Getting Organized To Kickstart The New Year..Day 2's Mission Is..
Getting The Hall Closet Organized
I am spending this tween week (the days between Christmas and New Year's Day) on an organizing mission. I love an organized house. But loving one and having one are not always linked. I am a homestager in St Paul Minnesota so I coach clients all the time on how to clear out their closets.
I tell my homestaging clients that the reason they should invest their energy organizing closets and cabinets is simple. Prospective
buyers are very often looking for a new home because they have run out of space in their current home. The other reason is that often times their current home is chaotic. Rather then taking ownership of the chaos problem they like to blame the home. If I had more closets...if I had a basement, if the kitchen was arranged better...I would live in perfect order and have the home of my dream.
So bottom line, I ask my staging clients to clear out their clutter so buyers will be lulled into thinking that the house takes care of itself and is exactly the house they need to fulfill their every hope and dream!
So I should be an expert closet organizer. I am going to put my closet organizing tips to the test and get my closet pulled together! Here goes.
Seven Closet Organizing Tips For Getting The Job Done Fast
- Set a timer for a reasonable (but short period of time) so that you will work quickly and not spend too much time deliberating about a specific item. The idea here is that a timer sets the session up as a game. If you only have 25 minutes allotted to the project you will want to exceed your own expectations and get the job done well. That is the rule. Once the timer goes off you are done. The other advantage of a timer for someone that is working on getting the whole house pulled together is it keeps you from getting bogged down in one area.
- Take everything out. Did you ever hear the expression you can't organize clutter? Pushing everything around into neater piles without taking anything out often leads to a session of organizing clutter.
- Have donation and trash bags right where you are working. If it is clearly trash or an item you want to donate drop into the appropriate bag the first time you touch it. If you are uncertain place in the "keep" pile...move fast during this process.
- Look over the keep pile. As you review the items that did not go in the trash or the donation bag look for themes. Place like items together. If you have duplicates decide if you can donate the extra items, or perhaps store in a different location.
- Group small items together in a larger container Then a buyer only sees one bin...rather than say 25 bottles of nail polish. I call 25 bottles of nail polish visual clutter. On the other hand a labeled container that says nail polish can be a harried home seekers definition of Nirvana.
- Put it back. Keep like items together. If you have towels, try to fold and stack them like a retailer does it, all folded edges
out and sorted by color. If you are selling you home place the most pleasing items at eye level, and make sure personal items are tucked away so that a buyer doesn't need to confront them. I am not selling, so I can ignore this step. I will arrange by most used to least used. - Pat yourself on the back....or have a beer. Whatever is your pleasure. Celebrate a job well done.
I wish you a New Year filled with peace and joy...and if you need an organized home to get there, follow me for the next couple of days.
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About the Author: Christi Bond is a recognized leader in the field of homestaging and room makeovers. She has been providing value added services to homeowners, real estate investors, and real estate agents for nearly seven years.
Are you are preparing to sell a home or property in the Twin Cities Metro? Maybe you are staying put but are looking for advice on how to make your home more visually pleasing and more organized. If so, I would welcome the opportunity to share my staging, organizing and design expertise. I can be reached via email at stagingcoach@msn.com or by phone at 651.735.3985.
I provide Home Staging and Room Makeover services in the greater Twin Cities metro. Some of the areas that I have provided services in include: White Bear Lake, Mahtomedi, Oakdale, Maplewood, North Oaks, Woodbury, Cottage Grove, Hudson, Hastings, Hugo, Forest Lake, Columbia Heights, Highland Park, St Paul, Minneapolis, Minnesota
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