Smart Moves

Record numbers of Americans now run small businesses from home. And many more companies let employees work part- or full-time from their residences. As a result, more people than ever maintain home offices -- and enjoy the convenience.

But what if you want to sell your property? Professional organizers say the untidy appearance of a typical home office makes a place unappealing to potential buyers.

"People can't picture themselves living in your house if it's filled with clutter," says Susan Pinsky, a veteran organizer and author of books on the topic.

Despite the importance of clearing out a home office prior to putting a property on the market, she says many people consider the task a daunting chore.

"It can feel overwhelming," says Pinsky, author of "The Fast and Furious 5 Step Organizing Solution."

Why is it so difficult to keep a home office looking neat?

Pinksy, who works with both business and residential clients, points to a paradox. At a time when vast quantities of information are available instantly on the Internet, many peoples still save many more papers, magazines and books than they need. They also hang on to lots of old technology.

Pierrette Ashcroft, who launched her own home-based organizing company in 2005, says that sifting through paper and book clutter can be the most laborious and time-consuming chore that confronts many home sellers. In fact, she recently struggled with this task herself after deciding to sell her colonial-style house and move to a condo apartment.

Are you a prospective seller who works from home? If so, these pointers could prove helpful:

-- Be ruthless when sifting through papers.

Many people who have home offices are plagued with boxes and bags filled with unsorted papers. These include business reports, computer printouts, junk mail, utility bills, credit card statements and clippings from magazines and newspapers.

Ironically, very few of the papers that people keep have value to their business ventures or careers, according to Ashcroft, whose clients include scientists, doctors and accountants.

"More than 80 percent of the papers that people save are never referred to again," she says.

Moreover, the room designated as a "home office" is often not the only space where business and professional papers mount up.

One of her clients -- a real estate developer -- even had stacks of business documents in the bathrooms of his house.

"Less is always more when it comes to selling your home," says Mark Nash, a real estate broker and author of "1001 Tips for Buying & Selling a Home."

Unfortunately, it can take more time and energy to go through papers than just about any other kind of clutter, he says.

One tactic that can make decision-making faster is to give yourself guidelines as to which items you'll save and which you'll toss. For example, small-business owners might choose to keep all their receipts for tax-deductible expenses -- such as office equipment and supplies -- but throw out those for clothing and food purchases.

-- Scan rather than file many papers.

Many people who work from home struggle to stay organized through the use of extensive filing systems. But Ashcroft says filing all but the most important papers is usually a waste of time and energy.

She urges those who are trying to de-clutter a home office to try to scan many of their documents into their computer rather than trying to store them in filing cabinets.

"I'm practically paper-free in my own home office. I use a rapid scanner and can scan up to 200 papers in two minutes," Ashcroft says.

-- Handle your book collections rationally.

Many people from all types of professional backgrounds maintain bigger libraries that they ever need or use for reference, Ashcroft says.

"People have an emotional attachment to books," she says, noting that bulging bookshelves are often found throughout a home, not only in the home office.

She cites the story of one client, a doctor, who left the medical profession to pursue her passion to become a potter. Even though she never intended to return to medicine, she kept a huge collection of medical books that she never opened.

The problem for bibliophiles preparing to sell their home is that shelves crammed with books make a property seem less appealing to buyers. What's more, it can be costly to pay a moving company to transport your books --especially if you're making a long distance move.

Ashcroft says home sellers with substantial book collections are wise to go through them before their property goes on the market -- dispensing with any tomes they no longer use or treasure. Remember, too, that many books can now be quickly and easily downloaded onto an e-reader.

-- Resolve to avoid taking your bad habits with you to your next home.

Ashcroft has worked with a number of clients who failed to complete the hard work of going through papers and files before selling a home. Instead, they simply packed them in boxes and stashed them in their garage.

It's better to box up and remove superfluous belongings than to leave them in the main living area of a property. But failing to cull through them in advance merely postpones the problem rather than resolving it, Ashcroft says.

