Tips & Trends - 02/2003

What's Behind The Closet Door?

When you have a showing, you probably make sure everything is tidy and clean. The dishes are put away, beds made, litter box cleaned. But, what about your closets? They'll look, you know. Storage is a number one priority with home buyers. They want to make sure they have a place to put their stuff. Will yours prove to be a selling point?

Here's how it goes. You get a phone call. Friends are dropping by for a few minutes, so you toss everything into the closet - toys, coats and whatever. When your guests leave, you swear you'll get to it tomorrow. Sometimes, tomorrow never comes. After a while, it becomes hard to close the door and you don't even remember what is in there. It's time to de-clutter and de-stress.

Everyone loves lots of closet space. It's where we keep clothing and shoes. It also provides storage for seasonal items, sports equipment, linens and the endless supply of home necessities. The problem is, it can become an 'out of sight, out of mind' issue. Since these things reside behind a closed door, we don't give them much thought until the day we absolutely have to have that one thing in the very back. It also becomes very important when you're selling your house.

It's not going to go away by itself, so take time to tackle it head on and get organized. Allow lots of time for this task. You probably won't be able to get through it in a day or even a weekend. Remember, it took you a long time to accumulate these items. You can't expect to clean them all out in a few hours. You might want to tackle this chore in chunks of time, allowing a few weekends to get totally through the process.

You'll find yourself agonizing over many decisions, but be brutal. The rule is, if you haven't worn it for 2 years, toss it. If it's a gift that Aunt Emma gave you 5 years ago that you'll never use, get rid of it. Pretend you're moving to smaller quarters, whether you are or not, and you can only take the things you truly love. If you're having trouble, enlist the help of a friend who can be relentless.

Begin with clothing and shoes. Most of us keep favorites around far too long. 'I'm sure I can get back into that dress as soon as.....' It's only taking up valuable space in your home. Donate it to a charity. Think about your lifestyle as you are making these choices. If your former employment was in an office and wore suits every day, but you now are employed in a more casual job, you need to pare down. Keep your favorite two suits and take the others to a second hand store or give them away. Retain clothing that works for your current way of living. Place everything in piles: (1) Keepers; (2) Maybes or Yard Sale; and (3) Donations. It might also help to obtain some of the organized storage available for closets. These are especially useful for those small items such as ties and belts. Everything will be neater and you'll be able to find things quicker.

Toys and seasonal items are a little more difficult. If your kids have outgrown those old skates, pass them down to a friend. Holiday decorations can tug at your heartstrings, but if they are broken or no longer hold their luster, get rid of them. If you cannot bear to part with them, pack them in a storage box. By the time you've finished your de-cluttering, you should have room left over. Books, toys and clothing that are going to a charity should be boxed up or placed in plastic bags. If you are considering a yard sale, try to tag as you go along.

Most of us are drowning in paper. When you start sorting through paperwork, promise yourself to handle each piece only once. Papers that belong to other family members should be sorted and then handed over to that individual. Control newspaper and magazine pile-up by vowing to discard each issue by the time the next one arrives. If it's Sunday, Saturday's paper goes, read or not. And if you didn't read those magazines last month, who's to say you'll have time for two issues this month? Some offices or charities are happy to have them, especially hospital waiting rooms. As for regular bills, they can be organized with a portable file box.

If all of this sounds too overwhelming, there are services you can hire to assist. It might be worth the price just to get you started. And it might make it easier to stay on track. It's best to get this all done before listing your house.
Copyright 2003 PropertySource Network