Real Estate Matters
By Elisa Jo Eagan
What words would you use to describe your home? If you said peaceful, clean, inviting, or organized, congratulations – it sounds like you have cracked the declutter code. If you said chaotic, overwhelming, or messy, let’s chat.
Of course it is perfectly natural for your home to alternate through phases of clean and cluttered; we are all human, after all. Whether you may be thinking about selling your home, or just for everyday living, here are some strategies for streamlining your space.
Entryway
Establish a landing area for your keys, wallet, purse and shoes. A console table with a small bowl can hold keys, or a tiny hook on the wall will suffice if the space is small. If you don’t have a coat closet, install hooks along one wall and slide a shoe rack underneath it.
Kitchen
Let the decanting begin. Choose some jars of various sizes to hold grains, nuts, seeds, pasta and flour. To store smaller amounts, you can save money by soaking off the labels of pasta sauce or pickle jars. This will not only make your pantry look more cohesive, but it will also make it much easier to know what you need at the grocery store to replenish your supplies.
Living Room
One word: curate. Pretend that you are staging your living room as if it were an Airbnb. How do you want guests to feel in the space? Think about how you would like to create an atmosphere that is comfortable, more livable and inviting.
Bedroom
Are you overwhelmed by the amount of clothing in your closet? Consider a capsule wardrobe of about 30 coordinated pieces that will make getting ready for each day much simpler. Try designating a “maybe” bin; if you don’t miss the items of clothing in the bin for a few days, you know it is time to donate them. Your bedroom should be created as a safe haven.
Bathroom
Create peace and tranquility. Change your habitat instead of your habits. If your dirty clothes always find their way onto the bathroom floor, move your laundry basket more conveniently into the bathroom. Do you have half-full bottles of shampoo that you partially used and face masks that you are not using? Just like Elsa from “Frozen” sings; – “Let it go… let it go.”
Think of decluttering your home as a journey and not a destination. It is a constant process of assessing your habits and establishing systems, like taking out the trash every Tuesday and donating what may be of good use to others to your local charitable organizations and thrift shops. Go forth and declutter.
For real estate information and advice, contact Elisa Jo Eagan, the “Real Estate Godmother,” at 609-703-0432. Learn more at www.TheRealEstateGodmother.com.
For More Real Estate Questions, Information and Advice Contact Elisa Jo Eagan “The Real Estate Godmother” (609)703-0432 and Remember…”There’s No Place Like Owning Your Own Home!”
