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 March 13, 2014
Q: How do you de-clutter?
A: One box at a time
So, a life time of stuff can accumulate pretty quickly. My client already has ten bins on her deck, many full of accounting files. Her kitchen is also full of knickknacks and recipes.
And you can't see the pool table, which has stuff above and below.
So, where to start? This is a big job, and I can't do it all myself. But my client is at risk of being overwhelmed. The solution is for me to give her some direction. Once she has an idea both of the final product and what her immediate tasks is, she can get started and stay motivated.
For instance:
- Remove 50% of what's on the bookshelves. Leave the rest of the space for staging, eg for a few choice decorative elements.
- the walls are covered in personal pictures in dated frames. As sad as it is to pack away your memories, these must all go! Ditto for the pics on the mantles and desks.
- Don't throw the baby out with the bathwater. After I determine what elements can be used for staging, I have my client put them aside so they don't get packed up with everything else. I like to keep a personal touch so the house doesn't look like I lifted it right off a showroom floor.
- Bin it and label it. Label the bins first, eg Move" "Goodwill" "Storage" (try to avoid this last one!), so you have a place to put each item. Most importantly, once the bins are filled, bring them right to the front door or you risk never getting them out!
Once most of the stuff is cleared out, we can get a better idea of what the next steps will be. Much of the work will be brightening and updating the look of the rooms.
Kitchen: Wallpaper and borders - dated and impossible to freshen, so it must go as well. Budget a few days for this task, especially if it's old. It will be well attached to the wall!
The main bathroom is a dark green, which makes it seem small. The leaky faucet is easily replaced. Unfortunately, while the counter-top is dated, the room layout would require a custom unit to replace it, which is too pricey at this point. Need to find work-around.
The basement presents an interesting challenge. It still has its original panelling in an unappealing orange-y oak stain. I'm going to brighten it up with some white and bring in some new furniture. It also has a wet bar, which gives it a dated feel. Not sure what I will do with it at this point. I do know that the pool table, which has acted as a handy storage space for 15 years, must go. It would require some major TLC to get it usable again, and won't likely appeal to a buyer. There are, however, lots of youth centres and the like that would gladly take it.
The bottom line: How much is this project worth? Early visit by other realtors suggest that in its current state, this house would go for up to $100K less than what the owner wants. Is an upgrade worth it? You bet!
(For the latest instalment see http://silvanareno.blogspot.ca/) |
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