If you have been living in your home for decades and have managed to accumulate a large amount of stuff, making you dread trying to sell your home this spring, then today is the day to stop feeling that way and start the purging process. Rather than dreading the project, try to keep in mind you are ultimately helping your future self by purging ahead of the day you need to start packing for the move. In addition, moving fewer items to your new home will also be cheaper. By purging your unwanted belongings before you list your home for sale, you will make your home look nicer and it will be much easier to keep clean for those last-minute showing appointments.

If you haven't started purging before today because you didn't know where to start, then these tips will get you started.

Tip: Start Purging in Rooms without Emotional Items

Many people decide to start purging their belongings and then give up after picking an item they have a strong emotional attachment to, unable to make a decision.

Since this is human nature, you can easily prevent this fate by starting in an area of your home that doesn't have items you have a strong emotional attachment to. For example, it is unlikely you have sentimental items in your linen closet or on the cleaning products shelf in the garage. So start there and work your way up to the harder decisions. Being successful early in the process will make it easier to stay on task.

Tip: Deal with the Clothing Beast the Easy Way

Clothing is one of those things that manages to take over a home. Laundry is a chore many people hate, so they keep buying inexpensive clothing to stretch mandatory wash days out farther and farther. This is mostly great, but not in a household with multiple people where clothing quickly starts to overflow closets and take over every room in the house.

To successfully tame the clothing beast, have each family member drag every single item of their clothing into the living room and make a pile. Once you see it all in one place, then it is a lot easier to purge items that don't fit, you don't wear, or you no longer like.

Clothing that is clean and in good repair should be donated to a local thrift shop, and stained or damaged items can be used as cleaning rags or disposed of. Anything that won't be worn before you move should be packed into boxes and moved to storage.

After the Purge

Lastly, once you've finished purging and feel your home is ready to be listed for sale, ask your real estate broker to stop by and take a look. Ask their professional opinion on the remaining items in your home and commit to packing up and storing any items you need to move out of the house but want to keep for your new home.