Real estate specialists observe a striking difference between the mobility patterns of young adults and those of their aging parents.

“Untethered from family and enticed by new job opportunities, young adults are more mobile today than they have been over the past nearly 60 years,” says Sarah Mikhitarian, a senior economist at Zillow, which tracks housing markets throughout the country.

She says “evolving workplace norms” have reduced the length of time that young adults spend in any given job. For those who own their homes, that typically also means a shorter ownership tenure.

Martha Webb, a home-selling expert and author of “Dress Your House for Success,” says that in terms of clutter, the younger and the older generations accumulate different types of belongings.

“Young adults live more casually and own more technology, including the latest gadgets. They also have a lot of activity gear; for instance, they might have multiple bikes. In contrast, older home sellers have more memorabilia and collections they’ve hung on to for years,” Webb says.

But sellers from all generations share one thing in common. They face the laborious issue of decluttering their home to make it appealing to buyers. Any sellers who fail to clear their property usually suffer a financial penalty.

“A cluttered house doesn’t sell well because it feels chaotic, and buyers don’t want your chaos. They can create their own chaos,” says Webb, a real estate agent in Minnesota who specializes in luxury home sales.

Are you selling a home in the near future and feel intimidated by the volume of decluttering you must do? If so, these few pointers could prove helpful:

-- Consider throwing a party to affirm your clutter-busting project.

Stephanie Calahan, a longtime professional organizer, says the decluttering process can be more tolerable if it incorporates occasional amusement.

Calahan tells of one former client, an insurance company manager, whose many boxes of unsorted personal papers included countless old paid bills, medical statements and nearly every greeting card she’d ever received. After several weeks of tedious sorting, she announced a celebratory party to reward herself.

“Eight of my client’s friends came over for what we call a ‘shredding party.’ She asked each friend to bring along a paper shredder. She served wine and brunch and then everyone helped shred her excess papers. It was so much fun that later all her friends had their own shredding parties,” Calahan recalls.

-- Hasten your campaign with creative ideas.

Professional organizers routinely advise those involved in decluttering to take a break every few hours. That helps prevent the beleaguered feeling that comes from trying to take on a big job all at once.

Calahan recommends preparing a comprehensive written plan that spells out a step-by-step approach. Or you could start with a single part of one room, using a flashlight to define how large an area you’ll tackle at a given time.

“In the midst of a big decluttering project, the flashlight allows you to focus mentally on a single area,” she says.

Once your units of work have been defined, Calahan suggests you allocate a fixed amount of time to declutter each area and then, with the help of a stopwatch, see if you can “beat the clock.”

“Of course, what’s fun for one person may not be for another. ‘Beat-the-clock’ might not work for you, but another game you invent could do the trick. So be creative,” Calahan says.

-- Infuse your work with motivating music.

No matter your musical taste, the use of music during an organizational project can help enliven your spirit and increase the intensity of your work. Compare this with the impact music has during, say, an aerobic dance class.

“Anything that gets rhythm going adds momentum,” Calahan says.

Though popular music is most often played in a fitness center or gym, classical music may be the most appropriate for decluttering, she says. For her, Mozart is a favorite.

Calahan takes special note of a series of books and audio collections by the late musicologist Don Campbell, known as “The Mozart Effect.” He sought to classify the composer’s work in terms of what it awakens in listeners. She recommends Campbell’s CD compilation Volume 4, “Focus & Clarity."

-- Think about doing a clutter-busting blitz if time is short.

If your house is too messy or disorganized for you to tackle, professional organizer Vicki Norris (restoringorder.com) suggests adding extra hands to the task and then conducting an all-out blitz. Many organizing firms can mobilize a team on short notice. You can find one in your area through the National Association of Productivity and Organizing Professionals (napo.net).

Alternatively, you may be able to recruit a team of friends or relatives to help you. Whether you hire organizers or seek out volunteers, Norris says you should bring in no more than four to five people and designate a leader.

