By now you must have heard of Marie Kondo’s Netflix Series, Tidying Up with Marie Kondo and her KonMari organization methods. The method promises to tidy your space and transform your life, and people can’t get enough of it.

For anyone planning to put a home on the market it’s an amazing tool to prepare your home for staging before you begin showing it. Not only will it help declutter your home and make it more appealing to buyers, it can help you begin purging and packing for your big move.

Once your home is picture perfect be sure to contact HER, REALTORS® to help sell your home and assist you in finding your new dream home. Being prepared and ready to show will make the listing and sale that much simpler and quicker.

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Step #1: Discarding By Category

Begin by identifying your categories of clutter and go through each category one by one in this order:

• Clothing
• Books
• Papers
• Komono (miscellany)
• Mementos

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Step #2: Break A Category Into Subcategories As Necessary

As you begin each category you may find the need to break it down into further subcategories and then tackle each subcategory. For example as you begin to take on decluttering your clothing you should divide the clothing into subcategories as such:

• Tops (shirts, sweaters, etc)
• Bottoms (pants, skirts, etc)
• Clothes that should be hung (jackets, coats, suits, etc)
• Socks
• Underwear
• Bags (handbags, messenger bags, etc)
• Accessories (scarves, belts, hats, etc)
• Clothes for specific events (swimsuits, uniforms, etc)
• Shoes

You’ll want to focus on a single subcategory one by one until complete.

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Step #3: Keep Only Those Things That Spark Joy.

This is where some viewers get lost in the process. You’ll want to pick up each item and decide if it “sparks joy” to determine if it should stay or go. Obviously pragmatic items should still stay despite a lack of joy. Other may have trouble wrapping their heads around what joy socks may bring them.  If “spark joy” doesn’t resonate for you, Marie Kondo also uses these words to describe what you should keep, such as “inspire joy,” “thrill of pleasure,” “speak to your heart,” “moves you,” and “love.” The process begins with picking things up one by one and deciding if it stays. The Japanese word for healing is te-ate, which literally means ‘to apply hands.’

When it comes to sentimental items, which can often cause hang ups during a big move, and end up being put in a box to never be unpacked, Kondo advises for you to tidy up things that remind you of a deceased loved one, for example, after you have organized the less emotional categories. That’s why in Step 1 it’s suggested to leave mementos until last. Kondo’s advice: “If you encounter any item in one of these categories that brings back a memory . . . set it aside as part of the sentimental category. By tidying non-sentimental items first, you will give yourself time to sort through your thoughts and emotions before going through the sentimental items you have set aside.”

For the treasures that make you happy every time you look at them? “Keep them proudly,” she said, adding that it’s not just about looking for things to eliminate, but being thoughtful about what you keep or toss — and cherishing those items you keep.

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Step #4: Organize Your Space Thoroughly And Completely, After You’ve Finished Discarding

Now that you’ve purged all of your “joyless” items, it’s time to begin organizing it. You must decide where to put things away or store them. There are two primary rules to organization. First store all similar items in the same space, don’t scatter items items of the same time at different places around your house. Consolidate similar items in one place so when you need whatever that item is, there’s only one place to look for one.‍

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STEP #5: DO IT ALL IN ONE GO

The final guideline is important. Once you start a category don’t stop until it’s complete. Be sure to plan ahead and find a time when you can give the task your focus and won’t have to stop midway through.  In Japanese the term is ikki ni, or ‘in one go.’ Kondo calls this the key to success in the process stating, “If you tidy up in one shot, rather than little by little, you can dramatically change your mindset.”

Now if you plan to do this process before a move, obviously step 4 will involve packing items you won’t be needing immediately, and leaving only what you need until you move and unpack. Keep the packed items in subcategories and labeled by room. If you stick to this popular method you’ll have stress free showings and a much simpler moving process!

If you’re looking to sell or buy a new home in Columbus check out all of our current listings!

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