Decluttering the Way to a Sale

See how a team of selling experts helps one family move on to a larger place.

Get It Sold : Episode HSOLD-104 -- More Projects »
The growing Cummings family — Naomi and Paul and their two young daughters — is ready to move on to a bigger house, but they need to get their current place in shape to compete in the market. The three-bedroom, two-story townhouse has been up for sale for a while now, but buyers aren't biting.

Top real estate agent Chuck Ruoff works on a plan to get buyers in the door, while host and staging expert Sabrina Soto helps the Cummings highlight the home's best selling features. Clearing away all the clutter is step one — the whole place has become one big playroom, with toys and a crib blocking the living room fireplace as well as pretty much every other surface in the house. "If a house looks like it's clearly yours, then a buyer walking in is going to think that it can never be theirs," Soto proclaims.

Click here for a larger image
Before: Littered Living Room
This combination living/dining room looks like an oversize playpen. The Cummings' 5-year-old daughter, Kaeya, has played interior designer by scattering her toys all over. A fireplace is a great selling feature, but not if it's hidden, as in this space.

For specific product information, click on the After photos of the room.



Resources
paint — C2
Website: www.c2color.com Guests
Chuck Ruoff
Realtor, D.C. Realty Group
E-mail: chuck@dcrealtygroup.com
Also in this Episode