Assuming time allows, Ashcroft recommends that home sellers weed through all their paper and technology accumulations in advance of a move, thereby giving them a fresh start.

"It's so much easier to pare down your clutter before changing houses. And you'll probably have a more successful sale," she says.

(To contact Ellen James Martin, email her at ellenjamesmartin@gmail.com.)

These days it's not an uncommon conundrum: A woman who owns a home of her own becomes engaged to a man who also possesses a property. Once wed, they suddenly face perplexing questions -- Should they sell one house and move to the other? Or should they sell both and move to a third?

To those struggling to buy a first home, this situation sounds like an embarrassment of riches. Yet those in the throes of it often feel differently.

"In reality, this can be a very tough problem because there are so many financial and emotional factors to consider," says Kevin O'Reilly, a certified financial planner affiliated with the Garrett Planning Network (www.garrettplanningnetwork.com).

O'Reilly says it can be especially hard for couples to resolve the two-house challenge if one of the partners was married previously and still lives in a home once shared with an ex-spouse.

"It can cast a massive shadow around a new marriage," he says.

O'Reilly tells the true story of a couple of clients who searched for a resolution for nearly two years after they wed.

This 30-something couple, both professionals, came to the marriage with two mid-sized suburban houses. The husband, whose two teenagers from his former marriage lived with him, argued for his place because it was located near his kids' high school. But the wife resisted the idea of moving to a home where the ex-wife had lived.

It took five sessions with their financial planner before the couple decided to rent out the wife's property and live in the man's house -- though only until his kids complete high school. After that, they expect to sell both houses and buy a brand-new place.

Such complicated problems are becoming increasingly common due to later-in-life marriages and the reality that more young adults now spend years pursuing their education and careers before tying the knot, marriage expert Elizabeth Marquardt says.

Here are pointers for two-house couples who are newly married:

-- Share your thoughts on housing with your new spouse.

These days, an increasing number of people who marry have had years of independent living. Because of that, it's all the more important that they listen to each other when making joint decisions.

Before making any major housing decisions, O'Reilly recommends that couples write out a list of their personal priorities. For instance, the husband might place a premium on a two-car garage and a short commute. But the wife might value living in a large suburban property.

"It's always better to write down your thoughts rather than just tossing ideas in the air. Writing things out forces you to think things through," O'Reilly says.

If a deadlock develops, the couple might consider consulting a financial planner or an accountant for some third-party objectivity. An adviser may be able to help spur the conversation to a breakthrough that works for both husband and wife.

-- Open your mind to other housing alternatives.

Those remarrying after their children are grown typically have more housing alternatives than do those still raising young children. They don't need to worry about access to quality schools or nearby athletic fields.

"Once your children are grown, your needs change. One person might want to move to the country and raise horses. The other might want to live in a condo in the city," says Dorcas Helfant, former president of the National Association of Realtors (www.realtor.org.)

One way to address the subject of where to live, Helfant says, is to visualize your ideal free time. For example, on a Saturday would you rather tend roses or attend a jazz festival?

By listing your preferred activities, you'll bring into focus the kind of location and property that would best suit you and your spouse in coming years.

-- Factor financial realities into your planning.

In the wake of the economic downturn, many residential properties are "underwater," meaning more is owed on the mortgage than the home is worth. Although property values are again rising in many parts of the country, a large number of homeowners have yet to regain the ground they lost.

Should a two-home couple hang onto an underwater property and rent it out in hopes it will soon recover value? Or should they let it go now? According to O'Reilly, that depends on several key variables.

"The main factors to consider are how underwater your home is and the economics of renting in your area. Remember there's always an element of risk in renting -- if your tenants don't pay in a timely way or if they damage the house," he says.

-- Consider selling both of your homes and buying a new place together.

For many people launching into a new relationship, the idea of selling both their homes and starting fresh with a different place has tremendous appeal, according to O'Reilly.

"Financial factors aren't everything for couples. There's also a strong emotional dimension to any housing decision. So buying a place where neither of you have lived before might be your best possible choice," he says.

