6 areas you need to declutter before putting your house on the market for a fast and easy sale, according to experts

Moving house is one of the most stressful processes that we can experience (and that's a research-backed claim). But before we even think about packing up our home, the first step is knowing how to declutter a house to get ready to sell.

Because aside from making our home more appealing to potential buyers, decluttering before putting it on the market will make the moving process much easier down the line.

Employing the best decluttering methods will help, but there's a clear-cut strategy that home organising experts swear by when it comes to getting a house market-ready.

'If you’re looking to sell your home, there are key steps to help you prepare your home before the sale goes through, that will also help the process to feel less stressful,' Vlatka Lake, storage expert at Space Station comments. 'Before you begin deep cleaning, it’s important to first declutter your home of any items you no longer need.'

Make sure you have plenty of boxes handy before you kickstart the process. The four-box decluttering method is particularly helpful when preparing for a move, as it will allow you to easily separate items into keep, store, donate, and bin categories.

1. Start with the entryway

Given that the entryway is the first thing potential buyers will see, it makes sense to start here.

'A clean, spacious entryway creates an instant positive impression,' Gerrit Jan Reinders, decluttering expert and founder of BOXIE24 agrees. 'Start by removing excess shoes, coats, and mail piles.'

Make the most of hallway storage ideas so there's as little on display as possible, and try to find alternative places for out-of-season items like heavy coats and boots. 'Stackable baskets with lids give an immediate sense of order and are great for a quick tidy up when there’s a last-minute viewing,' Craig Sammells, Country Manager for UK & Ireland of SmartStore suggests. 'Use for items like hats, gloves, scarves or even trainers.'

Ticking the entryway off first will set the tone for the rest of the house, and hopefully spur you to keep going.

2. Move on to the living room

The living area is often the biggest room in the house, but can be surprisingly easy to declutter and organise, making it the perfect job to tick off next.

Try to streamline the contents of the living room as much as possible, as potential buyers will want to visualise how they can use the space. Living room storage ideas are your best friend for creating a sense of order, particularly hidden storage solutions like footstools and baskets.

'Use a mix of baskets (white, pastels or natural are not too obtrusive) which can fit neatly under coffee tables, or with lids stacked on shelves,' Craig says. 'These can be for magazines, games and TV controllers.'

Let go of anything that you can't visualise in the living room of your future home. Fewer items will make tidying a family living room ahead of viewings much easier, too.

3. Tackle kitchen countertops and cabinets

'Kitchens sell homes!' Gerrit emphasises. 'Clear countertops of small appliances if you can, keeping only one or two essential items visible.'

While potential buyers will expect a kitchen to look used, they'll also want to see a clear and calm space if they're going to be inclined to buy. By removing items from the countertops, you can make a small kitchen look bigger and therefore more appealing to viewers.

Take the opportunity to organise your kitchen cabinets as well. You never know if potential buyers will want to take a peek inside cupboards, to see how roomy they are. The less items you have to store, the better, and make use of storage solutions to keep all your essentials organised.

4. Create calm in the bedroom

Prioritise the bedrooms next. Bedrooms can be make or break for many buyers, so focus on clearing out anything that's no longer needed and creating as much space as possible.

You can declutter a bedroom in one day by tackling one area at a time. Start with the wardrobes and drawers, then move on to under the bed, before stripping back the number of items on display. This last step will make a world of difference to how visually calm the bedrooms appear.

If there are kids' bedrooms in the house, you'll need to know how to declutter toys efficiently. 'Give your children a chance to pack any of their childhood items and then look to donate anything else that they no longer need,' Vlatka from Space Station suggests.

There may be a bit of give and take involved in the process, but if the bedrooms feel relatively tidy afterwards, consider it a win. Viewers tend to be more forgiving when it comes to children's bedrooms anyway.

5. Streamline the bathroom

Again, the aim with the bathroom should be to strip everything back as much as possible, so buyers can see the space for what it is. Small bathroom storage ideas like corner units and mirrored vanities are a gamechanger for organising the bathroom's contents and keeping visual clutter at bay.

'Transparent stackable storage which can fit in a drawer or on a shelf out of the way works really well in the bathroom,' Craig says. 'Prioritise storage solutions which allow you to see the contents quickly, while keeping everything dry and condensation-free.'

A top tip is to always check the expiry dates of toiletries. Look for a '6M', '12M', or '24M' mark on the bottle, which indicates how many months the product will last after opening. You'll likely end up clearing away a few items.

6. Finish with the garage and shed

'Garages and sheds can come in handy during the moving process while you're working out which items are going or staying,' Craig notes. That's why we recommend leaving these areas for the end of the pre-sale preparation process.

Decluttering a garage can definitely take a fair bit of time as it does tend to get lumped with odd items that don't warrant a better place. But hopefully, you've got a good idea of what you want to keep and what you want to get rid of.

If you're struggling to make quick decisions, try the one-touch decluttering method. The idea is that you pick up an item and have to decide whether it's staying or going before you put it back down. It's the perfect antidote to decision paralysis.

There's high chance that viewers are going to want to look in the garage or shed to see how spacious they are, so store what you can in boxes instead of having items on display. 'Choose water-resistant storage so you can ensure the contents remain clean and dry,' Craig advises. 'Stackable storage is another plus-point for areas of the home like the garage, so you can maximise the footprint.'

FAQs

How clean should a house be before selling?

Ideally, a home should be as clean as possible before any potential buyers come to look round. Of course, viewers expect homes to look lived in, but they're going to get a much clearer picture of whether the house is for them if it's clean and tidy.

'A home should be immaculate before listing,' decluttering expert Gerrit says. 'This means deep-cleaning carpets, washing windows inside and out, scrubbing grout lines, and removing all dust from ceiling fans, baseboards, and light fixtures.'

If time is of the essence, you can still clean your home fast and get it ready for listing. Make a plan and tackle one room at a time, cleaning as thoroughly as time allows. 'Pay special attention to kitchens and bathrooms where cleanliness concerns can turn off buyers,' Gerrit adds.

How to declutter a home fast before selling?

There are some tips that will help you declutter your whole house fast and get it viewing-ready. First off, establish your priority areas.

'If time is pressing with an imminent house listing, then the key areas to start decluttering and also to make sure look the best are the living room, hallway and kitchen,' Craig advises. 'These are the areas your prospective buyers see immediately which will pique their interest.'

Some people find a decluttering playlist to be helpful, and others like to set a timer to see how much they can accomplish. Try both of these strategies to find which one works for you.

Make use of storage boxes for items that you need more time to make a decision on. This will help rooms appear neat and tidy, while giving you the extra time you need.

This expert-approved plan for how to declutter a house to get ready to sell is a sure way to make the process easier. And don't forget - keep breathing!