WHEN it comes to downsizing, just the thought of decluttering and getting moving can put people on the back foot.
Luckily help is out there, with everyone from professional organisers (yes, they exist) to downsizing specialist real estate agents, to make the journey a little less stressful.
When selling your best asset, it's important to present it at its best. While some will use a professional property-styling company, you can save money and do it yourself.
“By using the resources at your fingertips and a little guidance on creativity the end result can be just as effective,” said downsizing specialist real estate agent Trish Johnson.
Ms Johnson, of Adelaide Property Professionals, said two-dollar shops and hardware stores are your best friend when it comes to adding splashes of pizzazz, colour and freshness with things like cushions, rugs and framed pictures. “The added value of this is you can take those items with you when you move.”
A lick of paint, fresh bark on garden beds and general decluttering will all help maximise the best sales results.
Packing up
Professional packer Steph Miller, who runs decluttering business called Neat Professional Organising in South Australia, offers five simple ways to make moving easier, especially if you have reduced mobility or are dealing with illness:
- Visualise the life you want to live in your new house and only keep items that contribute to that vision.
- Pack heavy items in small boxes and light items in large boxes.
- Try to declutter in the weeks before you move. There’s no sense taking things you don’t need or love just to get rid of them a few months down the track.
- Label boxes on the tops and sides so they can be read if stacked up.
- Just because you’ve owned something forever doesn’t mean you need to take it with you: you are not defined by the things you own.
More tips at www.neatorganising.com