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Good Grief! We've Got A Lot Of Crap!

By Kathy Passarette

Home Stager with Creative Home Expressions

April 27, 2009 10:54 AM

This past weekend began the removing things from walls and giving them designations - "garage sale", "keep", "donate" and "trash". We went from room to room writing down what needed to be done in each room. Some rooms will be quick; just a matter of thinning out our "stuff", others will need some spackling and repainting (what comes from hanging many pictures and other decorative wall decor). By Sunday evening I had more in the "garage sale" pile than the "keep" pile! Right now the "keep" pile comprises family photos. I am reminded of George Carlin's "stuff" skit as I go through everything.

Here's a photo of the "garage sale" pile:

pile

And, I still have more to add to this!

Here's a photo of the "keep" pile:

keep

See what I mean!

I was (surprisingly) pretty objective as we made our list and I started gathering the family pictures off the wall. I started with the family pictures I mention, because they were a sort of gallery in a long hallway, and this area will probably have the most holes to be spackled. We will also be repainting the whole thing. It is the perfect area to put the kids' school pictures, certificates, awards - when you are living there. Not good, and distracting, if you are selling your house. This task didn't bother me because the pictures are coming with me. It's the pictures and my kids that I love, not the wall they are hanging on.

Here's a picture of the hallway with the pictures to give you an idea of what I'm talking about:

hallway

Looking at what we have to do before we list the house, it seems to be a daunting task. Although, I think it is better to be doing it now when I can take the time to do a proper job of going through everything. Dare I say that it is also a little exhilirating to not have so much "stuff"!

Next, I think I'll tackle the closets!

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Terrylynn Fisher

Dudum Real Estate Group - BuyStageSell.com - Walnut Creek, CA

HAFA Certified, EcoBroker, CRS, CSP Realtor, Etc.

I truly believe that we should all move every now and then so we'd be reminded of what we put our clients through. And it's good for us to experience the emotion and physical task at hand. Good luck to you, can't wait to see the new house.

Apr 28, 2009 06:51 PM

Michelle Minch

Moving Mountains Design Home Staging, Pasadena, CA - Los Angeles, CA

Home Staging Los Angeles and Orange County, CA

Kathy: I'm so glad you are posting this series. It is a great reminder of all the "treasures" we all accumulate throughout the time we live in our homes. It happens to all of us. Sometimes when I'm digging through a closet looking for something else, I come upon an item that I have no idea where it came from or why I have it.We have no plans to move at the moment, but its easy to see what a daunting task it would be if we did.

My husband and I are pretty good at donating unwanted or unused household stuff and clothes regularly. I keep a donate box in the coat closet and whenever one of us has something we no longer need it goes in that box. When the box gets full, we make a Goodwill run.

Good luck with packing up and preparing your home. And good luck selling. Keep us posted

Apr 29, 2009 01:35 AM

Kathy Passarette

Creative Home Expressions - Mount Sinai, NY

L.I. Staging/Decorating

Connie ~ So far it's been pretty easy because I know this is stuff I'm not going to use in a new home. We'll see how it goes as I go along!

Apr 29, 2009 03:42 AM

Kathy Passarette

Creative Home Expressions - Mount Sinai, NY

L.I. Staging/Decorating

Norma ~ Absolutely! This will make me an even better business person for having gone through it myself.

Holly ~ It's almost a relief too to be able to let go of stuff that you might not have. In my case, I just won't have the room for it anymore because we'll be downsizing.

Apr 29, 2009 03:44 AM

Kathy Passarette

Creative Home Expressions - Mount Sinai, NY

L.I. Staging/Decorating

Cathy ~ Thanks! I'll keep that in mind as I'm sweating and toiling away! : )

Terrylynn ~ So far, it's just the physical task. I haven't gotten emotional yet!

Apr 29, 2009 03:46 AM

Kathy Passarette

Creative Home Expressions - Mount Sinai, NY

L.I. Staging/Decorating

Michelle ~ I've always been good about thinning out our clothes; things we don't wear anymore, don't fit, etc. It's all the other stuff that can make it daunting, but the good thing is I am kind of getting a vision of how I want our new house to be.

Apr 29, 2009 03:48 AM

Kate Elim

Dockside Realty - Spotsylvania, VA

Realtor 540-226-1964, Selling Homes & Land a

Hi Kathy...You are making great progress. You are so right about the family pictures and mementos.

My sister called me a couple of hours ago to tell me she came across a high school transcript for my dad. My mom has given up our home and is not really able to go through all her papers so my sister is doing it for her.

What a treat to have found this. It is amazing the things that really, really matter to us.

