Decluttering Before a Home Sale in Scottsdale: What to Toss, Keep, and When to Call Us

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Selling your home in Scottsdale or Paradise Valley? One of the smartest things you can do

before listing it is declutter. A clean, minimal, and organized space helps buyers see the home’s potential - and that can mean faster offers and higher selling prices.

But decluttering a whole house isn’t always easy. Here’s a full guide to help you sort through what you can do yourself, and when it’s worth bringing in a professional junk removal company like ours to save time, hassle, and energy. From pickup of single items, to smaller pickups, to full property cleanouts - when to bring a team in.

Why Decluttering Matters for Home Sales

Decluttering makes your home appear larger, brighter, and more welcoming. Buyers are walking through trying to picture their life. An initial minimalist impression leaves more room for their imaginations to translate their own lives and taste onto the home. A Decluttered home also means better photos, which translates directly to more showings, and higher sales prices. Here's what you can do in each of your rooms to declutter your way toward a higher sales price:

What to Declutter Before Listing: Room-by-Room Guide

(at yours' and your realtor's discretion)

Living Room

• DIY: Remove excess furniture, most decor, stacks of magazines, cords, and anything that makes the space feel “busy.” If they are things you'll be taking with you, storage for a month or so may pay off massively. If you're looking to get rid of this stuff, donation centers are your best bet. Goodwills are all over Scottsdale especially, and as long as the stuff is in decent shape, they are happy to have it.

• Call Us For: Large furniture pieces you won’t be taking with you (old couches, entertainment centers, shelving). Anything your vehicle limits you from moving, anything that you need more manpower for. Not easy to move a couch, desk, or bookshelf yourself, so if you're having trouble finding help, we're happy to provide.

Kitchen

• DIY: Clear counters, thin out cabinets of anything unnecessary.

• Call Us For: Broken appliances, excess shelving, or old barstools or chairs.

Bedrooms

• DIY: Thin out your closet—buyers will peek inside. If you're showing of a large closet, make sure it looks large! If you go through your closet and find items you don't need, donation centers are the perfect solution. you can box or bag your items, and drop them at any Goodwill around. Beyond closets, if a bedroom is clean, that's most of what matters.

• Call Us For: Old mattresses, headboards, outdated dressers, or bulky bedroom furniture.

Bathrooms

• DIY: Get rid of half-used bottles, old makeup, expired meds. Keep only the essentials on counters and tuck away the rest. A Clean look here is all that matters.

• Call Us For: If you’re removing vanities, storage cabinets, or other fixtures before staging. If you have enough bottles and bathroom products, we'll be a good solution for getting rid of them.

Garage & Storage Areas

• DIY: Thin out your boxes, shelves, tools, etc. If you're anything like me as soon as you get rid of something in your garage, you end up needing it. So with caution, thin out your garage as much as you can, especially if you can't currently fit a vehicle in there. Buyers picturing their vehicle in the garage can be a big deal. Storage is another good option for you here. It can be a few hundred dollars for 1-2 months, which can pay massively by getting you off the market faster, at a higher price.

• Call Us For: If your thinning out produces volume too high for you to handle. Broken tools, heavy junk, shelving units, and the junk you find buried deep in storage corners.

Backyard & Outdoor Areas

• DIY: Clean up patios, remove clutter from around the pool, get rid of broken garden tools and furniture.

• Call Us For: Hauling old patio furniture, fire pits, sheds, planters, grills, and hot tubs. Landscape Debris, construction debris. Really anything that takes away from the clean, minimalist feel that makes a backyard so inviting.

When to Call in Junk Removal Pros

Even with the best intentions, moving prep gets overwhelming. That’s where we come in. Here’s how we can help:

• Same-day or next-day removal so you can stay on schedule

• Heavy lifting done for you

• Large-item disposal (furniture, mattresses, appliances, yard waste)

• Garage and backyard cleanouts

• Real estate-friendly: We work with realtors and understand home sale timelines

You don’t have to worry about what the city will or won’t take, how to get to the dump, or how to fit a couch in your SUV. We’ve got it covered.

Final Tips for a Stress-Free Declutter

• Start early—don’t wait until the week before listing, or a few days before you'll be heading to your new home

• Use labeled boxes: Keep, Donate, Trash

• Tackle one room at a time to avoid burnout

• Book junk removal at key milestones (post-declutter, pre-move, post-move, by toom. )

Ready to Declutter Your Home for Sale in Scottsdale or Paradise Valley?

If you’re prepping for a home sale and want your property looking its absolute best, decluttering is step one—and we’re here to help with the heavy lifting.

Whether it’s old furniture, garage junk, or outdoor clutter, we’ll get it out fast so you can move forward with confidence.

Contact us today to schedule a pickup or get a free estimate!

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