Yes, you need to remove as much of your stuff as possible before listing your house. When buyers walk through, they want to see the physical space, not your personal belongings. If you are looking at our guide on getting your house ready to sell, clearing out your clutter is step one.
Why You Are Selling the Space, Not Your Stuff
You are selling the home’s actual features, like the kitchen countertops and cabinets, not your appliances. So, when buyers look at the kitchen, they shouldn’t be distracted by your Ninja blender or your air fryer. In fact, we want buyers to see 85 to 90% of the actual spaces we are in. As a result, clearing off your surfaces is an absolute must.
How Full Closets Hurt Your Home Sale
If a buyer sees a closet packed tight with clothes, they will assume the house lacks storage space. To fix this, if you have a closet full of clothes for all four seasons, eliminate that down to just one or two seasons. You want to leave visible gaps between your hangers and shelves. Because if they walk through and see ample room for more things, they will feel like the house has plenty of storage.
Where Should You Put the Extra Stuff?
You can pick one specific space in your house, like a garage or a shop, to neatly store your boxed-up items. You don’t always have to go buy a storage unit. Just make sure you organize it nicely rather than just throwing it into a pile. Some sellers even load their cars with laundry, totes, and the litter box, then drive down the road while the house shows. But picking one dedicated storage room is usually much easier.
Have more questions about getting your home ready to sell? Visit spokanehomeguy.com or call 509-990-SOLD (7653) — we’re happy to walk you through it.
FAQ
Not always. If you have a shop or a garage, you can pick that one space to neatly organize your extra boxes. Just make sure it looks tidy and isn’t just a giant pile of clutter.
Yes. Buyers are looking at the condition of your countertops and cabinets, not your air fryer or blender. You want to expose 85 to 90% of the surface area so the kitchen feels spacious.
Many sellers simply pack up the litter box, pet beds, and food bowls into the back of their car and drive away during the showing. This keeps the house clean and free of distractions.
