Smart Moves

A semi-retired doctor in his early 60s relishes his architect-designed contemporary house surrounded by splendid gardens and water features.

Yet despite his devotion to the property, the doctor has decided to sell -- and for a happy reason. Come this June, he will remarry and move in with his new wife, in her neo-Georgian in another city. That means he must clear out his current property to ready it for showings.

“I never imagined leaving my private castle. This was supposed to be my forever house. But here I am, needing to let go of my serene sanctuary for the next chapter of my life. And I have to do it on a short timetable, ahead of my wedding,” he says.

Mark Nash, a longtime real estate analyst and broker, doesn’t know the doctor in this true story. But he says the man’s brief timetable should work to his advantage as he faces the considerable challenges of clearing through decades’ worth of possessions.

“Many older homeowners spend months and years sifting through their belongings. Retirees especially may focus on these decluttering tasks endlessly. But they gain little momentum until they face a deadline,” Nash says.

The doctor is a case in point. His living room is jam-packed with CDs and DVDs, along with seemingly countless framed photos of his grown children and now toddler-aged grandchildren. There are also lots of pictures of his two cherished cats and a long-deceased terrier.

Meanwhile, the doctor’s kitchen cabinets are overfilled with dishware, some of it inherited heirlooms. His pantry has more such collections, along with an abundance of canned delicacies and bottles of liquor collected from trips abroad. Yet the most challenging task he faces involves the need to purge the excess from his home office.

“For retiring professionals and remote workers, books, papers and documents represent a formidable and time-consuming challenge, because they must be dealt with one-by-one and can’t be discarded wholesale,” Nash says.

Professional organizers, such as Susan Pinksy, author of “The Fast and Furious 5 Step Organizing Solution,” say many sellers who operate a home-based business find the chore of decluttering especially intimidating.

“They have to figure out how to keep the company running while the house is on the market, which is extremely hard,” Pinsky says.

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

Pinksy, who’s long worked with both business and residential clients, points to a paradox. At a time when vast quantities of information are available instantly via the internet, many people still save more papers, magazines and books than they need. They also hang on to lots of old technology -- including office equipment no longer in use.

Are you a wannabe seller with an urgent need to clear your home office? If so, these pointers could prove helpful:

-- Uplift paper culling to a priority.

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.

Very few of the papers that people keep have value to their business ventures or careers, says Pierrette Ashcroft, a productivity consultant who operates her own home-based business.

“More than 80% of the papers people save are never referred to again,” she says.

The problem for sellers is that any kind of clutter, including papers, makes a home look untidy. That can cause visitors to conclude the house has more problems than meet the eye, says Nash, author of “1001 Tips for Buying & Selling a Home.”

“Less is always more when it comes to selling your home,” Nash says.

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

“You can’t just throw it all out because that box filled with junk mail might also hold your passport or the deed to your house,” he says.

-- Consider a scanner to help store papers electronically, rather than filing cabinets.

Many people who maintain home offices attempt to stay organized via extensive filing systems. But Ashcroft says that filing all but the most important papers is usually a waste of time and energy.

She urges those trying to declutter a home office to scan many of their documents into their computer rather than trying to store them in filing cabinets.

-- Dramatically reduce the size of your book collections.

Many people from all types of professional backgrounds keep bigger libraries than they ever need or use for reference.

“People have an emotional attachment to books,” Ashcroft says, noting that overflowing bookshelves are often found throughout a home, not only in the home office.

The problem for bibliophiles preparing to sell their home is that shelves crammed with books make a property seem smaller than it truly is. 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 sellers with substantial book collections are wise to clear through them before their property goes on the market -- dispensing with any books they no longer use. Remember, too, that many books can now be quickly and easily accessed from an e-reader, such as the Kindle sold by Amazon.

“You don’t have to cling to conventional books to keep many volumes you value. Let technology spare you,” she says.

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

It’s not an easy time for homebuyers. In most neighborhoods, prices keep rising. In the near-term, mortgage rates are hardly expected to fall substantially, if at all. Meanwhile, economic uncertainty is causing many wannabe homeowners to freeze in place rather than move forward.

