If you are trying to sell your current home so you can buy a new home, keep in mind prospective home buyers want to see the house, not your stuff. They want to be able to envision themselves and their stuff living in that house. Unless you already live an extremely minimalist lifestyle, your stuff is likely cluttering up the place, making it hard for buyers to truly visualize the space. Go through your home and pack away anything that is not absolutely essential to living while your home is on the market. Rent a storage unit (like one from Father & Son Moving & Storage); it will be worth the additional expense. You will have to pack everything eventually, so you may as well get ahead of the game. Less stuff will also make it easier to keep the house clean and tidy for impromptu showings. Here are three things to keep in mind.

When In Doubt, Throw It Out

Every item you own requires some level of care and upkeep, even if that is just an occasional cleaning. Owning things is a responsibility, and sometimes, owning too many things can bog a person down. Moving provides the perfect opportunity to scale back personal possessions. Look at everything in your home with a fresh set of objective eyes. Do you really want to clean it, pack it, move it, possibly more than once, and unpack it? Before packing every item, consider if it should be in the donation pile instead. And if you still have unpacked boxes from your last move a decade ago, it's time for them to go.

Clean Out Your Closets

Off-season clothing and bedding are perfect candidates for the storage unit. You want the closets and storage areas in your house to look as spacious as possible, not jam-packed with junk, giving the impression the house has inadequate storage. Clothing and bedding should all be washed and thoroughly dried before packing away. Space-saving vacuum storage bags are ideal for protecting clothing in storage units. Storage bags offer protection from insects and rodents while keeping them clean and fresh smelling. While your items are in storage, protect them from humidity by putting out boxes of fresh cat litter or charcoal briquettes. They will absorb excess moisture that could cause mold and mildew to grow.

Reduce The Personal Things

Take the wall of family photos down. Remove all of the pictures hanging on the refrigerator, and pack away any cherished children's art work that you simply must save. Scale back the amount of personal toiletries on display in the bathroom. Clean out the medicine cabinet, removing any personal items like prescriptions. Hide any deeply personal items.  

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