How to…
Get rid of stuff

Your new clients are eager to show their home to potential buyers, but first they need to eliminate some clutter. The spare refrigerator in the garage, rusty wheelbarrow in the yard, old clothes in the attic and closets—all must go.
The faster your sellers clean out the house, the faster you can sell it. Offer your clients some solutions.

How much for the lava lamp?
Suggest a yard sale. If your sellers don’t think they can offer enough merchandise for their own sale, have them ask their neighbors. Most homeowners will welcome the opportunity to get rid of a few items at a yard sale or may want to cohost it with your sellers. The more items at the sale, the more appealing the sale will be to passersby.

With a yard sale, your sellers can unload small appliances, tools, furniture, and clothes, assuming the items are in decent shape. And the sale will generate a little cash—not enough to pay the movers, but maybe enough to offset some costs associated with getting the listing ready for sale. One more bonus: The sellers can generate word-of-mouth advertising that they soon will be selling the home.

Get a receipt
Clients who itemize their income taxes can take advantage of donations to charity. If hosting a yard sale doesn’t appeal to your sellers—or their homeowners association—suggest that they look into donating items to a charity of their choice.
Organizations like the Salvation Army (SalvationArmyUSA.org) and Goodwill (Goodwill.org) accept furniture, clothing, appliances, and other household items at their hundreds of locations across Texas. The Salvation Army even offers to pick up items at the donator’s residence.

One man’s trash …
Your sellers can also employ a hauling service to simply cart away unwanted items for a fee. Search the Internet or yellow pages for “junk services” and provide your clients with the results, including whether the hauler brings as many items as possible to recycling centers.

Homeowners in Austin, Dallas, Fort Worth, and Houston can also contact 1-800-GOT-JUNK (1800GotJunk.com) and schedule a truck to pick up “anything non-hazardous that two people can lift,” according to the company’s Web site. The company claims that approximately 60% of the junk removed is either recycled or taken to local charities.

Help your sellers eliminate clutter in their homes. They’ll thank you when they have less to pack after you’ve sold their home.


Illustration: Jennifer Idol

Buyers & sellers, visit www.texasrealestate.com.
REALTORS®, visit www.texasrealtors.com.