Real Estate Blog

Now that the holidays are over you may be getting ready to start your search for a new home or just trying to make your current space better serve your family’s needs.  After the holidays, many are trying to find “homes” for all of the new gifts received and put away decorations.  This process can take some time, especially if you have more items than space!  The one major way to regain some space and perhaps a new perspective on your current living space is to declutter.  If you are thinking of moving, do you want to pack and move items that you haven’t used in a long time or that you know your family no longer needs?  If you plan on staying in your current home and just want your space to be more calm and useful, you may want to re-evaluate the items you are storing to determine what could be rearranged, discarded or donated.

Although you may not have the time to devote to a full KonMari “tidying” project, don’t underestimate the power of starting the process on a smaller scale to regain some valuable space and calm in your home.  As you move through your home, think about the areas that cause the most frustration and how removing unnecessary items would make the space more pleasant or efficient.  Do you have to park your car outside in the cold because your garage is full of items you rarely use?  Do you avoid preparing meals in your kitchen because you don’t want to search through the pantry?  Do you have kitchen items stored in another part of your home?  Does it take you forever to choose something to wear because there are so many items in your closet that you are overwhelmed or do you wear the same few items because they are easily accessible?

The best way to start the decluttering process is to decide what to keep, move, donate or discard as you sort through items in your home.  Whether you start with a room or drawer, have a plan about what happens to the items you find in each space.  A good place to start would be with duplicate or excess items.  Also think about where items are stored and try to keep similar items together so you know what you have after you have finished this process.  Some people may have a difficult time getting rid of items they feel are “valuable”.  How valuable could something be to you or your family if it has been stored in a box that hasn’t been opened in years or buried in the back of a closet?  Could those items be more useful to another person or family?  If you don’t immediately know someone who could benefit from your excess items, remember that there are many organizations that will be happy to get your donations and many offer free pick-up services!

Once you declutter, be vigilant about what comes back in to your home!  Think carefully before accepting items from others who are cleaning out their spaces.  Just because an item is “free” doesn’t always make it a good value if you must store it and will rarely use it!  If you buy something new that will require storage, think about what you could pass along to make room for the new item.  Keep in mind that everyone in the space should be involved in making decluttering decisions for their own items as well as maintaining the new space that has been created. 

...."You've Got A Friend in Real Estate"   #doyouknowjarod

Jarod Tanksley 615.403.8265

www.BrentwoodandBeyond.com (more Blogs and helpful info)

Brentview Realty 615.373.2814

    A New Year, A “New” Space?

Now that the holidays are over you may be getting ready to start your search for a new home or just trying to make your current space better serve your family’s needs.  After the holidays, many are trying to find “homes” for all of the new gifts received and put away decorations.  This process can take some time, especially if you have more items than space!  The one major way to regain some space and perhaps a new perspective on your current living space is to declutter.  If you are thinking of moving, do you want to pack and move items that you haven’t used in a long time or that you know your family no longer needs?  If you plan on staying in your current home and just want your space to be more calm and useful, you may want to re-evaluate the items you are storing to determine what could be rearranged, discarded or donated.

Although you may not have the time to devote to a full KonMari “tidying” project, don’t underestimate the power of starting the process on a smaller scale to regain some valuable space and calm in your home.  As you move through your home, think about the areas that cause the most frustration and how removing unnecessary items would make the space more pleasant or efficient.  Do you have to park your car outside in the cold because your garage is full of items you rarely use?  Do you avoid preparing meals in your kitchen because you don’t want to search through the pantry?  Do you have kitchen items stored in another part of your home?  Does it take you forever to choose something to wear because there are so many items in your closet that you are overwhelmed or do you wear the same few items because they are easily accessible?

The best way to start the decluttering process is to decide what to keep, move, donate or discard as you sort through items in your home.  Whether you start with a room or drawer, have a plan about what happens to the items you find in each space.  A good place to start would be with duplicate or excess items.  Also think about where items are stored and try to keep similar items together so you know what you have after you have finished this process.  Some people may have a difficult time getting rid of items they feel are “valuable”.  How valuable could something be to you or your family if it has been stored in a box that hasn’t been opened in years or buried in the back of a closet?  Could those items be more useful to another person or family?  If you don’t immediately know someone who could benefit from your excess items, remember that there are many organizations that will be happy to get your donations and many offer free pick-up services!

Once you declutter, be vigilant about what comes back in to your home!  Think carefully before accepting items from others who are cleaning out their spaces.  Just because an item is “free” doesn’t always make it a good value if you must store it and will rarely use it!  If you buy something new that will require storage, think about what you could pass along to make room for the new item.  Keep in mind that everyone in the space should be involved in making decluttering decisions for their own items as well as maintaining the new space that has been created. 

...."You've Got A Friend in Real Estate" 

Jarod Tanksley 615.403.8265

www.BrentwoodandBeyond.com (more Blogs and helpful info)

Brentview Realty 615.373.2814