3 Simple Ways to Reduce Clutter before a Showing

by Carolyn Kay 09/12/2021

Photo by Monkey Business Images via Shutterstock

It’s easy for a home to get out of hand with all the things that come through the door every week. Here are a few tips for keeping up with the never-ending clutter that enters your home.

Create a Shoe Station

Set up a location at each entry door for family members and guests to remove shoes and boots. Keeping dirt and debris at the entry and not trekked into the house reduces how often you must clean. It also keeps allergens, toxins and grime off your carpet and away from your family.

Organize the Paper

While newspapers are a thing of the past for most households, junk-mail, circulars and bills seem to keep coming. First, unsubscribe from any magazines and catalogs that you don’t want or use. Then, set up a table or shelf near the door to sort your mail. Toss the circulars and shred the junk mail before it gets further into the room. Sign up for electronic versions of your bills to reduce those as well.

Nix Junk Drawers

Everyone has at least one, and many folks have one in every room … it’s those pesky drawers, baskets or bins that fill up with pens, buttons, receipts, tape, scissors, batteries and random indeterminate objects you think might be important. They take up space but don’t contribute to organization. Start with the smallest one. Remove any receipts and take a picture of them with your phone. Then toss the receipt. If it’s important, you have the details and won’t worry if the thermal paper fades to an unreadable blur.

Next, test all the pens and pencils. If they’re broken or inkless, toss them. Find a small box to store all the batteries in one place. As you move from room to room, collect the batteries and organize them in the box to store on a shelf. Electronic items such as charger cords and blocks belong in another box.

These three simple hacks go a long way toward helping you keep your home in order. That way, when it comes time to sell, you’re ready for the surprise visit from a buyer or the call from your agent when you’re far from home. Ask your real estate professional about other ideas to keep your home show-ready.

Cleaning Tip

Clutter

About the Author

Carolyn Kay

As a Real Estate professional, I specialize in helping my clients buy, rent or sell properties in Westchester County. I am passionate, dedicated and committed to my clients and my first priority is to provide them with first class service and guidance throughout the entire process. It has been said that I go above and beyond for my clients to get the deal closed! I have experience working with clients who have financed their purchases with either a conventional, VA or FHA loan and have a good understanding of how they work; no sale is too big or too small for me to take on. My family and I relocated to England for 2 ½ years, this was a wonderful experience but at the same time, it was overwhelming. I have first hand knowledge of the challenges as well as the positives in discovering a new community. I was born and raised in Scarsdale and once married, my husband and I decided to raise our two daughters here. Both of our daughters successfully graduated from the Scarsdale schools and are both married, living and working in Manhattan. After living in the same house for 30 years my husband and I took the leap, sold our home and bought and renovated a condo townhouse in another town. Once again we are discovering a new community and fully understand the highs and lows of selling a home we loved and buying and making a new home. I feel that my personal real estate experiences have made me more in tune with my client’s needs and therefore better able to help them navigate through the complex process. Please call me so that I can put my knowledge and experience to work for you.