Coordinating Decluttering and/or Junk Removal Services
The reality is, we all accumulate a lot of stuff. And the longer you’ve owned a property, the more stuff you accumulate.
The two most common decluttering scenarios I’ve seen are A) Downsizers - i.e. you’ve owned your primary residence for a long time and you are downsizing, OR B) You’ve owned a multi-family property for a long while. Let’s dig into each of these scenarios:
Scenario 1: Downsizers moving out of Cambridge, Somerville or Medford
If you are a downsizer, here’s how it usually goes. You’ve been in your home for a decade plus. Over the years you keep adding stuff and adding stuff and you get to a point where the home is just loaded with things. There’s stuff in the basement, stuff in the common areas, the closets are loaded to the brim and frankly it’s overwhelming.
You’re at a point where you’re ready to move, but all the STUFF has you blocked and you’re unsure of what to do next.
That’s where I come in. I have relationships with great vendors that specialize in dealing with these precise scenarios.
They will take a daunting task that feels like a multi-month project and frequently condense it down to 1 day or a weekend at most. They’ll help you take your stuff and put it into three piles - trash, give away, and keep.
With great efficiency and with zero pressure, they’ll help you figure out what to do with all your stuff.
This process is important for multiple reasons. First and foremost, it’s a must-do; you simply cannot move until this process happens. And if you are reading this, you are at least thinking about moving at some point in the not too distant future.
The second reason this process is important is it will help position your property in the best possible light. When buyers cannot see common areas or closest space or basements they have a tougher time imagining themselves in your home. And that is the goal - you want as many people as possible to envision an ideal future living in your home (as weird as that sounds).
So declutter and give buyers the space to breathe and imagine. As a result, you will see a significant increase in the level of buyer interest.
Scenario 2: Multi-family owners
The second flavor of decluttering that I often see is typically needed after a purchase and sale agreement is signed but before closing.
If you’ve owned a multi-family for a decade plus, there’s a good chance you can relate to this scenario:
A tenant moves in and asks if they can use the basement for storage for their bike and one or two small things. Then they end their lease a year later and leave the one or two small things. Rinse and repeat many times over and 2-3 decades later you are left with a basement loaded up with stuff from 1988 to present time.
It’s an absolute mess and you don’t know where to begin or what you can expect in terms of cost and time to solve the issue.
Again, that’s where I come in. I typically coordinate the entire process (with your sign-off of course). I work closely with vendors that specialize in junk removal at great prices, so I can make sure you get a clear quote and the task done quickly. You’ll be able to avoid weeks of researching and navigating unclear pricing expectations on your own.
Why is this important? Many investor buyers will add language in the purchase and sale contract which requires you to deliver the basement vacant. If you don’t do that, they could threaten to pull out of the transaction OR push for a holdback of funds until the basement can be delivered vacant.
If you have lots of stuff in your basement or you’re feeling overwhelmed, reach out to me and I am happy to provide a free consultation at your convenience!