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10-Day Declutter Challenge
Mary Ellen Vanaken
Mary Ellen was born and raised in Long Island, New York. After graduating from college, she worked on Wall Street for JP Morgan in New York City...
Mary Ellen was born and raised in Long Island, New York. After graduating from college, she worked on Wall Street for JP Morgan in New York City...
Spring has sprung, which means 2 things: the Spring real estate market is here, and it's time to clean!
If you’re anything like [ME/US], the words “spring” and “cleaning” in the same sentence usually make you turn the other way, but when you can break intimidating tasks down into bite-sized pieces and turn them into a challenge, they are that much easier to complete. Introducing the 10-Day Declutter Challenge!
You've probably heard how hot the real estate market is right now, and with spring typically being the busy season, a lot is going on. Whether you're thinking about selling your home but know that some spring cleaning is necessary before a photographer comes by or you simply need to do a bit of a refresh, this challenge is for you!
Before you deep clean everything, you need to declutter. The less stuff you have, the less stuff you need to clean. During the 10-Day Declutter Challenge, you'll slowly tackle decluttering your home to make it a little less daunting and a little more fun, especially if you’re the type of person who likes to cross things off a to-do list every day.
Happy decluttering!
The Kitchen
DAY ONE
Junk Drawers & Countertops
Before diving too deep into grandma’s china, we’ll start small. Everyone has at least one (or two) junk drawers in their kitchen. Clean these out first, throw away any actual “junk,” and organize the rest.
DAY TWO
Pantry, Refrigerator, and Freezer
Remember those frozen pretzels you bought last year when you were craving them? They’ve probably expired or will stay in there for another year, so it’s probably best to toss them. Go through your pantry, fridge, and freezer to get rid of all expired and unwanted food items.
DAY THREE
Kitchen Cabinets
Now we can dive into the good stuff. If you’re the type of person, who loves getting free cups at every event you go to or has way too many plates, it may be time to part ways. You can donate anything you don’t need or toss anything that’s been used too much.
The Living Room
DAY FOUR
Books, Movies, and the Mail Pile
Unless you’re stuck in the ’90s or like to collect DVD’s there’s no reason to keep piles of them. You can toss them out, give them away, or put them in a box tucked away.
DAY FIVE
Toys, Games, and/or Office Supplies
If you have kids, you likely have a lot of toys lying around. Today, you'll go through the toys and games they’ve outgrown and set them aside to donate.
After decluttering your living room, it may be time to update some of the design as well. Take a look at the blog below to get some inspiration!
The Closets
DAY SIX
Clothes
This one may be a doozy, but you have a whole day to tackle it! Start by taking everything out of your closet and off of the floor so that you can really see what you have. Then start a pile for Keep, one for Donate, and one for Toss.
If you haven’t heard of Maire Kondo yet, she has great tips on sorting through your clothes that actually work. Check them out here.
DAY SEVEN
Shoes and Accessories
Just like with your clothes, sort through your shoes, belts, bags, hats, and anything else that may be hiding in your closet. Throw out or donate things that don’t fit or are not used anymore.
The Bedrooms
DAY EIGHT
Nightstands and Tops of Dressers
Today let's clear off your nightstands and the top of your dressers and first give them a good dusting. These areas are often neglected and tend to collect a lot of dust. Then, re-evaluate what you have on top of these spaces - is everything functional? Do the remote batteries need to be replaced? Can you get rid of anything here?
The Bathrooms
DAY NINE
Under the Sink
The space under your sink is probably filled with a couple of things... cleaning products, old lotions, and a few half-used bottles of shampoo. Take some time to go through which products you'll actually use and toss the ones you know you won't or those that have expired.
DAY TEN
Linen Closets and Medicine Cabinets
Did you know that medicine expires? Well, it does. So those old prescriptions and cough medicine should probably get tossed out. For the last day of the 10-Day Declutter Challenge, we're going to finish strong by tackling the linen closets and medicine cabinets. This would be a great time to put old towels in the garage for chores and to refold all the towels in that one perfect way.
You've Reached the End of the Challenge!
If you're feeling ready to get your home on the market this spring, the next step is to schedule some time to chat with us.