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OVER 60? Stop Decluttering!! Do THIS First.

Sell Your Home With Kati - Truth in Real Estate®

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Want to Declutter and you are overwhelmed? Decluttering 101. If you’re over 60, staring at your house thinking, “There is so much stuff… I don’t even know where to start,” this video is for you.

Chapters
00:00 Intro
01:38 It's not about the stuff
02:38 Keep This
03:58 Let It Go
05:32 Sentimental Story
06:45 Important Documents
07:37 House Knowledge
08:52 Decluttering 101
11:50 Start with the easy areas first
12:50 10 minute rule
13:05 Do one category at a time
13:20 Create four piles
14:24 Sentimental items last
14:38 Declutter in waves
15:17 Bonus tips!
15:41 Stress is worth money!

Sell Your Home With Kati Spaniak: the straight-talk home selling channel for people who want to sell fast, for the most money, stress-free!

MY BOOK: SELL YOUR HOME WITHOUT BLOWING UP YOUR LIFE
My book shows you how to make the decisions that actually protect your equity: which upgrades pay you back, which ones drain your wallet for nothing, and how to price for your home's real condition instead of guessing.
You can order it online, anywhere you buy books.
Order here: https://protecttheseller.com/book/?ut...

ABOUT KATI
I'm Kati Spaniak, founder of Truth in Real Estate®. I help you sell your home without blowing up your life. Everyone tells you what your home is worth. I tell you what selling it will cost you: the money, the stress, and the wrong agent. And then I find you one I'd trust with my own home.

I've personally sold almost $500 million in homes, referred thousands of sellers nationwide, and worked with thousands of people.

Here's what you'll get here:
Staging and smart updates: the easy fixes that bring top-dollar offers
Pricing that works: no guessing, no overpricing games
Photo and curb appeal secrets: nail your first (online) showing
Market intel: what's really happening in real estate now and next
Mistakes to avoid: the missteps that can cost you thousands
Finding the right agent: how to spot the winners (and the disasters)

#SellYourHome #KatiSpaniak #HomeSellingTips #SellingAHome #HomeStaging #TruthInRealEstate

Kati Spaniak, founder, Truth in Real Estate®
Broker, eXp Realty
Call or text: 847-713-1556
https://truthinrealestate.com

20 Comments

@KatiSpaniak Creator 9 months ago Pinned

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@alisonsmith8653 9 months ago

It took me two YEARS to declutter my house. I started with the basement which had been the dumping ground of my college aged children and teenagers. I told myself that I had to fill 4 black trash bags every weekend. I started with the obvious trash (old notebooks, old craft materials, etc.) Things I thought my daughters would want (their memorabilia) I would put into boxes with their names on them. When they came home to visit I made them go through their box and decide what they wanted and what they didn't want. At first it looked like I was making no progress but one day it was clean and organized! Consistency paid off.

@Kimberly5Helen 9 months ago

I am in my late 50's and moved a year ago. One tip that has helped me declutter with each move is to do a "reverse" declutter where you basically first decide what you want, and absolutely need, to bring with you (based on the size of the new home and distance of the move), then everything else gets tossed, sold, donated etc. This forces one to only take what you really love and truly need; it can sometimes be easier to decide what you love first.

@andreawales1938 7 months ago

If you’re downsizing and/or getting ready to move, put books or other heavy things in small boxes, so lifting them (properly) won’t be so hard!

@enoughalready45 9 months ago

We just sold my 92 year-old mom‘s house in Chicago. She collected antiques. I took some, but only if I had a definite place that they were going to go. My Gen Z kid loves some of the old things so they are packed away for them when they get out of college and have an apartment. When I asked my kid, is there anything you want from grandma‘s house? They wanted the doors because they were so well-made. My kid is an architecture student and appreciates good craftsmanship. LOL

@taracotta4246 7 months ago

Reading the comments section is as good as the video. Thank you!

@michaelkearney7923 7 months ago

My wife was a hoarder. Fortunately, she didn’t hoard fast food wrappers, garbage, leftovers or junk mail. Just stuff from auctions. After she passed, I got a lot of help from friends and family to pack up the stuff in boxes. Movers came and took it all to an auction house. Three semi tractor trailers full. Will I make a lot of money by selling it? I don’t know and don’t care, it’s out of my house.

