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Crunch, Crunch, Crunch

March 21st, 2015 at 03:01 am

It's crunch time...We are on a timeline and I think I'm going crazy. I met with 3 painters and 2 tilers today. My thoughts are we start painting March 30 or 31st. That will give us a little over a week to get cleared out a bunch of stuff. I found a storage place yesterday but we haven't started putting things in it yet.

I am struggling because my DH isn't ready to put stuff away. He thinks we should instead focus on donating and organizing. My thoughts are we put into storage the low hanging fruit of things we know we are keeping but don't need, ie my kids books. We borrow enough from the library they can live without their books. We go more than 1x/week.

This will free up tons of shelf space and tons of space period. Then we can cull through what toys to keep and what to sell or donate. That in turn will clear up space for us to work on organizing and donating.

Today I already did my first goodwill run and donated 2 bags. I lined up someone to take away for free an old pack and play and infant car seat. I also listed my maclaren double stroller and a few other items. And I donated 2 boxes of stuff to the YMCA.

I'm seriously crunching on cleaning, but I feel like my DH is dawdling on trying to "organize" rather than just accept that the more we get out the easier it'll be. It'll give us more space to work with and analyze what we can keep or not.

I've been told we should use a professional stager. Already we are paying for painters since we don't have time or energy to paint. For what I'd pay a sitter to watch my kids while I paint makes it not worth it at $30/hr then I'd still have to paint!

Do you think a professional stager worth it?

10 Responses to “Crunch, Crunch, Crunch”

  1. creditcardfree Says:
    1426907528

    Yes, I think a professional stager can be worth it. I have never used one. However, I keep a pretty tidy and clutter free home. Our upcoming realtor hires a professional stager for us...so I'm taking her up on it! However, if the market is really hot and your home shows as clean, uncluttered and neutral you probably don't NEED a stager. They aren't too expensive I don't think.

    YOU are correct...the less stuff you have in your home the easier it is to organize...or it just looks organized because you don't have much. I hope those painters can fit into your schedule!

  2. Another Reader Says:
    1426909000

    Agents here often include the staging as an incentive to use them, but houses here are all over $1MM and even discounted commissions are quite large.

    You live in a townhouse with some drawbacks. A good stager will emphasize the positive aspects of the space and minimize the negatives. Also, they will tell you which pieces to store and which to keep in the house. My opinion is they do add value.

    A professional paint job will look better. A thorough cleaning by professionals, including windows inside and out might be worth the cost as well.

    I'm sure you can compromise on packing stuff up and getting it into storage, especially if everything that goes to storage will get moved. You do have a time crunch, as you need to get the property on the market ASAP. More lead time would argue for DH's approach.

  3. bluesfemme Says:
    1426927225

    Do you know the aspirational living dreams of people in the market for your condo? If so, along with clutter free, freshly painted, and no more to do, I don't believe a stager is necessary. We're in a buyer's market according to the experts, but listed and sold in one day for over asking last month. We reeled them in :-) Happy to send link if you're wanting further inspiration.
    We also knew the local market extremely well - attended local home opens for 6 weeks, met with agents, crunched listing and final sales figures and days on market per agent for the past 5 months. Only having one open was such a relief!

  4. LivingAlmostLarge Says:
    1426940353

    Please send along the link bluefemme

    We are getting a professional painter in. And we have cleaners and I'm having them do a spring clean and telling them to do it way more than usual. I'm going to have the windows done as well.

  5. snafu Says:
    1426941209

    It's a lot of work to move stuff you may not keep to storage, and it's ghastly expensive to move stuff across the country only to discover you don't use, don't need or have sufficient space for it all. Since books weigh a lot and are easily bought used on-line, you might sell all but the few that are re-read often. It's important to de-personalize your condo. Better not to diplay religious artifacts, family photos, employment or ethnicity indicators.

    Before hiring a professional stager, I suggest you de-clutter to regift, sell, donate or trash the stuff you no longer use, need, love and enjoy by reviewing each shelf, drawer, cabinet in every room, nook and cranny. For once-a-year items consider if it would be more practical to buy gently used in your new local. That process reduces packing, unpacking and finding a new spot to address 'a place for everything and everything in it's place' challenge.

    It helps buyers if every room has a clearly defined purpose. If a room has more than one role try to create a 2/3 : 1/3 ratio. For example, if a home office is also a guest bedrm, it helps to make the bed the focus of the room with nice accoutrements, and use no more than 1/3 the space for home office with desk top holding only laptop or keyboard, paper tray and pencil holder type items. A file cabinet can double as a bedside table if you artfully drape a sheet overtop.

    Not everyone has small children so it can be helpful to neutralize the decor in tykes bedrms by not displaying stuffed toys and the really cute items we love to use Real Estate agents keep telling us that kitchens and bathrms are the two area that sway buyer's to reject a property or make an offer. No drawer or cupboard can look full or crowded. Kitchen counters usually hold a coffee machine, KitchenAid mixer, and crock near stove top holding non electric utensils. Internet has lists of how to designate cupboards. It's often recommended that items used for take away lunches go in drawer or shelf adjacent to fridge, pots & pans in bottom drawer of electric stove or adjacent cupboard, tableware in the cupboard nearest the table or nearest the DW etc.

    Keep tub/shower area clear of products unless you decant them into restaurant type squeeze bottles [be sure to label each] and create a nice display. We kept our nicest set of towels on display in the various bathrms and hung the towels in actual use on the hooks on the back of the bathrm door. It pays to keep a jug of vinegar in the vanity cupboard and poured a cupful in the commode every night to keep the porcelain spotless.

    sorry so long winded

  6. LivingAlmostLarge Says:
    1426948332

    nope great tips snafu. We are clearing all surfaces and moving our office/guest room into a total bedroom. All kids toys are being cleared out. We have to discuss the books, honestly it'll cost more to replace than than to keep. But it depends on the moving fees.

    today I am donating all clothes I didn't wear over the winter. There is no point so I'm streamlining clothes. I'm telling my DH the same. I hope to clear out half the kids clothes and donate all really worn and used clothes. After two kids some stuff needs to go but at the time we just dumped it into boxes and forgot about it.

  7. creditcardfree Says:
    1426949822

    Definitely wise to get rid of the stuff you didn't use in the last year...there are always exceptions, but it is a good guideline. I would also agree that getting rid of stuff should be done BEFORE deciding if moving to temp storage is worth the time and effort. After you purge it may look just fine and extra storage wouldn't be needed. Smile

  8. bluesfemme Says:
    1426957482

    We're still donating goods, with just three days before moving! I'm nowhere near as good as you CCF, and I still have too much stuff, but a combination of in-house storage, a full but orderly garage and a small storage locker got us through LAL. www.realestate.com.au/property-house-wa-kinross-118953235

  9. LivingAlmostLarge Says:
    1426983717

    We need a storage locker we don't have space for everything. No closet space, those victorians just didn't have stuff. LOL. But seriously I think a 5x5 would be enough but we decided that would cost $122 for 3 months ($40/month with 1st month half off + $22 admin fee) versus $170 for 3 months ($74/month with 1 month free and $22 admin) for a 5x10 locker.

    We also starting looking at our furniture and decided since we are paying to move ourselves (previously we had a company relocation package) that a lot of furniture needs to be sold. It's not worth the value of moving it.

  10. CB in the City Says:
    1427130162

    I agree you don't need a stager if your home is clean and organized. I think the people who really need a stager are the ones who hang onto clutter and can't see it. I staged my own home by cleaning everything out and purchasing a few things like lamps, pillows, and spreads to make it pretty. I sold my house in four days! Of course, that was prior to 2008.

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