When you prepare your home for sale, you must start by decluttering. It can be very stressful when you are trying to get everything in order and have a lot of clutter. One way to keep your home neat and tidy is to adopt a minimalist lifestyle. Minimalism is about having a simple lifestyle. Decluttering is the key to the minimalistic approach. Here are some ideas you may want to adopt to keep on top of the clutter.
Tidy up at nighttime
Most of us try to clean up first thing in the morning but professional organizers say that cleaning up at night is a better option. It stands to reason that if you do your dishes and pick up anything that has accumulated during the day is the way to go! You wake up in the a.m. with a clean house. This is helpful if you are called for early morning showing appointments to see your house.
Don’t let your laundry go out of control!
If you have a busy lifestyle where you might be out with children’s sporting events, school or work, you may find that your laundry is the last item on your list. If you don’t stay on top of laundry, it can get messy fast. Try to make a habit of working at it every day. Try to get family members to keep dirty laundry in their own hampers. That way they can also make sure laundry is not lying about and it is easy to gather and bring to the laundry room.
Everything needs a home
It is easy to leave items on countertops or anywhere there is space to store them. However, soon you will find that your rooms look cluttered. Find a designated spot for items so that you don’t have overflowing areas with items that need to be put away. Once everything has its own place, it is much easier to put them away. As soon as you come into the door, put away shopping items and recycle any mail that is not needed.
The one-in and one-out rule
Tidiness isn’t all about cleaning up, it is also about when you buy new things. If you follow the simple rule of when you buy a new item, an item that you don’t need should be either thrown out, recycled or donated. To keep clutter at a minimum, make sure you are mindful and strategic when you buy new items.
Recycle
Mail, packaging, bills and boxes can pile up in your home. Recycle junk mail before you get into the house. Recycle packaging and wrappers the day you receive items. This can stop clutter from residing in your home.
Have a daily cleaning routine
All the tips we have given you so far can help keep your home in order, but they are only a good idea if you follow through. Small simple habits like making the bed, doing the dishes and picking up items every day can make a huge difference.
Lastly, no matter how neat and tidy you are, sometimes clutter does arise when you have a busy life. Our Anne Winch Real Estate Team is here to stage your home so that it is the best it can be. If your home is cluttered, there is no amount of home staging that can help. That is why it is so important to declutter before you sell.
We can help with our numerous staging items and furniture to make your home look modern and perfect for viewing. We also provide our clients with a free packing kit to get you started to store your valuables. Give us a call and find out how we can help!