Home Organizing Before Selling: How Do I Declutter My Yard?

I was recently asked to contribute an essay about decluttering a yard for the Inspection Support Network's article, Home Organizing Before Selling: Tips from the Experts.

Whether you're getting ready to put your house on the market or just wanting to improve your home's curb appeal for your own pleasure, I hope you'll find some helpful hints here.

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How Do I Declutter My Yard?

Are you getting ready to put your house on the market? Your yard is one of the first things potential buyers will see. Get it organized so they can easily imagine themselves relaxing and enjoying the natural beauty surrounding the home.

Gather everything together: Go around your yard, grabbing every object that’s lying around. Put it all into a big pile.

Sort into categories: Next, figure out what category each item belongs to and group each category. 

Pare down the excess: Yard and garden items are large, so they weigh a lot and take up room on the moving truck, making your move more expensive. Streamline by letting go of anything you don’t need to maintain your yard and that you won’t need in your new home.

Create storage zones: Figure out where to stash everything. When organizing for selling your home, the plan will be to create an uncluttered look that helps buyers see how easy it is to live in your home.
If you have a shed or garage, store most outdoor equipment there. If not, use the back or side wall of the house (somewhere less visible) to establish a streamlined storage area.

Create storage zones based on categories that’ll help you find what you need when needed, but they also create a tidy look that will appeal to home buyers.

• Sports equipment: Store in weather-proof buckets or bins.
• Lawn and gardening tools: Install hanging organizers on the wall, ensuring each item has a spot.
• Lawn and gardening supplies: Sturdy plastic or metal shelving or cabinets will make storing bags of soil, lawn chemicals, and flower pots easy. 
• Grill tools: Keep these clean in a lidded bin that can easily be stored under the grill or brought over to the grill.
• Toy storage: Make sure it’ll be easy for kids to get toys out and put them away.
• Oversized items: Give these their own section, so they don’t block other things and are easy to get in and out of.

​Now that you’ve organized your yard, you’ll have an easier move. And now that your yard is tidy, buyers will be able to focus on the beauty of your home.

Click the button below for more great ideas on how to  organizing your home before selling.

Home Organizing Before Selling: Tips from the Experts