Clutter - to fill or litter with things in a disorderly manner; a state or condition of confusion.

Read any 'Top 10 List' of things to do to prepare your home for sale and "Get Ride of CLUTTER" is sure to be found. But how important IS cleaning up really? Can't a buyer look past a little but of clutter? 

The answer lies in the psychology behind clutter...

Clutter, in the form of an overstuffed closet, a disorderly garage, a jam-packed living space, can make people feel uneasy. In a study from the Journal of Family Psychology, clutter was linked to depression.

In addition, clutter can create a feeling of hesitancy. If the sight of clutter can shit people down, they won't want to do anything - like make an offer!

Clutter can also draw attention to the wrong things. Instead of seeing a big double garage, prospective buyers might see boxes, lawn equipment, sports equipment, camping supplies... Instead of a warm and inviting master bedroom, people may see stacks of laundry, too many photos or items on the walls, chunky furniture... Clutter can instantly turn a great selling point into a major turnoff.

And as if that's not enough, clutter has a knack for making spaces (even large ones) appear smaller. A big spacious master bedroom walk-in closet can seem very small when stuffed with clothes, boxes, hampers and more.

Don't underestimate the psychology behind clutter. Getting rid of clutter and temporarily storing some items can be your greatest investment when preparing your home for sale, and is also one of the cheapest things you can do to make your home more attractive.