You're getting ready to put your home on the market and your agent says the words you've been dreading - you need to declutter in order to make your home look bigger. This is one time where throwing every thing in your closet won't work because buyers open every closet and cupboard, so don't go shoving your sweaters in the drawer below the stove. I have an almost painless way to de-clutter your closets.
1. Sort
The first step is to take everything out of your closet, one item at a time. As you grab the item, put it in one of five piles, "Keep", "Donate", "Trash", "Out of Season", "Belongs some where else". Remember don't over think this, immediately place it in the right pile.
2. Disperse
First place the donate and trash items in bags or boxes and take them to your car or the trash can immediately. Next, box up your out of season items, these will need to go to short term storage. In this instance, out of season is anything you won't use during the time your home is on the market, scrap books, cookie cutters and roasting pans are examples of things I would call out of season for a spring/summer move. Consider having a pod brought in because your pod can be stored and then moved to your new home when you are ready for it. Now you're left with your "Keep" stack. I want you to go through this pile one more time and make sure it is worthy of a place in your closet, if you can't remember the last time you used an item or wore it but you're not ready to get rid of it put it in a box with today's date, seal it up and send it off to storage or stack it neatly in your garage. If you don't open the box in 1 month donate the box unopened. Trust me, you won't remember it and you probably won't miss it.
3. Put it All Away
For clothes and coat closets buy matching slim hangers, hang your clothing together by color and make sure everything is facing the same way. This looks great and it makes the buyer think that the closet is magical because chances are their closet doesn't look that way. Place items back on shelves neatly, also categorized, put the stuff you use the most often in the most accessible locations, bulky stuff down low and light stuff up high. Don't overcrowd your shelves. Remember the idea is that you have so much storage space you could never fill it all up.
Final thoughts, it is alright to use clever storage pieces to make up more room. Consider boxing up some books and putting bins on the shelves to hold office supplies or other odds and ends. A storage ottoman or under bed storage bins can hold your spare shoes and free up room in the closet. Also, this is a great time to edit your toiletries, make-up, drugs and bathroom paraphernalia, I don't know why but the bathroom cabinets and vanities never seem to get cleared out and this is a room you want to shine.
Good luck on your move, although with all the extra space you now have you might want to rethink leaving.
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