DECLUTTER HOW TO

You’ve heard it all before, we’re sure, but it’s important so we shall say it again – selling your home is almost as much about presenting a potential lifestyle to buyers as it is about location, location, location. When you put your house on the market you are immediately putting yourself in competition with every other house for sale in your area. How do you win? Help buyers picture themselves living in your house, making it their home.

How? Declutter!

We’re not suggesting that your home is a mess, or packed with so much stuff people can’t see the floors (though admittedly some we see are!) but we always say there’s opportunity to strip back every unnecessary detail and allow viewers to transpose their own furniture and accessories into a room.

First – go through every room and remove photos, personal items that mean a lot to you but nothing to other people, and those bits and bobs your mother-inlaw gave you and likes to see when she visits. It’s not necessary to leave every flat surface empty, what we are trying to do is de-personalise the space, so your viewer can envision their own life here. Tidy your bookshelves – remove those stacked on stacks, colourcode by spines, remove anything placed in front of the books: it’s all about curating a sense of calm. Second – we all know people viewing homes like to open cupboards and peek into pantries, assessing just how much storage space is available. Start with your kitchen. Find some cardboard boxes and empty out all the things you don’t use very often and decide if they are to keep, tip or donate. Do you really need that juicer you bought six years ago and used three times? What about the sandwich toaster? When did you last use your wok? Or your steamer? How about all those cookbooks? It’s time to get brutal and remove it all. Those things you use only occasionally, but still keep using – pop them in storage. Things you last used preCovid – donate or dump. It will also make life easier when you’re packing to move home yourself.

Go through this process in every room – every fitted wardrobe, every built in cupboard, and even the loft. Buyers want to believe they can bring all their clutter and it not fill their new house straight away.

Finally – review your storage. You might be used to a pile of shoes in the hallway or stacks of washing in the utility, but to others’ eyes it might look untidy, and like there’s nowhere else to put it. Invest in a shoe rack, a storage box or two, and ta dah – a nice neat home someone else will just love to live in.

Didsbury lies seven kilometres south of Manchester City Centre and is divided into three distinct areas: East Didsbury, West Didsbury, and Didsbury Village.

West Didsbury is popular with those looking to commute to MediaCity as well as professionals and families who enjoy its lively atmosphere and community spirit. It has a proximity to the neighbouring towns of Withington and Cheadle, and the villages of Gatley and Heaton Moor.

Typical properties include converted Victorian houses, contemporary three storey apartment blocks and new-build properties which line West Didsbury’s famously leafy streets. The area is probably best known for its thriving nightlife and Burton Road especially has become a hot spot for South Manchester foodies.

The Metropolitan (or The Met as it’s known locally) marks the Lapwing Lane end in a building formerly occupied by a grand Victorian railway hotel. It has a lovely outdoor seating area and is well known for its Sunday roasts. Burton Road boasts excellent independent cafes and is a top brunch spot thanks to places such as Mary & Archies, Another Heart to Feed and ‘And The Dish Ran Away With The Spoon.’

While away the evening in a medley of trendy bars and eateries offering Japanese, Chinese, Indian and Thai cuisine. Volta has won critical acclaim for its delicious cocktails and small plates, Sip wine bar offers over thirty different bottles, and Proove is the place for Neapolitan sourdough pizza. West Didsbury is also home to Green’s, the long-standing vegetarian restaurant co-owned by TV chef Simon Rimmer.

The area is well serviced with cute delicatessens including Fusion Deli and A Taste of Honey, but you can also stock up at the monthly Maker’s Market when it pops up on the last Sunday of the month on the corner of Burton Road and Nell Lane.

Sport and recreation are well covered with plenty of boutique gyms, yoga studios and classes in the area which also has its own local running club. The Northern is a racquets and fitness club on Palatine Road with a fitness suite, gym, workout studios and grass tennis court. Withington Baths is a community fitness centre in a recently restored Edwardian bath house further down Burton Road which also has a pool, gym, sauna and two studios.

Local activity groups include the Didsbury Arts Cafe, a book club and various musical clubs. There’s an annual Arts Festival, regular family festivals in nearby Wythenshawe Park, and many well organised community events throughout the year. The WDRA is the local residents’ association who work closely with local businesses and councillors to ensure that West Didsbury remains a desirable place to live. They also work to conserve local wildlife and protect the natural environment.

A Metrolink stop on Burton Road makes the area easy to get to via public transport and the 111 bus – which runs from Manchester City Centre to Chorlton – stops outside the Metropolitan pub.

West Didsbury’s excellent transport links, green spaces and blend of exciting independent venues and shops make it a popular destination for those looking to live in a vibrant trendy suburb with a real community spirit.