15 Tips to Declutter

We know that de-cluttering your home is one of the best things you can do to help sell it. Here are some tips to help tidy up and make your home more streamlined.

1. Stash tote bags for every activity you or your kids regularly participate near the door, in the garage or best yet, in the trunk of your car.
2. If you don’t travel often store out of season clothes in your suit cases.
3. If you are clearing out your closet and debating whether to keep an item of clothing, ask yourself if you have at least 3 other things that it can be worn with. If not, ditch it!
4. Create a sorting system – get 3 boxes or storage bins and lable them “Keep”, “Get Rid Of” and “Storage”. Get Rid Of items can be subdivided depending on whether they are donatable or saleable or just to be thrown away.
5. See shapes not things. If you have a group of things that are shaped similarly, example wine glasses or storage jars, look at how to fit the shapes together cleanly.
6. We only wear 20% of the clothes we own 80% of the time! The same is true with many other things such as books, DVDs toys etc. Your goal should be to only keep that 20%!
7. Think about the last time you used something – if is has been more than 6 months, consider getting rid of it.
8. Clear and clean flat surfaces – this will instantly make your home seem larger and cleaner. This is especially true for kitchens and bathrooms.
9. Clean up the papers in your office by sorting them into three piles: File, To-Do and Trash. Then do “it”.
10. Manage your electrical cords – go online to find a cord management product.
11. Declutter multiple bathrooms at once. Start by pulling everything out of the closets so you can see what duplicates you have between all the bathrooms.
12. Go through your basement and garage and identify things you haven’t used in the last 5 years – time for them to go!
13. Get rid of any duplicate things that you don’t expect to use in the next 3-5 years.
14. Stop clutter coming in – ask yourself if you really need something. Can you rent or borrow it?
15. Rent a dumpster – you will feel obligated to fill it and you will therefore be more strict with yourself!

Now imagine you are having an open house and seeing your house for the first time. You may find you can do even more!