@valeriejackson2096 7 months ago

We started caregiving my parents in 2000 after my dad's stroke. Then came clearing 50+ years of their things, so they could move from the ranch into town, us kids took a little, had an auction. Had children. 2010, caregiving inlaws, moved in with them 2012. In Fall 2016, we lost a brother, 2017, did his house, took a little, estate sale, sold house. Same year moved my mom to assisted living, did her house for the second time, took a little, estate sale, sold house. End of 2017, aunt passed, did her house, took a little, donated the rest, sold house. 2020 inlaws both gone, had consolidated our things with theirs. 2023 Uncle and aunt gone, did their house, took a little, estate sale. Now we have 7 households worth of things in a large house, some items are not sentimental anymore. Its now our turn to declutter to move. Did a little over the years, but not enough. Its overwhelming and sometimes painful as there is still grief factored in. Trying to sell some, donate others. Keeping very little to downsize as much as possible. It feels like an insurmountable task.. Take time to try to plan, gently. Take mental breaks often. Great video!

@dianer8881 6 months ago (edited)

"Go through things multiple times." Best advice. Fewer regrets.

@TracyBrown-kk9er 7 months ago

My 2 favorite books on the subject:
1. Nobody Wants Your Sh**
2. The Art of Swedish Death Cleaning.
They say it all!

@Tootsie806 6 months ago

When I downsized I followed the advice to keep only things I needed, used often, or truly loved. Five years later, I could kick myself for getting rid of some things. It has nothing to do with what anyone else might want after I’m gone. It has to do with all the things I’ve had to purchase again.

@schex9 9 months ago

House Knowledge should include where is water shutoff and do I need a special tool, where is breaker box, is dryer electric, gas, or either? Some may be easier to answer after appliances are gone.

@pamcaito7614 6 months ago

I’m so glad people are addressing the fact that it can take a few years to go through your treasures. It’s not a good idea to wait and try to clear out the extra stuff in a few weekends. It will be too overwhelming.

@roxilavelle5812 7 months ago (edited)

Make 5 lists:
1) "Keep This" list and why and where these things go 2:40
2) "Let it go" list 4:00
3) "The Sentimental Story" list 5:30 (memories) include what is meaningful about these items
4) "The Important Documents Map" 6:45 (tell where important papers are; toss the old bank statements)
5) "The House Knowledge" list (age of appliances, utility and repairman info, secrets of the house) 7:37

Decluttering 101 8:50
- If you're physically unable, get an agent for advice and referrals for help. She has a list of agents.
- 1 Start with the easy areas first, and one single thing at a time 11:45
- 2 Start with a 10 minute timer
- 3 Start with one category (ex: shoes) at a time, not a whole room
- 4 Keep 4 piles: Keep, Trash, Donate, Sell
- 5 the Sentimental items last
- 6 declutter in waves 14:37 a) simple and easy, b) lightly sentimental, c) heavily sentimental
- 15:17 bonus systems
A) 5 items a day, 5 days a week
B) paper slide - sort through a stack of papers

@kaystinebrink1220 9 months ago

My sister and I cleaned kitchen cupboards one summer. She found sippy cups in the back corner of her glass cupboard. Her children were in COLLEGE. We all have stuff that we could easily sort out.

@allalala9916 9 months ago

My parents moved countries and didn't keep any of my childhood things. I wish they kept my baby blanket, favorite stuffie dog, a dress I wore when I was three, Photos of my grandparents when they were young, pictures I drew. They have nothing sentimental left from my childhood. Now my mom tries to make me feel guilty for not wanting their new furniture when they pass but I have furniture, and they bought it after I got married so it's not sentimental to me at all

@Julies-in-a-mood 9 months ago

I helped clear my MIL’s house when she moved to assisted living. Filled to the brim with “treasures” that her own kids weren’t interested in. I’m sure there were notable family items, but none of those stories had been shared, so they weren’t significant to anyone & ended up at the dump. It was a horrible experience, & I vowed I’d never curse my own children & their spouses with a chore like that. Hasn’t turned me into a minimalist, but I’m certainly minimal-ISH.

@youfounduswi 8 months ago

Helping my 91 year old aunt downsize, I was pleasantly surprised at the amount and type of stuff our kids and grandkids wanted. Vintage is now cool! Downsizing our stuff now for a move to a senior complex, I am getting pretty good at figuring out what to ditch and what they might want. Kati, the advice you give here is excellent.

@lorif4268 6 months ago

One of the things that help me with my mother is not to think about what was important to her because she wasn’t here anymore, think about what was important to us. If it was important to her, but not important to us it was a mistake to keep it. I often thought if I keep this for her, my kids are going to throw it out for sure so let’s eliminate the middle step and just get rid of it now. Many things went to charities and some things were sold, but it made the process much easier!

@mwlim1820 7 months ago

I stop decorating my home during Christmas and Chinese New Year since 2018. Prefer to have a very good family meal and attending church happily. Simple direct but so nice ❤