All across America, families with school-age kids are at wits’ end. Classes are on and off with little notice. More people are home more of the time. After many hours in crowded quarters, some parents are plotting a move to a bigger house.
“Behold, trade-up plans are now front and center for families who want better home office space, more privacy and a much larger kitchen,” says Dorcas Helfant, who co-owns several Coldwell Banker realty offices.
For most pandemic-weary homeowners, the urge to upsize requires they first prepare their current property for sale -- a difficult undertaking at a time when so many family members are surrounded by a growing collection of personal possessions.
“During COVID, people have been on a feel-good buying binge ... (that has) compounded the clutter they must clear before their property can go on the market,” says Helfant, a past president of the National Association of Realtors (nar.realtor).
Still, more homeowners are determined to take on the challenge of selling to help actualize their moving plans in 2022, says Glenn Kelman, CEO of Redfin, the national real estate company. Such sellers include both seniors and upsizing families.
“We’ve done an unusual number of consultations coming into this homebuying season with people who want to prepare their homes to list,” Kelman says.
The positive news for families trying to trade up from a modest house is that there’s strong pent-up demand for entry-level property and a severe shortage of supply in this segment of the housing market.
“We’re expecting to see more inventory for the first time in a year,” Kelman says.
Martha Webb, who’s trained real estate pros on home staging since 1988, says that in all markets sellers are well rewarded for clearing out superfluous household items.
Nobody wants to buy your chaos when they buy a house,” says Webb, author of “Dress Your House for Success” and a DVD by the same name.
Nancy Meck, a professional organizer who’s helped hundreds of people sort through excess belongings in preparation for a move, says it’s actually helpful to have more family members home when embarking on a decluttering project.
“But for every member of the family, you have to set realistic expectations and work to each person’s strengths. All the family members have to stay in their own lanes and not stress each other out,” says Meck, whose blogs offer extensive advice on her website: meckorganizing.com.
Even though time at home is now more plentiful, she urges sellers to avoid putting unnecessary pressure on themselves to push through the process quickly, because rushing can easily lead to burnout.
Here are a few other pointers for those hoping to sell and upsize:
-- Ease your project with a creative approach.
Stephanie Calahan, an independent productivity consultant, recommends preparing a comprehensive written plan that takes a systematic 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 effort, the flashlight allows you to focus mentally on just 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 kitchen timer, see if you can “beat the clock.”
-- Take on the clothes that fill your closets.
One of the most time-consuming chores involved in decluttering involves what organizers call “editing your wardrobe.” Because this in an elaborate process, Meck suggests you start by pondering your wardrobe priorities before getting started. Then break down the job into one-hour segments, with breaks in between.
On her website, Meck suggests a 10-step plan for slimming down crowded clothes closets. She stresses the importance of thinking realistically about your wardrobe needs for perhaps a one-year period.
“Think about the activities you do in your current life -- not your fantasy life when you ‘take up’ gardening, register for a half-marathon or start going to concerts again,” she says.
Many homebound family members are now spending many daytime hours in comfortable exercise-style clothes. Yet they need to retain some less informal attire for future use. But Meck cautions against keeping too much volume.
“After writing down your activities, think of how many of each item (T-shirts, jeans, slacks, blouse/shirt, suit, dress, etc.) for each category that you’ll really use in a given year,” she says.
-- Blend music into your work.
Regardless of your tastes, the use of music can enliven your project. Consider the kind of energizing music used, for example, in dance or spinning classes.
“Anything that gets rhythm going adds momentum,” Calahan says.
She recommends you consider selections from a series of books and audio collections by the late musicologist Don Campbell, known as “The Mozart Effect” (mozarteffect.com).
-- Look into a virtual session with a professional organizer.
Even motivated families can find it challenging to mobilize for a home sale without the assistance of a specialist in the field. These days, professional organizers are offering online consultations for home-based owners planning to move.
One way to identify an experienced professional organizer is through referrals from family, friends or co-workers. Another way is through the website of the National Association of Productivity and Organizing Professionals (napo.net).
“Even if you plan to do all the work yourself, a pro in the organizational field can help give you a jump start,” Meck says.
(To contact Ellen James Martin, email her at ellenjamesmartin@gmail.com.)