Declutter, COVID-19

Declutter & Organize to Feel Calmer When Uncertainty Strikes

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With so much uncertainty, fear and change happening all around us due to COVID-19, it’s easy to start feeling anxious, restless, and unproductive. Collectively, around the world, people are managing this challenging situation in different ways.

Here in Toronto, it’s the start of the March Break. What is normally a week off of school is now 3 weeks, due to COVID-19 concerns. Families often travel, kids go to camp or visit community centres, libraries, and cultural hubs. None of those options are available during this time.

Of course, we all agree that health comes first in our communities and we do what we can to help. The natural next question becomes, “What is the best way to manage this COVID-19 situation for myself and those around me?”

Followed by, “How can I be productive and make the most of this extended time at home?”

In addition to helpful ideas such as taking care of your body, staying active, gathering supplies, connecting with others, and avoiding media overload, there is one idea that resonates with us personally and professionally – DECLUTTER!

Now is a great time to conquer the cluttered areas in your home that have been on your to-do list!

Whatever form it takes – decluttering, tidying up, sorting, organizing – taking action that leads to immediate results will likely make you feel calmer, happier, and more in control of managing this unfamiliar situation.

10 Practical Ideas to Declutter & Organize Your Home:

  1. Sort through a pile of mail or paper. Look for paper in places it shouldn’t be (kitchen counter, dining room table, etc.) and quickly tackle that first. File, shred and recycle as needed.
  2. Front hall closet. Sort by season, keeping current items in baskets accessible and less used items in the back. Store off-season items elsewhere if too cluttered.
  3. Sort all items into categories (i.e. all spices in one place!) and remove anything that is old, expired, or unlikely to get used.
  4. Food storage containers. Stackable containers are best as they take up less space. For others, match bottoms with lid tops and recycle the loner misfits! Use a box or bin to contain them all.
  5. Linen closet clean-out. Decide what you use, check condition and sort by size. Donate any old and unused sets. Sort/organize other closet items in labelled containers.
  6. Bedroom closet. A wardrobe cleanse feels so good! Bring all items out and sort by type and then KonMari each piece (Does it bring you joy? Does it make you feel good, now?!) Donate/fix/discard clothes that are too old, out of style, damaged, or unflattering.
  7. Kids toys. Kids toys have a way of multiplying quickly! Find places to contain them and ask your kids to put things in the box/drawer/closet.
  8. Sitting down to a clean workspace feels great! Organize essential items that need to be on your desk and use drawers, shelves, bins or boxes to organize the rest.
  9. Digital files. Starting with your desktop files, file, scan or delete files. Create folders for key tasks and consider creating an action folder for only key items.
  10. Clean out your vehicle.Time to clear out all the things that don’t belong – papers, extra sunglasses, receipts, water bottles, food packaging, coins, etc.  Don’t forget the trunk!

Bonus Idea: Use Number-Based Challenges to Conquer Your Clutter

For example, take 30 minutes to gather up as many items you no longer need/use/like as you can. Or challenge your family to find a certain number of items that are no longer needed (100 is good!), or try the 20-20 challenge. This is where you decide on 20 items to put away and 20 items to give away. You can always adjust the numbers; the idea is to add some fun and challenge to decluttering!

Let’s Connect

As we all know, life can get so busy, so perhaps the COVID-19 situation enables us to get things done we normally don’t get done. As professional organizers, we know firsthand how a more organized home leads to better overall health and wellbeing so let’s make the most of our time at home during this challenging situation. Reach out to us if you have any questions, we’re always happy to help!

~ The Simply Home Downsizing Team

simply home downsizing how important is staging your home before selling

How Important Is Staging Your Home Before Selling?

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Home staging has been around for a long time for luxury properties but became popular for the common homeowner in the late 2000s. This is when real estate became a buyer’s market, which is our current market. So, how important is it to stage your home?

The Real Estate Market in the Digital Age

According to Royal LePage’s Kent Browne, “The Internet has changed the way we buy and sell homes and most real estate professionals believe home staging is critical to selling success. Almost all homebuyers begin their search online and are affected by first impressions. This means more people (not just the wealthy) are hiring professionals to help them create a good first impression so potential buyers will want to see their home in person.”

It also comes down to time. People are busy. They don’t really want to walk into a home and make a list of all the things that need fixing. Most people would like to move into a home that’s ready to be lived in. They need to imagine what that looks and feels like, which requires removing much of the seller’s own furniture, décor and personal items.