"The only difference with a blitz is that you blast through the house faster. This is basically decluttering on steroids,” Norris says.

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

It was a few weeks before Thanksgiving that a couple in their 30s were offered better jobs. Though they were pleased with the offers, there was just one catch. The new jobs, which started the following January, required a move out of state. That meant their bungalow would have to go on the market during the challenging holiday season.

But the couple, parents to two preschoolers, embraced the challenge. They immediately began prepping their place for sale, tailoring their marketing plan to fit the season.

“They didn’t try to fight the season or push for too high a price. Instead, they accepted the holidays as a positive for their sale,” says Ashley Richardson, a longtime real estate agent affiliated with the Residential Real Estate Council (crs.com).

Richardson, who represented the sellers in this true story, says tasteful holiday decor can enhance a property’s appeal by giving it a warm and welcoming feel. On her advice, the couple put up the family Christmas tree as soon as showings began, several days before Thanksgiving. What’s more, they followed her recommendation and priced their place slightly below what it would have fetched during the more active spring or summer selling seasons.

The couple’s marketing plan, which included cosmetic upgrades, worked out well and their property sold at list price weeks before they had to move out of state.

Do you have a compelling need to sell during the holiday season? If so, these few pointers could prove useful:

-- Accept the advice of pros in the real estate field.

Sid Davis, author of “A Survival Guide to Selling a Home,” points out that those facing an involuntary home sale during the emotionally fraught holiday season are especially likely to challenge the counsel of the listing agent they hire. Often, they want to set a higher price for the property than their agent recommends, on the basis that they can “test the market."They’re also inclined to question the need to spend for pre-sale home improvements, such as painting or carpet replacement.

“Clients often battle their agents. They don’t like the message, so they blame the messenger. This causes lots of conflict and needless delays,” Davis says.

But those who face a compelling need to sell should try to avoid such conflicts, he says. The best way to do so is to carefully select a listing agent they trust to give you the best possible advice on your sale.

“Look for an agent who is thoroughly familiar with property values in your area. Try to find someone who’s sold homes there for at least two to three years. Also, ask for references and then question former clients about whether the agent’s advice proved sound,” Davis says.

-- Manage your time skillfully during the busy holiday season.

Many people are usually busy in December, when holiday-related activities crowd their already hectic schedules. But because home-sale preparations can eat up many hours, Davis suggests that sellers on a tight deadline consider simplifying some of their holiday social plans.

“You’re going to have to triage. Over the long run, it’s probably a lot better for your pocketbook to put your heart and soul into selling rather that expending all that energy on fancy holiday arrangements,” Davis says.

-- Don’t forgo holiday decor.

For many homeowners, one plus to showing their property during the holidays is that it should look especially attractive, assuming it’s tastefully decorated.

“Go ahead and put up lights and bring in holly and evergreen bows, if that’s what you normally do. You can also use a Christmas tree if you’d like, but don’t get so big a one that it makes your place seem crowded,” Davis says.

-- Make sure your home is accessible as long as it’s on the market.

These days, many prospective homebuyers, especially those with an urgent need to move due to a long-distance job change, are able to wrap up their property search quickly because they pre-screened property on the Internet.

“Most people are really web-savvy now. Before making a property tour in a new area, they’ve already done an extensive review of the available homes via the computer. Because of that, they land with their boots on as soon as they hit town and often do a very compressed home search,” Davis says.

What does this mean for holiday season home sellers? Davis says this makes it imperative that your home be available for showings every day and that you don’t let holiday activities block access to potential buyers who may be home shopping for just two or three days.

“A big penalty is inflicted on those who refuse to let prospects into their home when it’s inconvenient. You’ve got to keep your home especially accessible during December or risk missing some of the most eager buyers of the year -- people who have to make a job move in January,” Davis says.

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

Housing analysts theorize that millennials -- people born between 1981 and 1996 -- have turned their backs on suburbia. It’s true that many in this generation would choose a smaller, older house in a vital city neighborhood over an oversized manse in suburbia.

