Whether it’s Marie Kondo or Mrs Hinch, there’s many an expert you can follow on social media to help you get to grips with sorting, organising or cleaning your home. With the peaceful and pristine properties they create, it’s easy to feel yourself almost getting enthusiastic for a good Spring Clean!

For anyone considering a house move a good declutter, freshen up and deep clean is essential. You want the photos to sell the property at its absolute best, as spacious, light and airy. If you’re moving because it’s starting to feel too cramped, you certainly don’t want potential buyers thinking that!

‘Quality over quantity’, ‘a place for everything and everything in its place’ and ‘a tidy desk equals a tidy mind’ – all sayings we’ve probably heard hundreds of times – but that’s because they’re true!

So, here are some top tips from us here at Holdsworths to help you get sorted before putting your home on the market:

• Be honest – It’s easy to become blind to clutter in your own home. Force yourself to really look around – or even ask family or friends to be honest with you about any areas of your home they think look cluttered!
• Don’t get overwhelmed – Start with a room at a time or even a shelf or a cupboard every time you have five minutes. Break it into manageable chunks so you don’t get overwhelmed.
• Create three piles – Much of the stuff you have in your home you probably use rarely, if ever. Sort things you don’t need frequently into three piles:
  • Chuck – bin things which have no further purpose for you or anyone else
  • Donate – consider whether you could donate the items to a friend, to charity or to something like a school or nursery
  • Store – consider self storage for items if you will need them again in the future. That way you can access them whenever you need to, but they’re out of the way day-to-day. It’s also preferable to piling stuff in a garage or spare room – you don’t want to give an impression of a lack of space or storage to would-be homebuyers coming for a look round.
• Don’t drown in paperwork – Paperwork can quickly pile up, even in this electronic age. Make sure you sort through any papers and recycle things where appropriate – but if it’s got any personal details on it, it will need properly destroying. Use a home shredder, or if you’re looking at paper mountains why not get in touch about our shredding service?
• Don’t get sentimental over clothes – When sorting clothes be realistic. Are you likely to wear the item again? Do you even like it? (as Marie Kondo says does it spark joy?). If not, pass it on.
• Declutter surfaces as much as possible – It will really help for cleaning purposes, as it will be much quicker to wipe round ahead of a viewing.
• Sort out the kitchen cupboard and surfaces – We’re all probably guilty of having a lot of gadgets in our kitchens which we never use, making the room look cluttered. Smoothie makers, popcorn makers, bread machines – sound familiar? If you don’t use it daily it needs to be in a cupboard rather than on display on your work surfaces, and if you don’t currently use it all consider donating or storing it!

It may seem like a daunting task at first but getting organised is always worth it. Imagine life not having to fight through a wardrobe to find outfits and being able to make a sandwich without having to clear a space on the work surface! And if you are planning a move, it might just have you selling up and calling us about removals services in no time!