Ask The Agent.
Richards is an independent Estate Agents in Corfe Mullen, specialising in residential properties for sale and rent as well as property management in Corfe Mullen, Wimborne and the surrounding areas.
Jason Spiers MNAEA, the owner of Richards Estate Agents, has been an agent for over 25 years.
Let us know any
questions you may have about moving and he’ll answer them for you.
Hello Jason,
We want to move house, but the prospect of tackling all the stuff we’ve managed to accumulate over the last 12 years is very off- putting! Is this normal? Mr & Mrs Mandel
Hello Mr & Mrs Mandel,
Very! In fact, I wouldn’t be surprised if the prospect of having to deal with all the accumulated lumber in those ‘put it there and forget about it places’ such as lofts, garages, sheds and elsewhere wasn’t one of the main reasons why so many people change their minds when thinking about moving and decided to stay put instead!
What you’re talking about here is what is now known as ‘de-cluttering’, and in recent years a whole new industry has grown up around it. You can attend de-cluttering workshops, and there are even de- cluttering consultants who – for a fee – will come into your home and give you one-to-one advice on the subject. I do feel that a good, professional estate agent should also give advice on how to deal with all your ‘stuff’ and help you organise the process of de-cluttering.
Needless to say, however, de-cluttering is really just a matter of common sense. A basic rule of thumb is: if you haven’t used something for, say, two years, then you almost certainly never will – so be ruthless,
and get rid of it! Maybe you could make a few pounds that could help towards the moving costs by selling it online (ebay/ gumtree etc).
The bad news about de-
cluttering is that there is no quick fi x – you just have to put in the work! This can be diffi cult to start with – but you’ll be amazed how much easier it becomes after a while. You’ll also quickly discover how good it makes you feel, and you’ll wonder why you ever hung on to so much stuff in the fi rst place. My advice from personal experience is work from the dark to the light! By this I mean start in the loft, then the garage, then the shed and then do one room at a time. If you try and do it all at once it will overwhelm you and you’ll probably get that ‘forget it’ feeling.
But de-cluttering also has very practical benefi ts. Not only does getting rid of a lot of unwanted stuff help make your own move easier, but the sense of space that you create in the process will further increase the buyer appeal of your home. One word of warning, though. Don’t be tempted to simply put things out of sight. That is just shifting the problem, not solving it. A prospective buyer is not going to be very impressed by your beautifully uncluttered kitchen, if he or she is suddenly bombarded by an avalanche of spare saucepan lids and empty jam jars when they open a cupboard!
So, my advice to you is simple: don’t be put off moving by all you’ve accumulated over the years. Get going systematically, start selling stuff online or locate your nearest charity shops, maybe even hire a skip and get started (and don’t forget to be ruthless).
Good luck Jason
Ask The Agent is brought to you by Richards Estate Agents in Corfe Mullen.
If you have a question for Jason, please email:
jason@richardsestateagents.co.uk or feel free to pick up the phone and call us on (01202) 602121.
48 To advertise, please contact 01202 657317 or email
karen@broadstonelink.co.uk
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