The Organized Move: Preparing Your Home for the Public's Eye

Article by: Bridget Messino

(This is the first in a series of three articles on "The Organized Move")

The thought of moving can set most of us in a tailspin, but what is more frightening is imagining the parade of realtors and home , Refrigerator Cleaning 101 buyers marching through your very personal space and judging you on: neatness, maintenance and upkeep, and tasteful dÃƒÂ©cor. (There will be a handful of buyers that are looking for a "fixer upper" and projects that last for years, but unfortunately only two exist to date).

So let's discuss a few easy tips , Getting a Handle on Cabinet Knobs to get your home , How to Plumb a New Bath Tub in market condition. Remember -- realtors and prospective homebuyers can tell how a home , Maximize Your Space has been cared for over the years. If your home , Refrigerator Cleaning 101 is in need of major repairs , Bathroom Renovations it is always best to consult a professional to ensure proper technique and installation.

The month before you list your home, , Air Cleaner Filters walk around with a notepad and write down everything that is in need of some minor repair , Inexpensive Comfort Found In Portable Air Conditioners or a little freshening up. It is very natural , Bamboo Flooring - The "Other" Wood to focus on just the main living areas of your home , How I Got A Robot To Vacuum The House and forget about the closets and storage areas, but this is a big mistake. In every home , Central Air Conditioners I ever bought or sold closets and storage areas were part of the public viewing. So lets divide the space of your home , Refrigerator Cleaning 101 and get moving:

Bedrooms

Check all the bedrooms and pay particular attention to the closets. This is a great time to review the contents and do a major purge. The fewer items that are crammed in your closet, the fewer things you have to pack and your closet will appear larger to a buyer. Set a pickup date with your local , Getting Started With Home Improvement Ideas charity -- this gives a little extra motivation to get those closets in order. Out of season , Kitchen Renovation clothes should be packed up and if possible stored at a very kind relative or friend's home. , Light Up Your Life

Take a similar approach to shelves and dressers and any other surfaces in the rooms. , Bamboo Flooring - Is It For You? Clutter is a real turnoff for a lot of people. Pack up the unwieldy collections and neatly organize what is left.

Bathrooms

Check for any leaks, cracks and discoloration on all your plumbing , Solar Home Improvements and Tax Deductions fixtures. Spend a little extra time cleaning the mirrors and the lights , Solar Outdoor ing Tips And Ideas (this can really make your bathroom , Light Up Your Life sparkle). If your beauty products , Make The Most Of Your Basement are all over the bathroom , Central Air Conditioners vanity consider purchasing an inexpensive caddie to hold your products , Bamboo Flooring - Is It For You? so they can be swiftly tucked away for a showing.

Family Room/ Living Room

Get rid of anything that makes the rooms , How to Plumb a New Bath Tub look crowded or dated. Window , Kitchen Renovation coverings can either make or break a space. Heavy and dated curtains can be taken down to allow natural , Caring For Your Suit light in. It is very important to air , Solar Outdoor Lighting Tips And Ideas out the home , Kitchen Design - How a Kitchen Designer Closes a Sale on a regular basis. Also consider using one of the products , Getting Started With Home Improvement Ideas on the market to eliminate odors from carpets, , Bathroom Renovations drapes and upholstery. If you or family members are smokers, consider smoking outside , Bathroom Renovations until your home , Inspection Basics is sold. Pet owners send the dog off to the groomer for a bath and regularly change , Tips In Choosing Area Rugs the cat's litter box.

Kitchen

Check that all cabinets are clean inside , Refrigerator Cleaning 101 and out, as well as in good working order. The contents should be arranged in an orderly manner. You wouldn't want your cereal boxes falling on a buyer's head. This is an excellent time to donate small appliances, dishes, and glassware you have not used in years. If you are doing a long distance move and using a professional mover, they charge by weight. In my book this is a huge motivator not to move something that I am not 100% sure I will ever use again.

