For well over a decade, imported goods have flooded into America from abroad: clothing, shoes, hardware, electronics and home furnishings. Such items stuff the shelves at Walmart, Ikea, dollar stores and other outlets -- constantly tempting a materialistic population with amazingly low prices.

"The problem is getting far worse. People keep acquiring more and more stuff and let go of very little. It's super stressful to be so encumbered," says Vickie Dellaquila, a professional organizer and author who's worked with downsizing clients since 2003.

The widespread desire to battle clutter is illustrated by the extraordinary popularity of "The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up," a book by an organizer named Marie Kondo, whose lessons on the Japanese art of spiritual purging are now also running as a Netflix series.

For harried homeowners wishing to sell their property, the need to declutter is of paramount concern. That's because a place filled with clutter shows very poorly.

"Homebuyers can't picture themselves living in any home that's overfilled. They've had their own struggles with excess and want a fresh start after they move. So you'll never be highly successful in selling until you liberate your house of all that extra stuff," says Stacy Berman, a veteran realty company manager.

Here are a few pointers for time-stretched homeowners who wish to sell:

-- Commit your organizing plan to paper.

Lee Silber, author of "Time Management for the Creative Person," says too few people embark on projects with a written plan in hand.

Many home sellers mistakenly believe they can proceed as efficiently with a mental plan as with a written one, according to Silber. "In fact, what you have in your head is clutter unless you put it down on paper," he says.

Are you unsure which tasks need to be done to get your home ready for market -- whether, for instance, these should include cleaning closets or painting bedrooms? If so, Silber suggests you ask your listing agent to draft a step-by-step list. Then go down the list, circling steps with the highest impact.

"People short on time -- and that's most of us -- need to concentrate first on activities with the greatest potential return for the time spent," he says. For instance, replacing a stained living room carpet could make a significant difference in the salability of your place. But fixing the stains on your concrete walkways may not.

-- Position your to-do list in a highly visible place.

Not only do sellers need to make a comprehensive list of tasks, but they should keep that list in full view, says Rita Emmett, a time-management specialist and author.

"Type it in a large font and put it up in the kitchen or wherever you spend a lot of time. Drawing from this list, work in one-hour increments. Each day, try to do at least three small tasks -- such as going to the store for the cardboard boxes you'll use to declutter," she says.

-- Delegate, delegate, delegate.

It may seem obvious, but many busy people with the means to hire help to prepare their homes for sale decline to do so.

"Every busy person needs help with such a huge project as preparing the family home for market. This is especially true if you have zillions of things to sort through. If you can't afford to hire help, go to your church or synagogue and ask for volunteers," Emmett says.

-- Weave some fun into your home-sale prep work.

You'll gain more momentum in your quest to ready your home for market if you can make an otherwise boring project more interesting.

For instance, Silber suggests you consider what he calls "the fishbowl game." Take a copy of your to-do list and cut the paper into pieces, one task per piece. Then, when you have a block of time to move forward (on a Saturday morning, for instance), place all the pieces in a bowl and pick out one at random to start your day. After that task is done, reach into the bowl for the next one.

Another of Silber's ideas is to stage a "pre-sale party." Just as you're launching into home prep, send out invitations to friends for a fest scheduled to occur right before your home is listed.

-- Don't fault yourself for your hectic schedule.

Cramming the calendars of many are longer commutes -- due to mounting traffic congestion -- and more demanding work schedules. Moreover, many boomers face dual responsibilities for the care of both elders and children.

"People in this 'sandwich generation' are hard hit with obligations. They're running to keep up with their children and then their parents get sick, too," Emmett says.

If you're caught in this maelstrom -- and determined to tackle the job of prepping your home for sale -- Emmett suggests you make a list of discretionary activities that could be cut from your schedule, if only temporarily.

"The No. 1 family activity in the United States is shopping. At least until you get your place ready for sale, all that extra shopping simply has to go," she says.

(To contact Ellen James Martin, email her at ellenjamesmartin@gmail.com.)

To most homeowners, the housing market crisis of a decade ago seems like ancient history. Interest rates are low and property values are still rising, albeit at a slower pace compared to recent years. So, there’s little fear of foreclosure.

But if you’re struggling to meet your house payments, perhaps due to a job loss or major medical issue, it’s cold comfort that foreclosure rates across America have fallen to a 10-year low.

“There’s no panic like the panic that hits a family scared the bank will soon take their house away,” says Tom Early, a consumer advocate and longtime real estate broker in Ohio.

If you can’t make your payments, you’ll likely have to move. Yet if you can avert foreclosure by selling your property before it’s taken away, you may be able to cut your losses and protect your credit standing.

“People who are proactive against the threat of foreclosure -- rather than going into denial -- are almost always ahead of the game,” says Early, a past president of the National Association of Exclusive Buyer Agents (naeba.org).

He encourages hurried sellers to hire a seasoned listing agent. Ideally, this would be someone with special training in pre-foreclosure work. Such training is now available through a number of realty firms.

“It’s imperative you interview agents and find someone responsive to your timing needs, who is also skilled at negotiating with buyers,” Early says.

Here are a few pointers for those seeking to sell quickly for any reason:

-- Start by focusing on how your place appears from the street.

When you’re in a hurry to sell, making your home marketable from the exterior is especially important, says Ashley Richardson, an experienced agent for the Long and Foster realty firm in Maryland.

“It’s a cliche, but curb appeal is key because the outside photo of your place will be plastered all over newspaper ads and internet sites. Only if your house looks good in those pictures will people want to see it in person,” she says.

Richardson urges sellers to focus on their front lawn and the greenery that surrounds their home.

-- Cull through clutter, clearing away as much as possible.

Not all home upgrades are expensive. In fact, two of the most powerful steps you can take, cleaning and decluttering, are virtually free.

