Decluttering Before Selling a Home in New Jersey: Getting a Long-Lived-In Home Ready for Photos

Declutter before the photographer comes, because the listing photos are the first showing. Clear the surfaces, thin out closets and furniture until each room shows its real size, and get the things that can't go in the trash, like TVs, computers and old paint, to the right drop-off in Monmouth or Ocean County.

I'm Dennis Mark Interdonato with The Dennis Mark Group at Keller Williams Realty Ocean Living. After years in one home, it's hard to see it the way a buyer will. When you're downsizing, decluttering does double duty: it gets the house ready to sell and gets you ready to move into something smaller. Here's how I'd do it.

Why declutter before the photos?

The first two weeks on the market set the price, and almost every buyer meets your home online first. A room full of furniture photographs small. A counter full of appliances photographs like a small kitchen. You only get one launch, so the house should look its best on day one, not after the first price cut. My article on why the first two weeks set your price explains the timing.

Where do you start?

With the next home, not this one. Measure the rooms you're moving into and decide which furniture actually fits. Everything else is a decision you'd have to make anyway: keep, give to family, sell, donate or dispose. Make it once, now, and the house sells better and the move costs less. My article on what to do with furniture and belongings goes deeper on that sorting.

What should you clear, room by room?

• Entry: coats, shoes, mail and keys off the hooks and tables.
• Kitchen: counters almost bare, the refrigerator door cleared, the cabinet under the sink organized. Buyers open it.
• Living and family rooms: take out at least one piece of furniture, plus most of the framed photos and collections. Rooms should show floor space.
• Bedrooms: bed, nightstands, dresser. Exercise equipment and extra chairs go.
• Closets: thin them until there's air between the hangers. A packed closet reads as "not enough storage."
• Bathrooms: everything off the vanity except a soap dispenser and a towel.
• Basement, attic and garage: buyers want to see the walls, the floor and the mechanicals.
• Outside: extra planters, hoses and anything stored beside the house.

Not sure what stays for the photos? Walk it with me first. And see home staging if it helps.

Where do old TVs and computers go?

Not in the trash. New Jersey's E-Waste law bans disposal of covered electronic devices, and the NJ Department of Environmental Protection says consumers can recycle TVs, computers, monitors, laptops, desktop printers and desktop fax machines for free at approved manufacturer collection sites (NJDEP).

In Ocean County, the special waste station at the county's Northern Recycling Center (601 New Hampshire Ave., Lakewood) and Southern Recycling Center (379 Haywood Rd., Manahawkin) takes electronics, paint, waste oil, light bulbs and more, with resident drop-off Monday through Saturday (Ocean County). In Monmouth County, the household hazardous waste facility lists electronics as not accepted there, so check the county's recycling site or your town for electronics drop-offs.

What about paint, chemicals and old batteries?

Monmouth County: the Household Hazardous Waste Facility at 3211 Shafto Road in Tinton Falls is open to Monmouth County residents only, with no appointment required, Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. and Saturday 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. The limit is 20 gallons of liquid or 220 pounds of dry material per visit, and it doesn't take items like asbestos, ammunition, fireworks, boat flares, smoke detectors or medical waste (Monmouth County).

Ocean County: household hazardous waste collection runs on scheduled event days with an appointment required and online registration only. The 2026 schedule lists a limit of 200 pounds dry and 20 gallons liquid, proof of residency, and no electronics, batteries or bulbs at those events, since those go to the recycling centers (Ocean County).

What about decades of papers?

Before you shred anything, set aside the papers you'll need for the sale: the deed, mortgage statements, tax bills, permits and warranties for past work, the survey and any association documents. My Downsizing Guide has the full checklist. Then shred the rest. Monmouth County runs free paper shredding days for county residents on scheduled Saturdays, with a 100-pound limit (Monmouth County).

Can you deduct what you donate?

Possibly, if you itemize. IRS Publication 526 says you can't deduct clothing or household items unless they're in good used condition or better, and the value is generally the price buyers of used items actually pay in used clothing stores (IRS). Keep the receipts and ask your tax professional.

What's too big to handle yourself?

A house you've lived in for decades can hold more than one weekend's work. An estate sale company can sell what has value, and a clean-out crew takes the rest. I got a guy for everything, and I'll line it up around the listing date so moving day isn't a sorting day. Before you rent a storage unit, find out what your home should bring on my home value page. The plan might not need one.

Frequently Asked Questions

Should I declutter before or after the listing appointment?

Start with the obvious, then walk the house with me. I'll tell you which rooms matter most for the photos, so your effort goes where buyers look.

Can I throw an old TV in the trash in New Jersey?

No. New Jersey bans the disposal of covered electronic devices, and recycling them at approved manufacturer collection sites is free, according to NJDEP.

Where can I drop off old paint in Monmouth County?

At the county's Household Hazardous Waste Facility, 3211 Shafto Road, Tinton Falls, for Monmouth County residents.

How does Ocean County handle household hazardous waste?

Through scheduled collection days with an appointment and online registration, and the special waste stations at the Northern and Southern Recycling Centers.

This is general information, not legal, tax or lending advice. Check each county's site for current hours and schedules before you load the car.

About the author

Dennis Mark Interdonato is a REALTOR® and Master CDRE® who leads The Dennis Mark Group at Keller Williams Realty Ocean Living in Point Pleasant, NJ, helping buyers and sellers throughout New Jersey make their next move, with Monmouth and Ocean County as home base. Read more about Dennis Mark.

Keep reading

• Which upgrades add value in New Jersey
• Estate sale or clean-out first?
• The Downsizing Guide and how I plan a downsizing move
• Have a question this didn't answer? Send it to Dennis Mark.