Organization - Neatly Designed

February 20, 2019

Tips To Prepare Your Home To Sell

One aspect of my job as an organizer is working with realtors to help clients purge and prepare their homes for sale. In my opinion, if you want a prospective buyer to envision themselves living in your home the first place to start is to simplify the space. Without a doubt, it will make your home more inviting and can really make a difference in the sale of a home. If you are ready to put your house on the market here are some simple tips to get you started.

START EARLY If you have time on your side get organized for a move as soon as possible it is the key to avoiding stress and aggravation.

PURGE When you are selling your home not only is purging a must for resale but it is important that you only bring to your new home the items you need, use, love and have a place to store. You will feel better starting with a clean slate.

SORT Sort items you are keeping, donating and are junk! If you want to determine what is junk this previous post will help you. Sorting items will make the process faster and easier which is what most sellers are trying to accomplish.

SIMPLIFY You are probably thinking purging is the same as simplifying but when it comes to selling a home it has a different meaning. Simplifying the space is about minimizing what you have displayed. Personal photos and objects should be kept to a minimum so a potential buyer can imagine themselves living in the home. Less is always more when selling a home.

DONATE Schedule a donation pick up before you begin the purging process. I like to schedule at least two when preparing clients for a move. If you don’t need it you can cancel it. It’s better to be over prepared when it comes to moving.

MAKE LISTS Keeping ongoing lists on what needs to be accomplished and checking off what has been completed is the key to an organized move. Your notebook will become invaluable during the moving process.

LABEL ALL CONTAINERS Labeling your containers and boxes is the key to a smooth move. It not only helps you but if you are hiring movers it makes unpacking easier for you both.

Selling your home doesn’t need to be an emotional roller coaster if you’re organized from the start. Plan ahead, purge unnecessary items and enjoy the transition into your new home.

January 16, 2019

Tips To Simplify and Organize Your Makeup

Purging and organizing makeup is one of the biggest concerns for most women. There are so many new items that hit the market every week and everyone wants the latest skincare or makeup product. I love to follow beauty bloggers because you can learn so much from them when it comes to applying makeup or seeing what they have tried and liked. The downside which I see from an organizers perspective is what works for one person doesn’t necessarily work for all, especially when there is an age difference. I have seen more products purchased because of social media and when it arrives it doesn’t look the same on them and it doesn’t get returned which becomes clutter. Ask for samples or buy a travel size first to see if you like it. Always try before you buy!

PURGE
This is always the first step when organizing any area in the home and makeup and skincare is no different. Guilt plays a big role when purging makeup and skincare. If you spend money on an item and you don’t get the results you were looking for it tends to go back in a drawer. Start by removing everything out of the drawers and cabinets this allows you to start with a clean slate before you put everything back. If you don’t know how long to keep a makeup item this article will give you the information on what you need to toss. One important tip to save money is to keep the receipt in the original box and if you don’t like it return it! This will free you of the guilt you feel when tossing something you paid a lot of money for. Makeup and skincare become clutter quickly when not purged often.

SORT
A big part of staying organized especially with makeup is sorting like items. My clients are often surprised how many duplicates they own when we start to sort makeup. Keeping like items together will save money, space and the time you spend searching for items that are thrown in a drawer. Keep only what you use and let the rest go. Simplifying your daily makeup routine will also simplify your makeup.

ORGANIZE
Invest in a product that works for your space. As you can see from the photos there are many options. Are you short on drawer space but have room under the sink? Do you have the counter space to keep a container on the counter to display your makeup? Whatever option you choose make sure everything you keep has a place.

When people ask me where to begin the organizing process I always suggest starting in an area that is manageable and attainable. Purging and organizing your makeup and skincare is the perfect place to begin because those are items that are used on a daily basis. Make 2019 the year to simplify!

November 26, 2018

Simplify and Organize Your Wardrobe

J.Crew is one of my favorite stores to buy classic, timeless clothes that I can wear season after season. I was so pleased to be asked to share my tips to simplify and organize your closet at their pre holiday event. What are some of my tips to simplify your wardrobe?

Purge. Donate or consign any items that you don’t wear, make you feel good about yourself when wearing it and any “what if” clothes. We all own those type of clothes and keeping them is a constant reminder of what you used to be or wish you were and it’s not living in the present.

Stick to neutrals when buying basics. If you want to simplify your wardrobe the easiest thing to do is buy classic styles in neutral colors. Black denim is a perfect example of a closet staple. These can be dressed up or down and are so comfortable because they have a bit of stretch. Wear pops of color in your shoes and accessories such as scarves, jewelry, bags and belts.

Keep like items and colors together. This is important not only so you can see what you own but will prevent you from buying more of the same style and color.

Invest in one trendy item. Most of us like to indulge in the seasons latest trend but buying too much can lead to clutter in a closet. I love this sweater not only because this print is one of my favorites but it will also be perfect to wear on Sunday game day in Jacksonville.

Once you have simplified your wardrobe invest in closet accessories to keep you organized. The first place to start is change your hangers! Sounds simple but often overlooked and it will transform your closet. These are a few of my go to items when organizing a closet.

Huggable Hangers