During the purging process, she recommends sellers remove family photos and other personal mementos, especially those attached to the front of the refrigerator with magnets.

“(I)n the course of less than one week, you can go through a lot of stuff, storing away your extra items in boxes. Anyone looking at your house will understand if you’ve stashed your stuff in the garage in neatly stacked boxes,” Richardson says.

-- Tackle as many paint jobs as possible in your place.

If you’ve lost your job and fear you’ll be unable to meet your house payments in coming months, the odds are you’ve already depleted most of your savings. Even so, you shouldn’t scrimp on paint, one of the lowest-cost home improvement tools available.

“You can get paint by the gallon very inexpensively at a home center store,” says Richardson, adding that most owners are sufficiently skilled to do their own painting.

The first priority for your painting, she says, should be the front door of your place, which is highly visible. Once that’s done, quickly move to the first room inside the front door. Then proceed through the home, painting as many areas as time allows.

“Make sure to focus on the bathrooms and kitchen. Buyers are very insistent these rooms look fresh and clean,” Richardson says.

-- Give yourself a deadline by scheduling an open house.

If you’re like many people, you need a well-defined deadline to complete a project in a timely way. Assuming that’s the case, Richardson recommends you give yourself a hard deadline by scheduling a “broker’s open house” right after your home goes up for sale.

A “broker’s open,” as it’s known, is an event to which real estate agents throughout your area are invited. It’s an effective tool for marketing an attractive property to those most likely to be working with serious buyers. It could be particularly successful if your place is located in a popular neighborhood and has ample parking.

“Once your agent has scheduled a date for your open house and ordered lunch, you’ll have that deadline you need to get focused,” Richardson says.

-- Get sensitive to pricing nuances.

Even if you live in a neighborhood where For Sale signs are numerous, Richardson says a swift and successful sale is possible if your place is in good condition and priced a notch below rival homes.

“These days, most buyers are internet-savvy. Because they roam around the web constantly, buyers can estimate very closely the true worth of any given property. Hence, people who list their place slightly under market value might even prompt multiple bids, which could yield you a better and faster outcome,” she says.

(To contact Ellen James Martin, email her at ellenjamesmartin@gmail.com.)

Upon retirement, many Americans move to a distant locale with a warmer climate. But that could prove a lonely mistake if it means they’re far away from friends and family.

“When you retire, you won’t want to be 10 states away from the people you love or the activities you most enjoy,” says Jen Lara, a seasoned life coach in Maryland who counts many retirees among her clientele.

Before they buy a property in a faraway state or country, she urges retirees to carefully think through their priorities for what’s likely to be the final active chapter of their lives.

“Retirement is the time to do new things you’ve always wanted to do,” says Lara, who’s affiliated with the International Coach Federation (coachfederation.org).

The advantage of working with a trained life coach is that such a person can help you knock down psychological barriers that could needlessly limit your options to shape a rewarding and fulfilling retirement.

“A good life coach can help (people) get beyond these emotional limitations so they can pivot to new ways of living,” Lara says.

Here are a few other pointers for retirees who intend to move:

-- Think about airport access.

Ronald Phipps, a longtime real estate broker in Rhode Island, urges retirees planning a move to factor airport access into their selection of a community. Living within a 50- to 60-mile radius of a major airport typically means cheaper flights and greater ease of travel -- important factors for many retired people.

“Also, your friends and family will probably visit more often if you have good air service,” says Phipps, a former president of the National Association of Realtors (realtor.org).

-- Factor finances into your planning.

Jeffrey Wuorio, a personal finance specialist and author, says many older people underestimate their expected life spans, as well as the financial wherewithal they’ll need to cover their expenses for all the years they’re likely to live.

“Research shows that if you and your spouse have already lived to age 60, at least one of you can expect to live to at least 90. That means you will need substantial savings for a comfortable lifestyle going forward,” says Wuorio, author of “The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Retirement Planning.”

To address the financial element of their retirement planning, he suggests that empty nesters consider selling a large family house to reduce their energy costs, as well as their property tax and upkeep burdens. He says many retirees discover that living in a smaller place is surprisingly pleasant.

-- Plan a lengthy stay in any distant location where you might move.

As Wuorio says, people considering moving to a distant area are wise to spend some time there before buying property in the community. That could help you avoid a costly mistake.

“It’s a great idea to take a vacation to any town where you might buy a home. Or consider taking a temporary rental there before buying,” he says.

One helpful way to learn about a new area is to strike up conversations with local residents, asking about opportunities to pursue your personal interests in the community -- such as boating, hiking or volunteering. You may also want to ask about local educational options, including the chance to take classes or attend lectures at a local college or university.

“Planning your personal activities for retirement is just as important as saving enough money to make your lifestyle viable,” Wuorio says.

-- Consider available health care resources.

In terms of quality medical facilities, Wuorio stresses that most retirees make many more medical visits than do younger adults.

“Make sure there are good clinics and hospitals in your area,” he says.

To whom can you turn to help familiarize you with medical facilities in a distant community where you might move? Clearly, friends or family members already living in the new area could help. But Wuorio suggests you might also wish to connect with area residents who happen to be alumni of the same schools or universities you attended.

-- Don’t rule out buying a smaller place in the same area where you now live.

One potential option for retirement-age homebuyers is to downsize within the same metro area where they have established friendships.

With more time on their hands, many retirees find that friendships have a deeper meaning than before, Wuorio says. And many older people who move to a distant locale for retirement find it hard to make new friends.

“Unless you’re a person who has a knack for making new friends quickly, you could be better off moving within the same area where you now live rather than moving far away -- no matter how good the climate in some dream destination,” he says.

(To contact Ellen James Martin, email her at ellenjamesmartin@gmail.com.)