what organizational method works best for you?

You’re selling your house and want it to look as organized as possible. Downsizing and organizing your belongings will also make it easier for you as you move to a new home. What organizational methods do professional organizers use? And which one will work best for you? Here’s a quick breakdown of the most popular techniques.

Find which one—or a combination of styles—that works for you.

1. Konmari Method.

The popularity of Marie Kondo’s Netflix show, “Tidying Up with Marie Kondo” and her four published books prove the Konmari method is well received. With this method, be ready to become more minimalistic, keep only items that “spark joy,” and work hard. Home Page – KonMari | The Official Website of Marie Kondo

2. The Home Edit.

Joanna Teplin and Clea Shearer host a unique show on Netflix called "Get Organized with The Home Edit." In addition to purging and getting things in order, these hosts are big on clear acrylic containers and using the “rainbow method” to organize items. Welcome to The Home Edit

3. The Swedish Art of Death Cleaning.

Although the title is a little scary, this system is meant for all ages and is one of the most popular ways professional organizers attack clutter. Based on the book by Margareta Magnusson, The Gentle Art of Swedish Death Cleaning, How to  Free Yourself and Your Family from a Lifetime of Clutter possibly a LTK link to the book?) is a humorous take on how to on live minimally.

4. Minimalistic systems.

Madsen’s Declutter Your Home in 15 Minutes a Day (theminimalmom.com) She proposes working 15 minutes a day to keep clutter under control. Rachel Jonat of About: Rachel Jonat The Minimalist Mom favors fewer belongings and embracing imperfection in organization.

5. Clutterbug:

Cas Aarssen of HGTV’s “Hot Mess House” breaks organization into four different organizer types and even has a quiz on her website to help you figure out which type you  are. Home - Clutterbug

6. Organize 365  Founder Lisa Woodruff hosts a lively podcast, offers free printables, and is known for her helping people tackle their paperwork issues.

7.  Ikea and The Container Store: they both have closet systems (and can install them for a fee).

What if you are getting ready to sell your house? What’s the best way to organize?

We tell our Baltimore area sellers three things about organization when selling:

1.      Pre-pack as much as possible (after your home stager has finished the consultation and advised what to keep and what to remove). Less stuff in a room makes a room look bigger.

2.      When items that aren’t needed for staging must remain in the house, use similar boxes (Home Depot, Lowes, U-Haul, etc.) and stack those matching boxes in basement, garage, or other storage. The matching boxes give a sense of organization even when it’s just a pile of boxes.

3.      Get ready for buyers to look in your closets and your refrigerator. We always tell our sellers to get the rooms that will be photographed ready first. After the photographer takes pictures, you’ll have a few days before buyers come in to see the house. That’s your time to organize all closets, and yes, your refrigerator. Buyers look in closets, cabinets, and refrigerators not only to see what kind of shape they’re in, but also to get an idea of what the storage is like. The little things do matter.

The organizational system that is best for you is, again, the one that you will use successfully and fits into your lifestyle. Bins and baskets are great, but not always necessary to live an organized life. Do what works for you! What are your favorite organizational systems? Help us add ideas to our lists of favorites by leaving a comment!