As your North Shorereal estate agent, allow me to fill you in on some great reasons to declutter, and to offer you some tips. The hardest part is beginning the process.
Why should you declutter? Aside from home sellers and movers, all homeowners could benefit from the process. Once you have less stuff lying around, clogging up your spaces, you’ll have less to keep organized, less to clean, less to stress about, more space to enjoy, and more financial freedom if you also stop purchasing stuff you don’t really need!
Here are some great tips to get you started on the decluttering process:
1. Start with what you can manage. If it’s only five minutes you can spare each day, start with that. If you can spare a half hour or hour each day, do that, but plug it into your calendar and stick to the schedule. If it’s only one weekend day you can lend to the process, do that. Just stick with it!
2. Donate items you no longer need. This way, you’ll feel good about giving the items to someone else who might get more use and value from them. Give one item away a day, or if you’re on a time crunch, fill boxes as you go. Find a great organization to donate to. You could always sell items as well. Extra money always comes in handy and gives you motivation!
3. Spend time on closets, drawers, cabinets, etc. Anywhere you’ve stuffed/stored stuff will take some time to go through. Try clothes on and get rid of anything that you haven’t worn or that hasn’t fit for the last six months to a year. Same goes for kitchen appliances. If you haven’t used them, time to give away!
4. Take photos. Take photos of a space before you declutter it, and then after you declutter and organize it. This will give you inspiration to keep going, once you see how much better a space looks and how much potential it has when it isn’t stuffed to the brim!
5. View your home as a first-time visitor. This is especially smart if selling soon. See the house from the eyes of potential buyers. You’ll notice eyesores that you’ve gotten used to and glazed over. Spend time on those areas. If this is hard for you to do, ask a friend to point out areas in your home that need help.
These tips will get you started on the decluttering process! When ready to buy and/or sell real estate in Glencoe, Winnetka, Highland Park, Deerfield, Northbrook, Lake Forest, Wilmette, Evanston, Glenview, Riverwoods, Bannockburn, or other North Shore communities, give me a call, your North Shore real estate agent! I am always here and ready to answer any questions you have, or to get you started on your goals in the North Shore real estate market.
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