Kate

Apr 29, 2009 08:11 AM

Cindy Bryant

Redesign Etc. Home Staging - Houston, TX

"Houston Home Staging Pros"

I have so much junk, that I need to get rid of it's no even funny anymore. It's funny how you can accumulate so much. And the bigger the house, the more you accumulate!

Apr 29, 2009 01:41 PM

Laura Cerrano

Feng Shui Manhattan Long Island - Locust Valley, NY

Certified Feng Shui Expert, Speaker & Researcher

Kathy, I felt like this when my basement flooded....so many things I had to get rid of and only a few that I really miss like pictures and old notebooks. The rest of the things were easy for me to let go -- and then I started on the upstairs! Long, hard work but you'll end up feeling SO much better!

Apr 29, 2009 03:12 PM

Michelle Pimentel

Empire Home Staging Solutions - Upland, CA

ASP, IAHSP Empire Home Staging

Kathy,

I really feel for you! It is always a lot of work to prepare one's house for the market...but with your experience and expertise in the staging world, there is no doubt that YOU will have this house ready and staged when the listing goes up! Good luck in your move, can't wait to see what you'll do with the NEW place!

Apr 29, 2009 03:25 PM

Linda D. Pufford

Stage with Divine Style - Home Staging - Novato, CA

ASPM, Marin/Sonoma Home Stager

Kathy,

I don't mind helping a client pack up and move...but don't ask me to move. I truly admire you and the hard work you are putting into this.

I have been in my house for 21 years I don't know how long it would take me to move. Best of luck!!!

Apr 29, 2009 05:45 PM

Kathy Passarette

Creative Home Expressions - Mount Sinai, NY

L.I. Staging/Decorating

Kate ~ I'm sure what I've got in boxes saved (things like high school transcripts and diplomas) will stay in boxes and just transfer to the new place.

Cindy ~ I totally agree with that! It's like you have the space to bring all this stuff in, so why not! I'm really hoping the garage sale and donating will help me clear some things out.

Apr 29, 2009 11:16 PM

Kathy Passarette

Creative Home Expressions - Mount Sinai, NY

L.I. Staging/Decorating

Carole ~ I'm not looking forward to the closets - at least the closets downstairs. There are too many coats and some of them have to go.

Michelle ~ I have to tell you that I'm surprising myself making decisions about what I'm getting rid of in an objective way. So far, so good. I do have to remember to take pictures though, and I'll try and do that this weekend so I have some "befores".

Apr 29, 2009 11:22 PM

Kathy Passarette

Creative Home Expressions - Mount Sinai, NY

L.I. Staging/Decorating

Linda ~ We've been in this house for almost 19 years. We did do a bit of a purge several years ago, but the key is to not bring other stuff into the house after you've done that - it just fills it up again but with different stuff!

Apr 29, 2009 11:24 PM

Terry Haugen STAGE it RIGHT! 321-956-2495

Stage it Right! - Melbourne, FL

Kathy, we all have too much crap! I just loaded my car last night with boxes of "stuff to take to the humane society thrift shop. One nice thing about frequently moving, you don't accumulate a lot of "stuff", but I've been stationary for 5 years and oh my, it does accumulate!

Apr 30, 2009 01:27 AM

Kathy Passarette

Creative Home Expressions - Mount Sinai, NY

L.I. Staging/Decorating

Terry ~ That it does! I've only moved a few times in my life, and there seems to be more boxes involved every time. Although this time it should be less (fingers crossed)!

Apr 30, 2009 08:21 AM

Jennifer Duchene

Lift Your Spirit Home Transformations - Palo Alto, CA

Stager & Redesigner

You named it right Kathy. I am always struck by the idea that doing this staging for others is so much easier.

May 01, 2009 04:42 PM

Kathy Passarette

Creative Home Expressions - Mount Sinai, NY

L.I. Staging/Decorating

Jennifer ~ It's the prep work that can be overwhelming. I am looking forward to making everything look pretty!

May 03, 2009 01:04 AM

C. Bartch

Newark, OH

Morning Kathy, that is the BEST title for your blog, I love it! LMAO

Whenever we moved, I loved going to the dump, yes you heard that right. Whatever I couldn't give away, recycle or donate it went to the dump and I felt cleansed afterward!

May 04, 2009 01:50 AM

Kathy Passarette

Creative Home Expressions - Mount Sinai, NY

L.I. Staging/Decorating

Cynthia ~ I'm glad you liked the title! I find myself saying it all the time now - "where did all this crap come from?". I'm hoping to do well at my sister's garage sale in 2 weeks, and I also have a pile started for donation.

May 04, 2009 02:15 AM