Did You Know?!

A Duke University survey rated the importance buyers and sellers place on staging and found the most important rooms to be staged for buyers were the living room, kitchen, master bedroom, dining room, bathroom, children’s bedroom, and guest bedroom.

The top three factors that influenced decisions were:

  • Removing personal items (including evidence of pets)
  • Using rooms as they were intended
  • Turning all the lights on during showings

The study revealed that most buyers form an opinion about a home within the first 7-10 seconds of arriving.

Time is Money

When it comes to the selling price, time is also of the essence. According to Nina Doiron from Real Estate Magazine, “It’s common in real estate to recommend a price reduction of two per cent for every two weeks that a property is not sold. For example, if a property is priced at $500,000, a two per cent reduction means $10,000. If it doesn’t sell then, another two per cent is recommended, which equates to another $9,800, bringing the total reduction to $19,800 after four weeks on the market.”

According to stagedhome.com statistics, “Home staging can help reduce a property’s listing time on the market by 30 to 50 per cent and could deliver a price that is six to 20 per cent more than a vacant home or a home that is not properly staged.”

Based on controlled tests selling identical homes carried out by the Real Estate Staging Association (RESA), professionally staged houses sold in 45 days vs. non-staged houses, which sold in 102 days. Sellers who spent $500 on staging recovered over 343% of the cost when they sold their home. (Homegain.com).

Of course, there is a buyer out there for every property, so not staging your home is always an option, but it may take longer and you may not be able to get the price you are hoping for. At a minimum, you should de-clutter every living space by a minimum of 30 to 50 per cent and create a warm and inviting space for buyers to see the potential in the home for themselves.

According to National Association of Realtors (NAR) President Chris Polychron, “staging is an excellent tool that can be used to give a home a little extra push for sellers… the impact it may have and the value it can bring is clear to both home buyers and sellers.”

Case Study – Emma

The Challenge

Emma, the executor of her recently deceased mother’s estate, was feeling very overwhelmed and emotional about the process of selling her mom’s condo. The 2-bedroom plus den condo, although very clean, neat, and well cared for, was lacking a modern look so the goal was to find “something” to wow people when they come through to view the space.

The Solution

The Simply Home team came in to de-clutter and remove all personal items, such as family photos and outdated décor accessories that filled tables, shelves and cupboards. Larger furniture was removed to better showcase the layout, size and flow of this great space. New décor, including artwork, pillows, throws, and crisp white bedding and towels, were added to update the space.

The Result

A condo that showed better and sold within a week for $60K above asking, making the agent and client very happy. This success story can be attributed in large part to the process of de-cluttering and staging, a process that delivers a good return on investment every time.

Upon selling the condo, a MaxSold online auction was held to clear the contents of the entire condo in time for closing.

How We Can Help

Whether you need to de-clutter in advance of staging or need our creative staging services, our team of experienced professionals will guide you carefully and comfortably to your desired result. Contact us today to learn more about our services.

~ The Simply Home Team

essentialism simply home toronto downsizing

More Clarity, Less Clutter Through Essentialism

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Do you ever feel the relentless pressure to do, and have, it all? Or feel overwhelmed by the prospect of de-cluttering and pairing down what you own? Do you find it hard to keep your momentum going once you start?

If you are committed to de-cluttering your belongings, streamlining your space, and letting go of the things you no longer need, these feeling are natural. To combat what I deem progress inhibitors, you may want to consider the way of the Essentialist.

Based on ideas of Essentialism: The Disciplined Pursuit of Less by Greg McKeown and my own personal experiences as an organizer, the philosophy of “less, but better” truly can help. It allows us gain more clarity, control and joy throughout the process of streamlining our space, belongings, and life.

So, what is Essentialism? According to McKeown, it’s the “systematic discipline of exploring what is absolutely essential, eliminating everything else, and executing a clear plan towards success.”

Why choose essentialism?

By doing so, we can actively choose to live by design; rather than by default, and reclaim control over our choices. Sounds like a great approach. But as we know, it’s not always easy to implement good ideas. Realistic goals must be set, decisions must be made, and courage is required.

McKeown teaches that the essentialist uses a disciplined 3-step approach to evaluate the use of any given thing in your life. Using a closet bursting at the seams with clothes, accessories and more (feel free to substitute any other cluttered space you might have!), below is an example of how to tackle the de-cluttering of that closet using this approach.

