Maybe you were thinking of selling your home or were in the process of putting it on the market when the COVID-19 pandemic came to the US. While more major home projects might be off the table for now, there are still many things you can do to help get your home ready for the market. With all the time you are now spending indoors, it is a great opportunity to utilize your extra hours to create the organized, inviting, and comfortable home that you can show others or have for yourself. You don’t need full access to Home Depot, Pottery Barn or a few thousand dollars to revamp your space. All you need is willpower, the internet, and this blog post. Let’s get started!
Decluttering Your Space
The important first step to an interior revolution is decluttering your space. You’ve probably heard about Marie Kondo’s book, The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying. It’s popular for a reason. Take a couple hours to read her book on a Kindle, listen to it on Audible, or look up an abridged version online. You don’t have to throw out everything you own, but you would be surprised at the amount of clutter we collect over time. Getting rid of things you no longer use is a project that will help pass the time, make your home feel more spacious, help prepare you to move, and make you feel less burdened by your home. The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying is a very helpful read pre-decluttering. It helps guide you through the process of sorting through your things and choosing what to part with, which can be otherwise overwhelming.
Organize Everything
Once you have decluttered, organize your belongings into their respective homes. Utilize YouTube channels such as ClutterBug and Horderly for great ideas on how to divide and conquer. These channels have excellent tips and tutorials for organizing the big stuff like whole rooms, closets and pantries, down to the little spaces like cabinets, drawers, and even organizing paperwork.
Let The Sun Shine In
Sweep and/or vacuum every room, including baseboards, dust all surfaces and wipe down molding, and finally, wash every window. The power of clean windows is incredible and you will notice an instant change in the lighting of your home, especially if this is something you’ve neglected to do for some time. For those of you with you intending to put your homes on the market, good natural lighting is something people actively seek out. If you don’t have many windows, it is important to make the ones you do have count.
Rearrange Your Furniture
Rearranging furniture completely changes the feeling of a home. Every room has multiple furniture placement options, depending on what furniture you have and the shape of the room. There are, however, several common mistakes that most people make when arranging their furniture. Utilize the following guidelines to make your living space fresh, attractive, and ready for living or selling:
- Choose A Focal Point: Arrange your furniture around a single focal point in the room. Maybe you have a great fireplace or a big bay window. Maybe you have both. Choose one and have that be the star of the space. If you have neither, you can create a focal point by hanging a fantastic piece of artwork or setting up your media against a chosen wall
- Don’t Push Furniture Against walls: It may be tempting, especially with a small room, but do not keep your furniture pushed up against the wall. Even in a small space, leave some breathing room by pulling furniture out at least a few inches. This will make even a small room look larger.
- Consider Traffic Flow: Don’t set a chair where you know people will naturally walk to get from one place to another. It may not seem like a big deal to go around it in the moment, but it will get very old and also makes your space seem smaller. When there isn’t a natural path through your home, it looks like there isn’t the space to create one.
- Create Conversation Areas: While you do want to have your furniture centered around a focal point such as a fireplace, window, tv or artwork, there is one other focal point that cannot be forgotten—you! Make sure that when you’re sitting down in a space that you and your guests can comfortable be engaged in conversation without having to crane your necks.
Add Functional Extras
Finally, once all your furniture has found its place, add in little extras but make them functional. For example: a cozy throw on the back or arm of the couch, a colorful stack of your books on the end table, candles in the dining room or pictures of family on the mantle. Adding these extra touches not only look nice, but they make the space feel lived in and inviting.
Being confined to your home can be difficult. Revamping your space will help you with your future home goals, bring good energy into the house and will help you feel less stagnant in these difficult times. Don’t forget to call a loved one, take care of yourself and support your community. We’re all in this together. For great ways to stay connected with others, yourself and your community, give our blog post Staying Apart..Together a read.