If you’re feeling overwhelmed by the thought of packing, moving and organizing your belongings perhaps you’ll find some comfort knowing that you are not alone. Every home seller I’ve met has expressed similar feelings. Many home sellers have lived and worked in Andover and North Andover for many years and have the full attics, basements and garages as proof! Rest assured — every home seller I’ve worked with not only has conquered the task successfully but has told me that settling into their new home was worth all the effort.
Moving to a smaller house requires going through your belongings and furniture with the goal of getting rid of some of it. Here are some ways to help you get started and to make the process more manageable.
- Plan Ahead – Don’t wait to start culling until someone has agreed to purchase the home you have had on the market. This could leave you with as little as a couple of weeks to sort through decades of belongings. Start going through your things and getting rid of stuff a month or two before you even put your house on the market. Not only will this give you ample time to decide what you really love and want to keep, but it will also make your house more appealing to potential buyers.
- Include the entire family – Certain objects and possessions mean different things to different family members. Holding onto an old piano that no one ever plays, only means more moving cost and excess unwanted furniture in your new home.
- Photos – Give yourself several days for the task of digitizing all of your family’s photos. Since they are one of our most valued possessions, why not take them out of those giant boxes, scan them and make a CD? This will cut down on a tremendous amount of clutter and it will keep your memories safe forever.
- Shedding basement objects first- Many people put things away in their basements, attics and sheds assuming that someday they may find a need for it again. Seriously consider which items you can live without and start getting rid of them by donating them or selling them.
- “Furnished Home For Sale” – If you are not emotionally attached to your furniture, consider selling them along with the house. This way you save on moving costs and you get to buy all new things for your new home. Not bad!
