Purge Stuff for Profit and Sanity

Thinking about selling your home? I bet you already know this, but purging your home of unnecessary items now will save you BIG in the long run. Here are a 6 reasons:

1. Lower or No Storage Fees

If your home is “full”, you might consider renting a storage unit to shift everything that is unnecessary into while trying to sell your home. But that just postpones the inevitable. At some point you will need to address all that stuff.

Purging your home of unnecessary items will rid you of – get ready – unnecessary items! Why pay to have them stored if they aren’t necessary? Well, you may think, “Ya, but some of the stuff is family keepsakes” or “there are things I might need later.” The key here is that the sentimental or things that may be useful in the future are only some of the stuff, not all of the stuff. Assess what you really have and you will be surprised to find things that truly are not needed. You may still need a storage unit, but smaller ones are cheaper. Don’t know where to start? Read how to purge your stuff.

2. Less Stuff = More Appeal

It’s true. A clutter-free environment is calming. Even if your home isn’t cluttered in spaces that everyone can see – counters, tabletops, dressers, entryways, etc., what about the closets, drawers, cabinets, or storage spaces? Buyers are looking to see how much space there is, so they will be opening all your hiding places. What will they see? What are you hiding in there? Do you need those things?

Purging prior to listing your home gives you a chance to get rid of the junk that has accumulated in forgotten places which will make your home look and feel more spacious. The bigger and more organized a space is, the more appealing it can be.

3. Realizing What You Really Need in a New Home

Consciously taking time to organize and purge stuff as part of your moving timeline allows you the opportunity to address the accumulation of things without feeling rushed. Purging on the front end of a new home search allows you to think about your possessions in a rational way. It allows you to be realistic about what you need. What you need in your new home may be different especially if you are downsizing or moving to a new region where you don’t need hot or cold weather items. Why handle and move things you will not need in your new house twice? If you take it with you, you have to box it, pay to move it, unbox it, then box it back up to get rid of it.

4. No Need to Move After All

If you are contemplating moving because your house is too small, it may be because you have too much stuff that you no longer need. Everyone has phases in life. Life is constantly changing. The things you needed years ago you may no longer use or need. Yes, it served a purpose at the time, but the time may have passed. Perhaps what is really needed is a good thorough purge, and not a new house. (Sorry, all you realtors!) Coming to this realization could save you tons of money, time, and stress.

5. Save on Moving Costs

If you are moving across the state, to another state, or internationally, purging prior to listing and moving has a big financial impact. These moves are often charged by the pound or by the physical space it takes in a moving truck. Sometimes they charge by the hour and moving less stuff takes less time.

Clearly anything you do not put on the truck is not going to be paid for. Purging on the front end saves you money, and it can be a lot of money.

6. Saves You Money and Your Sanity on the Back End

Once you are in your new home, how are you going to put everything away? Where will it all go? What do you have? How much of it do you have? If you hired a moving company to pack for you, be warned, they will scoop everything up and put it in the box – and I do mean everything. If you took the time to purge or hired someone to purge before packing day, you will not regret it. Too many times we have seen the aftermath of a move that did not involve purging. It causes a great deal of anxiety. Learn from their mistakes!

If you work, you are a busy person, you don’t have time to unravel the ball of tangled yarn that is your moving box. It is much faster to unpackanize a box of items that are meant to be in the home, than it is to unpackanize random stuff that isn’t necessarily things you want. It is worth the time investment on the front end!

What Are Your Tips to Purge Stuff?

Do you have any great tips that you have used to help you better prepare for a move? I know a lot of you military men and women can reach expert status when it comes to preparing for a move. Help others learn from your experience by sharing your ideas!

Need help preparing for your move or moving into your new home? Work with us!