“Due to buyer anxiety, this year’s spring market could be quite subdued,” says Michael Crowley, a past president of the National Association of Excusive Buyers Agents (naeba.org).

But consumer advocates point to statistics that show an improving situation for buyers, at least in comparison with the pandemic period when available properties were scarce and buyers found it tough to compete in bidding wars.

“Whether now would be the right time to buy a house is a personal decision. But it’s worth noting the positives in the present situation,” Crowley says.

The positives include an expanding supply of property options. New listings aren’t flooding the market, yet for more than a year, there’s been a steadily expanding supply of options.

“Though mortgage rates remain elevated, and most mortgage holders have a rate below today’s level, many sellers can’t afford to hold off any longer as families expand, new jobs in new cities are landed and life rolls on,” says Hannah Jones, a senior economic research analyst at Realtor.com, the home listing service.

While it’s not yet a buyer’s market in many popular communities, properties are taking longer than last year to attract buyers.

“Buyers are in a better position than in previous years and can take a bit longer to decide on their home, as growing time on the market brings a bit more ease,” Jones says.

Here are a few pointers for would-be buyers:

-- Study the market in your target area.

Tom Wemett, author of “How to Make Better Homebuying Decisions,” points out that there is increasing consolidation among real estate brokerages across the country, and agents working for large firms typically favor the interests of sellers over buyers.

“You have to be your own advocate and learn as much as possible about the property and trends in your local area,” Wemett says.

Sometimes, would-be purchasers shopping in a buyers’ market feel guilty about pressing their advantages when bargaining.

But Crowley says such feelings are groundless.

“It’s realistic and fair to take full advantage of your buying power,” he says.

-- Wait patiently for price reductions among overpriced properties.

In an area where the market is shifting in favor of buyers, it sometimes takes sellers time to adapt their thinking.

“The truth is that some sellers are still adjusting to their relative decline in privilege. They’re still comparing themselves with neighbors who captured an over-market price during the pandemic. It sometimes takes a while for them to adjust to the new realities,” Crowley says.

Do you have a strong interest in one or more homes that you and your agent believe are priced well over market value? Then Crowley encourages you to wait until the sellers bring down the price on their own before you start bidding.

“As often happens, sellers demanding too much will face a reckoning. If they have to move and have no offers, they might wake up in a panic of recognition. That’s when a big price drop might occur,” he says.

The key to a wait-for-a-price-drop strategy is to keep a close eye on a home of interest so you can submit your bid at the opportune moment and not lose the property to another purchaser.

“Make doubly sure your own agent keeps current on price changes. It's also a good idea to set up an alert to notify you by text or email that a price drop is occurring," Crowley says.

-- Always take full advantage of your right to a home inspection.

In sellers’ markets of past years, would-be buyers who had to contend with rival purchasers often waived their right to a home inspection to increase their appeal to owners.

But Crowley says inspections are nearly always a vitally important idea, especially for those planning to buy a property that’s over 15 years of age, which could have serious problems.

“It’s your right to walk away if your inspector documents major problems with a property you’ve contracted to buy. You always want to protect that right,” Crowley says.

In most cases, inspectors don’t find serious shortcomings. Still, many lesser issues that are found can be used to the buyers’ advantage in gaining concessions.

Suppose, for example, that your inspector projects that the roof on the house will likely fail in a few years. With these findings, you might convince the sellers to cover the entire cost of a new roof.

-- Don’t attempt to insult your way to a good deal.

In areas where rising inventories are giving buyers more power, Crowley says some prospective buyers try to take liberties that can backfire.

One common mistake involves any statement you might make that wounds a sellers’ pride in their home. Another misstep involves making a ridiculously below-market bid which so stuns the owners that they may refuse to deal further with you.

“Bottom-feeders may enjoy making very low offers as a sort of sport. But it’s not a winning strategy for making a sound purchase,” Crowley says.

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

Countless young American families are facing severe housing challenges. One obvious factor is affordability. Another is that many older homeowners are hanging onto property they’ve refinanced to a low-rate mortgage during the pandemic, leading to property shortages.

But despite the so-called lock-in effect, life circumstances are gradually forcing more owners to let go of their home.