Keep the counters clear; this can be a difficult task for busy people who are accustomed to using this space as their personal catchall. Keep a few empty bins or baskets for every household , Kitchen Design - How a Kitchen Designer Closes a Sale member. In a pinch you can quickly toss the items into their respective bins and set in a closet or in their rooms. , Tips In Choosing Area Rugs

Also, a vase of fresh cut flowers , Drywall: How To Quickly Fix The Holes From Last Night's Party! and a subtle scented candle add a nice touch.

Basements and Garages

These two areas usually need a little more lead-time than a month. Start with your basement , Solar Home Improvements and Tax Deductions and make it a family affair. (I feel pretty confident to say that the basement , 10 Steps to Help Refrigerators Live Longer is not in its current state because of one individual, but there is always the exception!) To maximize your time, refrain from paging through old textbooks and reading all your old album covers. Set those albums aside and start organizing.

Designate areas in your basement , Going Solar Â– Who is Who? with boxes labeled as give away, throw away, and pack. Empty boxes, old toys and clothes that have not seen sunlight in years can easily be escorted to curb. Properly dispose of old electronics and paint , Kitchen Design - How a Kitchen Designer Closes a Sale (check with your local , A Complete Guide to Finding the Perfect Ceramic, Mosaic and Bathroom Tile waste disposal company on recycle options). Consider packing a few boxes from your "pack pile" and stack neatly in your storage area. This will give you a great head start on the packing process.

Now, out the door , Remodeling Your Home The Right Way - Making it Pay! to the garage, , Inexpensive Comfort Found In Portable Air Conditioners if you can't pull car in than you have a good day's worth of work ahead of you. The concept behind the garage , Remodeling Your Home The Right Way - Making it Pay! is to provide shelter for your car and storage for your outdoor , Bamboo Flooring - Is It For You? related equipment only and not "I am not sure what to do with that, so just put it in the garage , Woodworking Tools - A Detailed Guide storage". Start by placing like items together and remove anything that does not qualify for garage , Solar Outdoor Lighting Tips And Ideas living. Toss any broken items, unrecognizable objects, and those unfinished projects that have remained in their current state the last 7 years. Donate and recycle all the things the kids have outgrown. Start the boxing process and pack anything that will not be needed until you reach your new home. , Pressure Washers

Yard

Finally, don't forget the yard. , Remodeling Your Home The Right Way - Making it Pay! Clear away any dead foliage, weeds, , Make The Most Of Your Basement and fallen branches. Trim hedges , Laminate Flooring - An Easy to Follow Fitting Guide and shrubs , The Pros And Cons Of Purchasing Refurbished Home Appliances and neatly store hoses and sprinklers. Rake up any leaves and give your yard , Hampers: Aids In House Organization a fresh cut. If climate , Choosing The Perfect Home Plans permits, plant , Make The Most Of Your Basement a pot , Tankless Hot Water Heaters Are Safer of flowers , Lighting up Your Life and place , Tips On Using a Pressure Washer near your entryway.

When you think you are done, have your realtor come through and look around with a fresh eye. It's amazing what you stop actually seeing when you live with it day to day! Getting ready to sell your house , Concrete Cutting: An Insight To Concrete Core Drills and Concrete Core Drilling may not be fun, but it doesn't have to be overwhelming. A little sprucing and organizing will bring back realtors and potential buyers. Remember -- people want to be able to visualize their own ideas for a home, , Remodeling Your The Right Way - Making it Pay! so make it an inviting and welcoming place. , Home Inspection Basics

Â©2004 Bridget Messino

About the author: Bridget Messino is a Professional Organizer, speaker and co-owner of Clutter Free Living, Inc. Her work frequently appears on many Internet , Woodworking Tools - A Detailed Guide sites, on her own organizing site Clutter Free Living, as well as in her monthly Home , Maximize Your Space Organizing Newsletter How to Be Clutter Free. Subscribe to the FREE monthly e-newsletter by sending a blank e-mail to cflnews-subscribe@topica.email-publisher.com

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