I keep looking around thinking that it would be nice if I could just clear some stuff out, not just for us living here, but what if - what if (when) - Jeffrey finds a new job and we have to move? How in the world is this place supposed to look good enough to sell? HOW? Yeah, I'm stressing a bit. And, yes, I do know that my house looks better on a bad day than some people's houses look on a good day, but still. There's too much stuff.
I found this article in a magazine I was going through yesterday. Maybe these tips will be helpful. Here's what they had to say:
Before you can organize anything, you need to toss what you don't use, don't need or don't want. Allow at least half a day per room. Pile everything from the room in the middle of the floor. Look at each item critically. Is this something you would buy? Is this something you would be happy with if someone gave it to you? If either answer is no, well, it needs to go. The strategy: Gather four trash bags and assign a category for each.So I guess I need to buy some big trash bags... Or laundry baskets or tubs could work, too.
- The first bag:
Use for items that are broken or missing their essential pieces. Once you have a pile of throwaways, recycle what you can, and discard the rest in the trash.- The second bag:
Designate for things that you don't want but someone else might be able to use. Neatly fold or place in bag to be donated or sold at a garage sale.- The third bag:
Collect things you haven't used in a long time but still want. Try moving them to a different part of your home where they may be used more often.- The fourth bag:
Store items you don't use now, but you might want one day. These are things that have sentimental value or would be too expensive to replace.
I am recycling a bunch of magazines. That I should have read before. That I can't just toss without first leafing through, just in case I find helpful articles like this. Or recipes I might want to try someday.
