Make your home a model home

Among the many reasons that new-community model homes feel so beautiful and livable is that they have been carefully designed and staged by professionals who use a minimalist approach with neutral and welcoming colors.

Why not start creating model living spaces while you’re still looking at new-home communities? In fact, starting now can do much more than make the interior of your new home feel as fresh as you want it to at move in. For those needing to sell a home before moving into a new home, making your existing home feel like a builder’s model may shorten its time on the market and earn you a higher sale price.

Crisp, clean and ready for resale

For the new-home buyer needing to sell an existing residence, decluttering and

cleaning are among the first tasks recommended by the National Association of Realtors.

Paring down your furnishings and decor while freshening up the pieces you plan to keep forever may even help you prioritize your preferences for new-home floor plan, design and finishes.

Use the same methodology that goes into newhome design and staging: Homes that feel bright, neutral and contemporary spend less time on the market than those that are overly personalized or full. People fall in love with homes where they can imagine their day-to-day lives.

Nix the knickknacks

The next time you tour a model home, count how many knickknacks (decorative boxes, figurines, picture frames and even table runners, coasters and candles) that appear on the surfaces. Not many, right?

If you’re determined to buy new, old knickknacks may cramp your style in the new house. With each knickknack (yes, including the crystal-framed photo of your grandparents’ wedding by Elvis in 1950), ask yourself if you love it, if you can live without it for a while or forever and/or if it holds any value.

Pack away items that you love but know you can live without, especially any that are extremely personal. Give away any

“dustables” that hold no sentimental value or store them in a box of undecideds.

After moving into your new home, you’ll know the true value of each item you packed away from your former residence, based on how long it takes you to remember it and locate its box.

Deep clean, one room at a time

Start with the less obvious, such as lamps. With little work, a clean lamp can make a big difference.

Lampshades, for example, are easy to vacuum and dust. If they’re fraying, fading or stained, go ahead and replace the shades for a whole new

look. While you’re at it, clean the lamps themselves, including those long-lasting LED lightbulbs that have undoubtedly collected dust.

Next, look at window treatments. Blinds are no fun to clean, but they’re certainly easier to deal with during nice weather. If your curtains and drape treatments won’t be coming with you to your new home, either shake them out in the fresh air or vacuum and wipe any dust from them.

Last, clean the baseboards, dust or mop under heavy pieces of furniture, and have rugs and carpets professionally cleaned.

One closet at a time

The last thing you want to do is move into

a brand-new home with closets full of belongings that you haven’t needed for a long time. Better to get rid of those now.

The best way to cull out the closet is to empty each closet completely. Replace each item in a closet only after asking yourself if you like it, if you need and if you use it regularly. Donate, sell or dispose of anything that doesn’t get a “yes” for all three questions.

Emptying closets even frees up space for you to neatly store boxes with the personal items, knickknacks and decorations you removed from side tables, counters, bookshelves and mantels.

Next are the cabinets. That black hole in the

lower-corner cabinet of the kitchen and that out-of-reach shelf in a linen or coat closet are great places to find things long forgotten. The space created by eliminating forgettable items are great places to hide items you want to keep but that are best not left on display when preparing to move.

As in life, “honesty is the best policy” when decluttering and freshening your spaces. Even if the residence you purchase in a new-home community will be larger than your current dwelling space, don’t wait to take an honest look at decluttering and existing belongings and home decor.