Have you ever walked into a home with piles upon piles of clutter? Have you ever walked into a home with too many gadgets out or mail all over the counters? Do those homes feel warm, welcoming, and peaceful to you? When trying to attract a future buyer to your home you want them to envision their potential life there, not to be distracted by your clutter. In this article, we will discuss a 7-day game plan on organizing your home space by space.  

Day 1 – Entry or Mudroom 

You might enter your home through the front door, the side door, or even a garage, regardless, the last thing you want to see is a mess. The first impression of your home should be welcoming, not chaotic. What can you do to organize an entry?  

1. Sort and eliminate: Go through coats, boots, helmets, backpacks, umbrellas, etc. Donate what you do not use any longer.  

2. Organize: buy wall hooks or shelving to store what you have left in your entry.  

3. Accessorize: Get a cute welcome mat to keep shoes on. Nothing says “Welcome To Our Home” more than a nice fresh mat. 

Day 2 – Basement, Garage, and Attic 

These often overlooked spaces can become a dumping ground for excess stuff. Often so much stuff is crammed into these spaces that you cannot even tell how big the space is! 

1. Sort and eliminate: Donate what you no longer use and categorize what you do use.  

2. Store: Buy totes and organize what is left by season, holiday, type, etc. Label the totes for easy access in the future. 

Day 3 – Closets 

Do you still have clothes that you have not worn in 10 years as well as 4 sizes too big or small? Most of us do.  

1. Sort and eliminate: Only keep what you love – life is too short to wear clothes that you hate or are not functional! Rule of thumb: If you have not worn it in 6 months, eliminate. 

2. Donate: Items that can be used  someone else can be donated to a local charity or Goodwill. 

3. Update those hangers: Did you know that if you have clothing hangers that are all the same color that it looks more neat, cohesive, and all over a bigger space? Try buying all white, or black hangers and see the difference!  

Day 4 – Bedrooms 

Do you think your bedroom is organized? Think again! 

1. Under your bed: What is under your bed? Take everything out, sort and eliminate, then put what remains in rolling totes. This makes accessing these items easier in the future. 

2. Jewelry: Stop throwing all of your jewelry in a drawer! After you sort and eliminate, organize your jewelry in containers or display them beautifully and artfully.  

Day 5 – Office Space 

With a lot of us working from home during COVID and beyond, our home office might have become overrun!  

1. Sort and eliminate: Go through paperwork and files. Properly dispose of outdated documents.  

2. Organize: Buy file holders or a stylish filing cabinet. Organize by topic or alphabetically.  

Day 6 – Bathrooms 

Do you have so many products that they fall out of your vanity? We have all been there. Try these steps to solve that problem. 

1. Sort and eliminate: Throw away expired products or products that you no longer use. Sort what is left by category, makeup, skin, hair, body, etc. 

2. Organize: Buying simple containers and baskets to fit inside your vanity will make a world of difference. Keep products in baskets or containers by category and never misplace anything again! 

Day 7 – The Kitchen 

Often the most used and most cluttered space in the home.  

1. Sort and eliminate food: Start with food – go through and toss any expired goods, from canned food to boxed food, fridge, and freezer items.  

2. Containers: Do you have 6 Tupperware lids and 8 containers? Yeah, that’s common. Match up what you have with their lids and toss what does not have a match. 

3. Small appliances: 2 handheld mixers? Do you need both? Donate one or toss it if it no longer works. There is no reason to have 2 of everything when there is only 1 household.  

After this week of decluttering and organizing your home will be ready to welcome prospective buyers! Every room that they walk into will welcome them and make them feel like they can make your house their home.  

For more tips and tricks on prepping your house for sale, follow our blog.  

Considering selling your home soon and do not know where to start? Connect with us today and we will be happy to help you get started. Beyond 404 Realty specializes in helping those ready to take their next step in the DFW(Forney, Terrell, Rockwall, Crandall, Talty, Mesquite and Garland) area.