How to declutter and depersonalize before selling your home

Selling a home is a huge undertaking, and one of the first steps is to declutter and depersonalize, so prospective buyers can imagine themselves living in the house.

Decluttering is about removing unnecessary items, so think about what is truly necessary and what you no longer need or want.

"Prioritize according to visibility, go to your front door, where people will actually enter the house, and start there ... And then move out from there in the most visible spaces of the home," said Dana K. White, decluttering expert and author of "Decluttering at the Speed of Life."

Taking on the whole house at once can be overwhelming, but decluttering the easy items first is a good way to start.

“Grab a black trash bag and walk through the house. Throw away anything that already needs to be thrown away,” White said. “It makes an immediate impact and gives you a visual of what you’ll need to do to get ready.”

If you have a spare room that’s used as a dumping ground for miscellaneous items, start going through what has been collected in there over the years. Clean out all your closets as well.

"The best thing, especially if you’re living in the home before you’re going to put it on the market and you’re going to stay living in the home, [is to] get all the purging done first and then get your stager out to do the consultation,” said Shell Brodnax, CEO of the Real Estate Staging Association, an independent trade group that has chapters across North America. “Then they will [suggest] what more things to remove and maybe how to rearrange the furniture.”

As you declutter, you will want to depersonalize the space by taking down photos and other family items. This depersonalization step can be emotionally challenging for some people, especially if they have lived in the house for a long time.

“You need to transition your mindset. It's no longer your home, but it's something that we want to market and sell,” said Abigail Halal, a central Massachusetts-based stager. “That can be really challenging when we're talking about depersonalizing and neutralizing. A lot of times, it's removing anything from the home that's going to reveal who you are, who your family is, so it's the wedding photos, it's the family photos.”

If you have neutral art, that might be able to stay, but photos of people, monogrammed items or personal knick-knacks should be removed. Depending on your personal style, some decor may be appropriate for staging, but items that feel personal or dated should be packed away. Art can distract some buyers, so if you are unsure, take it down.

Kids rooms can be a good visual for families looking for a new home, but the space needs to feel neutral — like any kids room, not your kids room. Clearing personal photos, awards and art will help depersonalize the room for potential buyers.

Overall, less is better, so the more personal items you pack away, the better. Valuable items should also be stored away before showings.

Pro tip: Pack framed photos by wrapping them in protective layers, such as bubble wrap or cloth, and then placing them in a sturdy box. This way, the bottom photo is not crushed.

There are many theories on how to choose what to keep and give away when it comes to decluttering, but for moving, try limiting yourself based on where you are going.

Pro tip: White suggests buying the number of boxes for the size of the house you are moving to. If it's a five-bedroom house, then order the boxes according to the new home's size.

"I call this the container concept," White said. "It's that spaces are limited and the fact that they are limited is the thing that frees you from making value decisions about 'Is this a good item?' Should I keep it? Will I use it?' Instead, you say: 'I have a limited space. ... Does it deserve to take up space?'"

Visually seeing how many boxes you are taking can help you realize the amount of space your next home will have.

When it comes to sentimental items, it's up to you to decide how much space you will allot for them, White said. If you have three boxes of sentimental items, can you pare them down to just a few items while maintaining the good feelings they bring, she said.

“I don’t use different strategies for sentimental items. I don’t ask myself how I feel about something. Instead, I ask, ‘Does it deserve space?’”

If you have a box of your kids' soccer trophies, consider keeping a few special ones to remind you of that time without the burden of lugging the rest to your new home. These items can be donated or recycled at donation centers.

While deciding what deserves space in your next home, have a donation box and trash bag ready, along with your packing boxes.

“Make it just as easy to donate or toss something as it is to pack it,” White said.

Many items can be donated or resold to make a few extra bucks. Both online marketplaces and local consignment shops will pay for gently used clothing and furniture, but not all items are accepted. If you are looking to sell items online, White suggests posting them as soon as possible. That way, if the items do not sell immediately, then you have time to donate them.

"I say donate to the most convenient place that you can donate it to," White said. "There are all these ideas of wanting to get things to the very best place, but in reality, the faster you can get it out, the better."

Pro tip: If you want to hold a garage sale, it helps to post about it on Facebook Marketplace or neighborhood groups like NextDoor or social media groups. You can also post fliers and signs around your neighborhood. Pick a public and neutral meeting place, such as a police station or shopping center, to hand off items.

Pro tip: Gently used stuffed animals can be donated to children in need through local charities or community outreach programs.

Getting rid of furniture is more complicated than smaller items or clothing, and it takes more planning. Some donation places, such as the Habitat for Humanity ReStore and certain Goodwill locations, will accept large furniture in good condition. Many neighborhoods have listservs that list free stuff. As a last resort, consider taking furniture to the dump yourself or hiring a junk removal service.

Donations with a value over $250 can be eligible for a tax deduction. Ask the thrift store for a receipt verifying its value.

Donation centers

• Goodwill  
• Savers 
• The Salvation Army
• Habitat for Humanity ReStores  
• Local thrift stores 

Selling options

• Facebook Marketplace 
• Craigslist
• Ebay 
• Consignment stores  
• Antique stores  
• ThreadUp: accepts name-brand clothing   
• Depop: all types of clothes  
• Poshmark: all types of clothes  
• Plato’s Closet: accepts teen and young adults' clothes  
• Once Upon a Child: accepts children’s clothes   
• Style Encore: accept men’s and women’s clothing items  
• Play it Again Sports: accepts sports gear and clothing   
• Uptown Cheapskate: accepts men's and women’s clothes  

You may need to rent a storage unit to store excess items while the home is on the market.

“Storage may be necessary, but it should be the last resort, not the first solution,” White said.

There are several options for long-term storage and moving boxes. PODS will deliver a storage container to your driveway that can be loaded and stored. U-Haul offers trucks, storage units and boxes. National retail chains, including Lowe's and Home Depot, also sell boxes. There are also independent storage businesses across the country. Prices vary based on location, demand and deals.

If you are looking for free boxes, check out local retail stores like grocery, liquor and home improvement stores. Inventory is often shipped in boxes that stores are willing to give away. People also give away boxes on Craigslist, Facebook and at U-Haul facilities.

You could also purchase large moving bags for clothes or soft items. Ikea and Amazon sell cubed bags that are designed for moving.

Now is the time to pare down and organize, so you can start fresh in your new home.