(How Ontario Sellers Can Make It Manageable)

If you’re thinking about selling your home in Ontario — whether it’s this spring, later this year, or “sometime soon” — you’ve probably already heard the same advice from everyone:

Declutter before you list.

And you probably nodded… then immediately felt your nervous system leave your body.

Because decluttering isn’t hard because you don’t know how.

It’s hard because you look at your entire house and think:

“I have to deal with all of this before selling?”

That’s the moment most sellers shut the door, get overwhelmed, and quietly decide they’ll deal with it “next year.”

Let’s make this easier.

Prefer to Watch Instead of Read?

If you’d rather see exactly how we walk through this process — including real buyer behaviour we see every week — you can watch the full video here:

Watch: Why Decluttering Your Home Before Selling Feels So Overwhelming

(YouTube video)

The Real Reason Decluttering Feels So Hard Before You Sell

Decluttering a home before selling takes longer than most Ontario homeowners expect — especially if you’ve lived in the home for years (or decades).

Not because you’re disorganized.

Because decluttering is:

• Time-consuming

• Emotional

• Full of decision fatigue

Every drawer comes with a memory. Every cupboard is a “just in case.” And it’s very easy to get stuck.

The mistake most sellers make is starting with the idea that they have to declutter the whole house at once.

You don’t.

Start with One Room (Yes, One)

If you want a realistic way to actually move forward, start with one room. One bite at a time.

That’s how you build momentum without burning out.

And if you’re selling a home in Ontario, there are three rooms that give you the biggest return for the least emotional stress.

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The 3 Best Rooms to Declutter First Before Selling in Ontario

1) The Kitchen: The Highest-Impact Room for Ontario Buyers

Kitchens and bathrooms sell homes. And the kitchen is usually the first place buyers gravitate to when they walk in.

Also: buyers open everything.

Cupboards. Pantry doors. That corner cabinet you’ve avoided since 2011.

What to Declutter in the Kitchen Before Listing

Focus on two areas:

1) Countertops
Buyers want to see clean, open surfaces — not a lineup of small appliances.

2) Cupboards (especially the hidden “danger zones”)

• Corner cupboards / lazy Susans

• Lower cabinets packed with heavy appliances

• The “we never use this but it was expensive” shelf

If you still use the appliance weekly, keep it.
If it’s been sitting there “just in case” since the George Foreman era, it’s time to let it go.

Because cluttered cupboards send a message to buyers:

“This kitchen doesn’t have enough storage.”

Even if it does.

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2) The Entryway: The First Impression That Sets the Tone

In Ontario, a lot of homes have mudrooms, boot zones, coat hooks, and busy front entrances — especially in winter.

But here’s what matters:

When a buyer walks in and has to step over boots or squeeze past coats, they immediately think:

“There’s a storage problem here.”

Even if the house has plenty of storage.

What to Declutter in the Entryway Before Showings

• Reduce coats on hooks (less is more)

• Clear the floor (no shoe pile)

• Make the front hall closet feel spacious

  • Leave a few empty hangers

  • Make it look like there’s room for more

Buyers will open that closet. Guaranteed.

And if it feels jammed, they assume the whole house feels jammed.

Two Small Details That Make a Big Difference

• A clean welcome mat (fresh, not worn down to a sad little thread)

• Bright lighting at the entry — especially for winter/fall showings when it gets dark early

This is cheap, fast, and makes the home feel instantly more welcoming.

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3) The Bathroom: Where Clutter Hides (and Buyers Absolutely Look)

Bathrooms clutter quickly — and buyers check storage here too.

Medicine cabinets. Vanity drawers. Under-sink cabinets.

If your tub is lined with product bottles or your vanity is full of “daily chaos,” it reads as clutter — and buyers interpret that as lack of space.

What to Declutter in the Bathroom Before Listing

• Clear surfaces down to the essentials

  • soap, toothbrush, one hand towel

• Remove product bottles from tubs and ledges

• Edit under-sink storage

  • expired products

  • duplicates

  • tangled hot tools and cords

  • the “I might use this someday” stash

If you’re not ready to let something go, store it elsewhere. But understand:

Crowded bathroom storage is a missed opportunity.
Buyers want to open a cupboard and feel relief — not panic.

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Why These 3 Rooms Make Selling Easier (Without Renovating)

These three spaces are your quick wins. They create momentum, improve photos, and help buyers feel like the home has space — which is a huge driver of perceived value.

Decluttering is:

• free (other than time)

• high impact for staging

• one of the easiest ways to make a home feel “move-in ready” without spending thousands

Once these are done, the rest of the house becomes dramatically easier to tackle.