Step 1: Explore and Evaluate

Start with your end goal in mind. Ask yourself: How do I want to feel when I open my closet? What items need to be easily accessible? How do I deal with things I no longer need or use? How much time and effort should/can I put into this process? What will be my biggest challenge in all of this?

Step 2: Eliminate

Actively sort clothes & accessories into keep, donate and undecided piles. For the undecided pile, pick up each item and ask, “Would I buy this item at full price if I didn’t already have it?” “Does this item bring me joy?” (Thanks Marie Kondo for popularizing this phrase!) And “Is this representative of me at this time in my life?”

Step 3: Execute

Systematize your actions to stay sorted, tidy and organized. Maybe it’s a one item in, one item out policy, or a monthly purge or seasonal edit – do whatever works for you. Keeping a reusable bag close by for unused items and making sure you know where and when to drop off/donate these things, helps. Removing obstacles (i.e.: not enough time, competing interests, lack of initiative, feeling overwhelmed) and celebrating small wins (i.e.: “I donated two bags to a women’s shelter”) are keys to staying motivated and committed to the process.

This 3-step Essentialist approach takes focus, commitment and stamina to be carried out successfully. Knowing what activities and efforts are needed to keep progressing is key. It ensures that there will be fewer roadblocks in the way.

“It’s like dislodging a boulder at the top of a hill – all it takes is a small shove and then momentum naturally builds,” says McKeown.

Keep At It!

Sometimes we get off to a great start, but then become stuck in indecision. It usually sounds something like this: “I may need this in the future,” “My grandmother gave this to me,” or “My kids might want this.” What to do then?

Try the 90 percent rule. When making decisions, think about the single most important criterion for that decision and give it a score between 0 – 100. If you rate it below 90, it automatically becomes a 0 and you reject it – no more should I or shouldn’t I with something that rates 65%! So, if wearability is your most important criterion, pick up the item, score it out of 100. If it scores above 90, keep it, if below 90, time to let it go.

Although our lives aren’t static like the clothes in our closet, we can use the same Essentialist approach of exploring & evaluating options, eliminating the unnecessary, and executing the plan when it comes to making life decisions. Only we know what is essential in our lives, and hopefully an essentialist approach can help us achieve more clarity and joy, with less stress and clutter. In order to live to our highest potential. Remember, less but better.

Whether you need to organize your own space, help a loved one move into a smaller home, or manage an estate clearing, our team of experienced professionals will guide you carefully and comfortably to your desired result. Contact us today to learn more about our services.

~ The Simply Home Team

How Organizing is Like Laundry and Working Out

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I think we all agree that to wear clean clothes, laundry has to be done regularly. I’d also assume that in order to improve our physical health, we have to work out regularly. The same applies to organizing, if you want to make real progress.

You can’t collect, sort, clean and fold the laundry once and expect that your clothes will be forever clean and put away (wouldn’t that be nice?!), nor can you do 20 push-ups and run on the treadmill for 15 minutes and expect significant physical improvement in your body.

These jobs are never done. For noticeable progress and lasting impact, they require on-going maintenance – these are not one-time events.

The same applies to decluttering and organizing. You need to make the process a regular habit to see significant progress.

The initial decluttering process, which involves taking all of your belongings out, sorting “like with like”, deciding what to keep/donate/recycle/return/dispose of, takes the most time, and major progress can be made after the first round of decluttering. Completing this in every part of your home is a big win so celebrate your efforts here.

However, to continue enjoying the benefits of your newly decluttered and organized space, you must create a maintenance strategy to keep it going. This step, unfortunately, often gets missed. If we don’t plan for maintaining the order, things will slowly start to clutter up your home. Life happens, stuff piles up.

The good news is maintenance doesn’t have to take a long time. It could be 10 minutes a day, or a few hours one the weekend. Having a plan is what counts.

Using the same decluttering and organizing principles that you started with, take the time to put things in their place and let go of any unwanted items on a regular basis. Just as you must sort, wash, dry, fold, and put away your clothes, or go through your workout regularly to achieve results, so must you make decluttering a regular habit.

If this just seems like too much, consider getting help; professional organizers like myself are trained to keep things organized once a system has been set up. Knowing that maintenance will be an issue, what can you do to ensure you get the best results from your decluttering and organizing efforts?

Happy to hear your comments, feedback and suggestions below or email us to learn more. info@simplyhomeinc.ca