(To contact Ellen James Martin, email her at ellenjamesmartin@gmail.com.)

A widow in her late 80s had lived in her classic colonial for more than 40 years before resolving to move to an assisted-living residence in another state. One day her grown children arrived with a truck to take her and her basic furniture -- a bed, dresser and kitchen table -- to the new apartment.

Happily resettled, she phoned her listing agent, Ashley Richardson, to say her house was ready to sell. But when Richardson arrived, she was startled by what she found.

"The house was a disaster -- in truly terrible condition, and filled with junk. Buyers could never see past all that stuff to picture themselves living there. The place was simply unsalable until it could be cleaned up," she says.

Every room was crammed with dusty accumulations, including books, magazines, clothes, bedding and knick-knacks. And the kitchen counters were laden with many small appliances, among them blenders, coffeepots and mixers.

After a major weekend cleaning by the family removed 45 bags of junk, the house sold quickly, attracting four competing offers and fetching nearly the full asking price.

The moral of this true story? Through teamwork, focus and diligence, even a heavily cluttered home can be cleared out relatively quickly. And the reward for all that hard work can often translate to a speedy sale and more money in the bank.

Mark Nash, author of "1001 Tips for Buying and Selling a Home," says the removal of clutter is the most important step sellers can take to ready their home for market.

"(Buyers) can't fall in love with your house if it's filled with junk," says Nash, a veteran real estate broker.

Here are a few pointers for home sellers:

-- Take an inventory of your accumulations.

Sellers who do a thorough assessment of their clutter problem tend to be more efficient in solving it, Nash says.

To help you evaluate the nature and scope of your problem, he suggests you ask your listing agent to come over with a clipboard or notebook. Together, list the furnishings and other belongings that should be removed before your house is shown to prospects.

"One woman I know saved every birthday card and gift her husband sent her during 30 years of marriage, along with her daughter's crib and all the dresses she'd worn as a child. Other people save drawers and cabinets full of souvenirs from every vacation," Nash says.

Hard as it is, Nash says most sellers must face the necessity of reducing their collections of memorabilia.

-- Formulate an action plan.

Instead of proceeding on a random course, those who are efficient at preparing a home for sale follow an overall plan.

As an initial step, Nash recommends you plot the available space in your new property before deciding what to take with you. To do an accurate estimate, buy graph paper and plot the floor plan and storage space you'll have in the next home.

-- Take a systematic approach to sorting your stuff.

In the beginning, Nash recommends you sort like items -- such as candles, light bulbs or rolls of wrapping paper -- in one place.

"When people go through their houses, they realize they have a lot of 'rampant duplication' -- everything from flashlights to batteries to clothespins. When you discover you have way too much, it's easier to edit your collections," he says.

As you sort by category, Nash recommends you use a "three-box" system. One box should be labeled "keep," a second "give away or sell," and a third, "I don't know."

To ensure you keep up your momentum, make immediate arrangements to have your "give away" items removed quickly. Doing that will yield you more time to go through the things in your "I don't know" box, which require additional scrutiny.

"You don't want to second-guess yourself on what to keep. It's the decision-making process that gets people paralyzed. Making decisions is easier if you have fewer things to look at," Nash says.

-- Reach the end-point of your work by calling in reinforcements.

Even for organized people, culling through a house full of belongings can prove a difficult and emotionally tiring process, especially if they've lived in their home for a long time and have many attachments. Nash encourages such beleaguered home sellers to seek the help of friends, neighbors or family members.

"It's not ideal for relatives to help. They're not objective and could start reminiscing along with you. That might take you off on tangents and slow you down," he says.

If there's no one in your circle you're willing to ask for assistance, Nash recommends you run an ad to find reasonably priced help. In many cases, high school or college students are eager for this work to earn spare cash.

"Students are very good for the grunt part of the job. And their sheer presence should help keep you going at a good rate of speed," he says.

(To contact Ellen James Martin, email her at ellenjamesmartin@gmail.com.)