“Homeowners hate to give up their 2% to 3% mortgage rate, but life happens, and people have to move,” says David Palmer, a Redfin real estate agent in Seattle. He says many people are moving because a major life event like a job change or divorce has given them no other choice.

But it’s not enough for homeowners to simply decide to sell. In most cases, they must also prepare their property for public showings. And one key barrier to that process can involve the often agonizing chore of decluttering.

Sellers who prune their accumulations fare better than those who fail to remove superfluous items prior to selling, says Vicki Norris, who heads her own professional organizing firm.

“People want to picture themselves living in your place, and they can’t do that if it’s crowded with all your stuff,” says Norris, author of “Restoring Order to Your Home.”

Would-be sellers are not only advised to streamline their possessions; they should also reduce the inflow into their homes until they receive a solid contract for sale. And that means less shopping.

Many people use shopping as a form of entertainment or as a mood lifter when they’re feeling down, says Barbara Hemphill, author of “Less Clutter More Life” and other related books.

“People often shop to ignore or cover up emotional pain, though this is only a momentary fix,” Hemphill says.

For prospective home sellers, particularly those who must liquidate for financial reasons, spending time hunting through stores for the perfect addition to an already large collection of designer shoes, for example, is self-defeating behavior.

Ironically, many people begin an anti-clutter campaign with a shopping spree involving the purchase of numerous storage containers. But all those big plastic bins prove more of a hindrance than a help, states Hemphill, who began her career in professional organizing in 1978.

“What’s inevitable is that those containers will just get in your way,” she says.

Judith Rough, an expert in helping seniors downsize, strongly recommends that sellers halt all but the most essential shopping until they’ve concluded their move.

“Before you start acquiring new items, you need to measure your new space and see what will fit,” she says.

Here are a few pointers for sellers:

-- Seek outside help for major projects.

Rough estimates that to fully declutter an average-sized house usually takes at least four weeks of concentrated effort and often outside help.

“Going through everything you’ve acquired for decades is extremely emotional -- particularly if you’ve raised your family in that house,” Rough says.

To gain forward movement, sellers often turn to relatives. But Rough says you’re better off with an objective third party -- ideally a professional organizer. One source for referrals is the real estate agent who will list your property. Another is the National Association of Productivity & Organizing Professionals (napo.net).

Regrettably, many sellers can’t afford the cost of a professional organizer for numerous hours of assistance. If this is true for you, Rough suggests you limit the organizer’s help to just a few hours of planning time. Then also pay the person for a few one-hour “check-ins” on a weekly basis, during which you’ll receive a “homework” assignment for the following week.

-- Ask loved ones what items they wish to keep.

Are you the parent of grown children? If so, Rough says you may be tempted to hang onto nostalgic possessions you believe your offspring may someday want to claim. But as Rough says, “Your kids will want far less of your stuff than you expect.” So she suggests you ask them directly what they want.

-- Take photos of items you can’t keep.

Before seeking to declutter, Hemphill often recommends that sellers take photographs of entire rooms to create compact memories of these spaces. She also advises taking pictures of valued items, such as a grand piano, that are too large to bring to the next property.

“Converting prized belongings to art is a great way to hasten the clearing process and make your house more saleable,” she says.

In addition to taking photos, Hemphill recommends you keep a small box of special items

Those who convert precious items into art or photographs often find the transition to their new environment to be emotionally easier, Hemphill says.

-- Safeguard valuable documents and keepsakes.

To safeguard such non-disposable items as passports, birth certificates and diplomas, Rough suggests you encase them in clear plastic sheet protectors and place them in a three-ring binder. Alternatively, you may wish to buy a storage item designed for vital records.

-- Locate a new home for your discards.

In sifting through your accumulations, you’re bound to find many things you no longer want.

Whenever possible, Rough encourages you to donate serviceable items to a reputable charity. Through the years, for example, she’s donated many of her own discards through church groups.

Another option is to post your giveaways through your Facebook account, which could result in finding a friend, relative or acquaintance who would appreciate receiving them.

“Maybe there’s a young family you know who could use your extra furniture because they’re setting up a new household. It’s hugely satisfying to know that things you paid good money for will find the right home,” Rough says. (To contact Ellen James Martin, email her at ellenjamesmartin@gmail.com.)