Decluttering for Staging (and Life!)
Keeping our things perfectly in order while navigating parenthood is a daunting task at the best of times. When we’re trying to sell a house, it’s a whole new ball game. Whether you’re simply thinking about a spring refresh, or preparing your home to sell, here are our go-to strategies to streamline and make the most of your space. Use these ideas to reset your space, and support daily tidying habits that will take your home from lived in to perfectly neat in a hurry:
1. Ensure you have adequate storage space…and use it well! A lack of storage, or even an overflowing storage space has a spillover effect on the rest of the house so it’s important to deal with this area to set yourself up for success. Assess your home to identify any under-utilized areas that you could be tapping into, and if your home’s storage options are tight, rent a locker or pull in a favour from friends/family for an agreed upon period of time. Use what space you have for things you know you’ll need in the future. Before keeping anything on hand ‘just in case,’ factor in the value of your space and the time required to deal with it.
2. Pack up items that aren’t regularly in use. Rotating seasonal items in and out of prime spaces between use is an effective way to make space for your essentials. Likewise, you may have items that are no longer age-appropriate or relevant for your current lifestyle. Keeping these things in clearly labelled bins in your storage space is your best bet. Here are the most common categories I find unnecessarily crowding the spaces you use most:
Festive holiday-themed books, décor, accessories, and serveware
Seasonal clothes, shoes, accessories and outerwear
Outgrown baby books and toys
Health & fitness items that aren’t part of your current routine
3. Cull the kitchen. Pare down what you keep in these prime cabinets by donating or storing anything non-essential. This will help you free up space for tucking daily use items and bulky appliances away and off the counter-tops. Here are the most common kitchen clutter causes you can start scouting out now:
Duplicate kitchen items (particularly if you haven’t done a thorough edit since merging kitchens with a partner or spouse)
Collectible drinkware (beer, shot, wine glasses and water bottles—those souvenirs or gifts that aren’t in use)
Vases, candles and decor
Old electronic accessories
Gimmicky gadets that have limited use and are easily forgotten when the time comes
Extra takeout containers and disposable cutlery you will never have a need for
4. Consolidate what’s left. Get rid of excess packaging and group like things together to use cabinets and drawers more efficiently.
5. Edit and refresh personal items. Depersonalizing is a common step in the staging process so others can more easily imagine being at home in your space. Whether preparing for sale or doing a seasonal refresh, take time to display personal items with purpose:
Photos & mementos - Curate what’s on display, to appeal to your target buyer. If it’s for you and your family, refresh around the people and memories you want to keep front and centre.
Papers, mail & task reminders - establish a system in a drawer, cupboard or basket so you can keep what’s important handy and easily tuck it out of sight.
6. Rearrange and restyle furniture and accessories. Use what you have in new ways to optimize your home’s unique focal points and functionality. Pack up excess décor items, limiting what you leave out on surfaces to a select few pieces that help your space’s best features shine.
Truth be told, when we sold our house in Toronto at the peak of the market, even as a professional organizer I was grateful to have my family out of there and the whole home staged. But given current days on market trends, preparing for an occupied staging is more important than ever.
Looking for guidance and helping hands to prepare an occupied staging? Check out our services and contact us for a free consultation and quote.