Home stagers declutter properties before they hit the real estate market.
They must strike the right balance between enough items to make the home feel welcoming and lived in, yet not too many that it feels cluttered.
Not all home staging clients are equally ready to part with their stuff. Sometimes a bit of declutter coaching is needed.
You don’t have to go all Marie Kondo and determine whether every items “sparks joy,” unless you want to play the role of professional organizer.
Sometimes it’s as simple as saying, “All this stuff needs to go in boxes for offsite storage until your home is sold. Then you can have it all back.”
When you’re talking about decluttering for the purpose of selling a home on the real estate market, phrases like, “Clutter eats equity” help.
Of course you’d have to elaborate on what that really means and why that’s the case.
Clutter or Treasured Possession?
Part of the problem is that what you as a home stager see as clutter, your client might see as their most treasured possessions.
For example, the collection of 20 family photos in mismatched frames on the fireplace mantle. They’re jammed in so tightly you can barely see them.
You know home buyers won’t notice the lovely mantle under all that stuff.
Another common clutter problem I’ve run into during a home staging consultation is too many house plants.
A few choice house plants can make a home feel more inviting. However, if you find tables covered with pots of plant clippings, it’s time for some pruning (pun intended). 🙂
Or the visual clutter might be a collection of something that will offend potential home buyers (another reason to put it in offsite storage).
Falling into this category might be: Religious items, guns, animal heads, etc.
Is Your Client “Clutter Blind”?
Perhaps you’re dealing with a home staging client who has gone what I call “clutter blind”.
In other words, it has all been there so long, they don’t even see it at all!
I’m convinced that must be how one person can have 12 toothbrushes next to their bathroom sink or 10 shampoo bottles lining the bathtub!
Seriously, what’s up with that?
Here are some ideas from Houzz on How to Help Your Clients Declutter.
Home Stagers Declutter Tips and Experiences
Whether you’re a Staging Diva Grad or not, please share your tips for helping your home staging clients declutter.
What’s works best for you?
What’s the most unusual “collection” of clutter you’ve seen in a client’s home?
Please share in the comments below.
As I have worked with clients on decluttering, it has become an essential part of my life as well. I think we all have way too much “stuff” and as you said, we just don’t see it.
You are right, shifting a house is a better time to get away from unwanted products, and decluttering makes the task a million times simpler.
The four-box method(My method of decluttering things):
A popular way for de-cluttering is to use the four-box form, which drives you to make a decision.
1. Take three boxes and label them.
2. Keep, Donate, or Sell, Recycle.
3. Use the plastic bin liner to throw any damaged or broken products.
4. Go around your home and put each clutter produced into the right box.
5. At your final session, take the ‘Sell or Donate’ box to the charity or family member’s or friend’s house in Delhi.
In this way, you would not end up with much clutter.
Pick your throw away products out of the bins to stop any second thoughts.