn how we can help you unlock your home's full potential and set the stage for a successful sale.
Remember, in the words of Meg, "A little prep, some strategic staging, and saying goodbye to the clutter will have buyers swiping right." Let's make your home the one they can't stop thinking about!
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Meet Meg + Heyday Homes
Meg Daday is the CEO of Heyday Homes. After practicing law for more than seven years, Meg Daday established Meg Chicago Real Estate in 2015 with the vision of helping busy professionals navigate the Chicagoland real estate market. With a background as Associate General Counsel at a start-up, a fifth grade teacher in a low-income area and, possibly most importantly, as the oldest of six children, Meg intuitively took a consultative, educational, “older sister” approach to helping clients navigate the buying and selling processes.
Meet Heyday Homes, a total home ownership team: your guide and support system, providing everything you need—real estate expertise, interior design advice and concierge-style services—to get from here to home and beyond. And when you make your next move, we’ll be right there with you. Our expert team has a playbook and network of collaborators honed through years of real estate and design experience. Together, we create a tailored world of support that helps you take your life to the next level. We’re here to simplify each step and curate every detail, giving you room to focus on what truly matters.
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