Selling your home? It can be quite a journey, from fixing those leaky taps to making your garden look its best.

But there's one crucial step that often gets overlooked: decluttering. A tidy, organised home helps buyers see its full potential and imagine themselves living there.

To make this happen, consider storing certain items off-site. Here's a list of ten things you should store away to boost your home's appeal.

Create a Clean and Inviting Space

Personal Items and Knick-Knacks

First up, let's talk about personal items. Family photos and unique artwork might make your house feel like home, but they can make it hard for buyers to picture themselves living there. When buyers walk through your home, they want to envision their own family in the space.

Seeing your personal memories everywhere can distract from that. The same goes for knick-knacks like figurines, vases, and those little souvenirs from holidays past. Packing these away helps create a clean, neutral environment that appeals to everyone.

Try replacing them with minimalistic decor like a stylish lamp or a simple vase with fresh flowers. This way, your home feels inviting yet impersonal enough for buyers to imagine their own touches.

Children's Toys

Kids' toys are another big one. While it's fine to keep a few toys neatly in a child's bedroom, having them all over the house can be distracting. Potential buyers may have different lifestyles, and seeing toys scattered about might make it hard for them to see how the space could work for them.

Store most of the toys off-site to keep your home looking tidy and versatile. You can keep a small selection of neatly arranged toys in your child’s room to show that the space is family-friendly, but avoid letting toys spill into common areas like the living room or kitchen.

Pet Toys

Don't forget about pet toys. While your dog’s favourite squeaky toy or your cat’s scratching post might be beloved parts of your home life, they can give the impression of a messy and less-than-pristine home.

Old tennis balls, chewed bones, and squeaky toys can make your home look untidy. Storing these items helps keep your place looking fresh and clean for all potential buyers, even those without pets.

It also helps if your buyers are allergic or simply not fond of pets. A clean and pet-free appearance can make a big difference in their perception of your home.

Enhance Room Size and Functionality

Large Furniture

Next, let's tackle large furniture. A few key pieces are great for staging, but too much can make rooms feel cramped.

You want each room to look spacious and functional, not overcrowded. Experts often suggest removing about a third of the furniture to make rooms appear more spacious. Store any pieces that don’t fit the room's decor or aren’t essential.

For instance, if you have an extra armchair or an oversized coffee table that clutters the space, it’s best to put it in storage. This creates a more open, breathable environment that allows buyers to see the potential in each room.

Exercise Equipment

Got a treadmill or a weight bench taking up space? While it's great to have a home gym, exercise equipment can make rooms feel cluttered and specialised. Not everyone wants or needs a dedicated exercise space.

Pack these items away and consider staging the area as a guest bedroom or office. This makes your home more appealing to a broader range of buyers.

A clean, multi-functional space shows versatility and can help buyers envision how they could use the room to fit their own needs, whether for guests, a home office, or a hobby room.

Spare Items

We all have "spare" items lying around – things we don’t use every day but can't seem to part with. These items add unnecessary clutter. If you don’t use it daily, store it away.

Spare furniture, extra kitchen gadgets, and those miscellaneous items we all accumulate can make your home look cluttered and less appealing. By storing these items off-site, you create a more streamlined and attractive environment that invites buyers to see the true potential of your home.

This simple step can make your home look more organised and inviting, and it also makes it easier for you to keep the house tidy during showings.

Maximise Your Home's Appeal

Kitchen Appliances

A clear, uncluttered kitchen counter is a huge selling point. Kitchens are often the heart of the home, and potential buyers want to see ample counter space for their own cooking and entertaining needs. Store away small appliances like blenders, mixers, and toaster ovens.

Keep only the essentials, like a coffee pot, neatly tucked away when not in use. This gives your kitchen a sleek, minimalist look that buyers love.

An uncluttered kitchen not only looks more spacious but also more functional, making it a key area to focus on when preparing your home for sale.

Old Clothes

Buyers often peek into cupboards and closets to check out the storage space. You want to showcase your home’s storage potential, not overwhelm them with clutter. Clearing out old clothes and items you rarely wear makes these spaces look bigger and more organised.

Spacious closets are a major selling point! Consider packing away seasonal items and anything you haven't worn in a while. This will make your closets look more spacious and appealing, giving buyers the impression that your home has plenty of storage.

Junk and Clutter

Hall closets, bathroom counters, drawers, the pantry, and the garage can all become junk magnets. These are areas that buyers will look at closely, and a tidy, organised space can make a big impression.

Packing up these areas keeps your home looking clean and spacious, which is exactly what buyers want to see. Clear out expired products, old magazines, and any miscellaneous items that have accumulated over time.

Organised storage spaces help buyers see the functionality and potential of your home, making it more attractive to them.

Inherited Furniture

Finally, let’s talk about that bulky or unattractive inherited furniture. While you might have a soft spot for that old armchair, it can detract from your home's appeal.

Large, outdated, or worn pieces can make rooms look smaller and less inviting. Store these items away to help buyers visualise their own furniture in your home, making it more appealing overall. Replace them with modern, neutral pieces that enhance the space without overwhelming it.

This simple change can make a big difference in how buyers perceive your home.

Conclusion

Getting your home ready to sell means thinking of it as a product that needs to shine. By storing away these ten items, you can create a clean, organised, and inviting space that buyers will love.

This effort not only makes your home more attractive but also helps it sell faster and potentially for a higher price. Remember, the decluttering and staging process is temporary, but the benefits can be long-lasting. Taking these steps will help your home stand out in the market, making it easier for potential buyers to see themselves living there and ultimately leading to a successful sale. Happy selling!

Ready to make your home market-ready? Contact The Box Co. today to discover our hassle-free storage solutions and ensure your home looks its best for potential buyers!