Janna Rankin Scharf, Coeur d'Alene Idaho Real Estate Sales
My friend Kevin in southern Idaho asked if I would guest feature him on my blog to get him a little extra Google juice. The post he wrote follows. Seems like basic 101 housekeeping to me, but I have to admit that I show homes where the homeowner would be better off to adopt some of these basic principles. We all know that the neater and cleaner a home is, the better it shows and the quicker an offer will come. And best of all, the better a house shows, the higher the final sales price! Spring is just around the corner, but seems to me that February isn't too early to get started on some spring cleaning, ESPECIALLY if your home is for sale!
Reclaim Your Messy Home
Authored by Kevin Hughes
Cleaning up a messy house can be overwhelming – dishes piled up, clothes all over the place, and mail piled up in stacks all about the house are just a few things that are keeping you from reclaiming your space. Luckily, you can take care of this in three steps – reclaim your house, and keep it from getting messy again.
#1 – Divide and Conquer
If the whole house has gotten messy and out of control, you're going to feel overwhelmed when it comes time to deal with the whole mess. Therefore, you must divide and conquer. Take one room at a time – start with the rooms that are most frequented by your family and guests, and work your way in from there. A good way to start would be with the entry way and living room. From there, work your way through the kitchen, dining area, guest room, 
and bathrooms. Save the master bedroom and children's bedrooms for last. If you have seven rooms, divide the tasks into seven days worth of cleaning.
#2 – Get Organized
Messes will creep back into place if you don't have a plan on keeping things organized. Use closet savers, space savers, dividers, wall hooks, chests of drawers, and file cabinets throughout the house. Use baskets for holding pet toys and 
other items, and lidded ottomans for holding other items that clutter the household. Make a plan on how the house should be organized, and stick to it. Make sure that everything in your house has a place, and keep it there. Toys belong in a toy-box, tools in the tool box or shed, books in the bookcases, etc. Get an organizer for everything, and make sure that no items are out of place when you're done with the room.
#3 – Be Proactive
The best way to permanently reclaim your house is to make sure that when one room is done, you keep everything organized and neat, and not let clutter pile up at any time. Have three “time zones” in your house:
· Mail time – shred and recycle junk mail, and place bills and important letters in one place, such as an in-box in your home office.
· Meal time – Clean up dishes right away, and do a quick clean of the stove, sink, and counters. Sweep at least twice a week.
· Full time – Get the whole family involved in being proactive. If everyone is organized, it will 
help keep the house nice and neat.
By doing one thorough cleaning in small steps, making an organizational plan, and being proactive about not letting messes pile up, you can easily reclaim your messy home as a nice, neat one.
About The Author: Hughes Real Estate Group is a Boise real estate team servicing buyers and sellers in Idaho. If you’re looking for a great home in Idaho, you can visit Kevin’s website where you can search real estate including Boise homes, Meridian homes , Nampa homes , and Eagle homes.
