We’ve had clients ask us, “How much clutter is too much clutter?” when it comes to preparing their homes for sale.

The quick answer is that buyers need to imagine their stuff in your home. If you have too much clutter on the walls, on surfaces or on the floor, they can’t do that.

Is there a house around those dolls?

My realtor friend –or a friend who is also a realtor– Leif Swanson has a snarky little website called uglyhousephotos.com where he documents some of the worst cases.

You can get lost looking at some of the worse atrocities. And, if case you think we are picking on just doll owners, here’s a great example of how this lover of all things “rock poster” may have shaved thousands off the sale of the home.

Rock out.

So, all fun aside, what should you do? We often find ourselves telling folks to remove about 50% of what you have on each shelf. This may not apply to you if you are a minimalist with that one vase on an otherwise empty book shelf. But, we find that most folks could benefit from this rule.

If you are not moving before you list, consider getting storage for that extra stuff. Or, take an opportunity to purge those things that just don’t speak to you anymore. The purge might help your eventual move, anyway.

If you are moving before the sale, we suggest you leave just enough things in the house to help demonstrate how each room could be used. Say, for instance, a bed with a night stand and some flowers –nothing else.

For the most part, keep it simple and you will be fine. Of course we are happy to do a tour of your home to give you advice. Don’t worry. We won’t judge your clutter. We have it in our homes, too!

If you need help building a strategy around your sale or purchase, please contact us at 602-456-9388.

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