Think of the onion. By pulling back the onion skin and first layer, a fresh onion is revealed, ready to prep in your favorite dishes. Same for garlic. When cooked slowly, both sweeten and enhance the flavor of the dish.

The same can apply to your home. By peeling back the layers, you can refresh your house and life. Like slow cooking, this process can take time unless on a deadline, like selling your house.

As a professional stager, it is exciting to see the results of my clients following instructions and revealing their refreshed home. It saddens me that this happens right before listing the house for sale. The comment I hear often is, “We should have been living like this all along”.

Whether you are prepping to sell or dwell the tasks are similar. For selling, it is to appeal to the desired lifestyle of the target market of your house. For dwelling, it is to accommodate the lifestyle of the homeowners. It is never too early to start the process of staging your house. The benefit: enjoy your house while living in it.

 

Make a list

List all tasks: clean, repair, replace, refresh and paint both interior, exterior and property. Decide if you can do it yourself or hire a professional and start scheduling.

List all items to get rid of. If you do not need, use or want it, get rid of it. You are living in a house not a storage facility.

What to do with the stuff? First see if anyone you know wants any of it. If there is value, you may try selling or consigning, posting online or a yard sale. For donations, check protocols of each organization. Remember your trash may be someone’s treasure but sometimes trash is trash. Extreme cases may need a clean out service.

 

Different strokes for different folks

Whether your style preference is minimalist or maximalist, creating a functioning space to meet your lifestyle is the goal. Surrounding yourself with items you love is rewarding and comforting. The problem is if the contents become excessive, you no longer see the house, just the stuff, especially in Real Estate.

 

For Real Estate Prep

Staging peels back the layers of each room to showcase the architectural features. Removing visual clutter, lightening up each room, especially for the listing photos, is a game changer. During the Prelisting Consultation, I give 2 sets of instructions: What to do to prep the house for sale and What to do the day the house is photographed. Pro Tip: Find a Realtor that markets with a Professional Real Estate Photographer.

 

Less Is More

“How do you organize and declutter to live in a ‘less is more environment’?

The short answer is by having less in your environment to organize, clean and maintain. Start with one drawer or closet by making piles: TRASH, DONATE, SELL. Check it off your list but keep at task. Clutter eats equity in the value of your home and quality of life.