But recent statistics show that large, newly built suburban houses remain a favorite among a subgroup of this age cohort. Especially eager to buy new in suburbia are those now in their early 30s who’ve already started families or intend to do so soon.

For home builders, this eagerness is translating to an upsurge in orders in recent months.

“(A)ttractive mortgage rates are contributing to positive builder outlook,” says Robert Dietz, chief economist at the Washington, D.C.-based National Association of Home Builders (nahb.org).

Are you interested in buying a new house in a suburban enclave? If so, these pointers could prove helpful:

-- Seek a neighborhood where property values are likely sustainable.

James W. Hughes, an expert on housing demographics, says that in the event of an economic downturn, the real estate recovery will come earliest in areas long popular with families who have school-age children, a large segment of the suburban home-buying market.

This principle was evident in the aftermath of the housing downturn that hit the nation around 2008. The first neighborhoods to bounce back were those that remained popular throughout the recessionary period, says Hughes, a professor at Rutgers University in New Jersey.

-- Avoid neighborhoods that are logistically challenged.

For years, many families seeking very large homes have been willing to accept lengthy commutes so they could enjoy the benefits of extra living space and a big yard. Prices per square feet of living space tend to be lowest in distant suburbs. The idea, real estate agents say, is to “drive until you qualify.”

But as Hughes says, mounting traffic congestion has caused many homebuyers to question the desirability of living in an outer suburb.

Perhaps you’re willing to endure a long commute. Still, for work/life balance in the long run, Hughes advises against buying a house that’s more than a 30-minute drive from an employment center where the economy is relatively steadfast. Those who choose a closer-in suburb also stand a better chance of selling well when it’s their turn to move.

-- Pick a neighborhood with an excellent elementary school.

Much has been made of the power of strong neighborhood schools to hold up real estate values over the long run. Hughes endorses this view and says a top-rated elementary school is especially important.

“Even more than the middle or high school, an excellent elementary is something families seek out when they’re moving,” he says.

How can you be sure the house you purchase will be served by a high-performing elementary? Real estate agents are reluctant to characterize schools with descriptive adjectives. But they can quickly assemble reams of statistics, such as test scores, that will let you compare one school to another. Or you can find these data yourself by going to the local school system’s website.

-- Search for a solidly built house.

Abraham Tieh, a longtime Texas real estate broker, says there’s no reason to accept second-class construction when you choose your new suburban house. But how can you identify subdivisions where the builders took extra care? One way is to closely examine the interior detailing in a house as one indication of its construction quality.

“You can’t see behind the walls of a house that’s already built. However, you can see if the cabinetry and wood trim were well-finished. Also, you can judge whether the builder used long-lasting roofing materials or the cheapest available shingles,” says Tieh, a past president of the National Association of Exclusive Buyer Agents (naeba.org).

To further assess construction quality, he recommends you go door-to-door in any subdivision you’re considering to ask questions of residents.

“People already living in the neighborhood will tell you straight out if there have been lots of problems with the builder or if major construction flaws have surfaced,” Tieh says.

While you’re at it, he says you should survey the neighbors on the energy efficiency of their homes. For instance, ask them how much they must typically pay monthly for gas and electric service and whether their homes were outfitted with airtight, energy-efficient windows.

-- Make sure you have solid reasons for seeking an oversized property.

Families with young children typically favor large houses because of all the advantages they offer in terms of lifestyle.

“They want loads of bedrooms, bathrooms, walk-in closets, a game room for the kids and a country kitchen where everyone can hang out,” Tieh says.

Hughes says it’s only a minority of young buyers who are willing to accept a property in the suburbs in exchange for extra space. But if you’re among them, you can probably count on the appreciation potential of your large property, so long as it’s solidly built and not too far from a town or city center.

“A segment of the population will always prefer big houses, just as they’ll prefer big cars if they can afford them," he says.

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