Whether
you're
getting
ready
to
put
your
home
on
the
market
or
you
simply
want
to
get
a
fresh
start
in
2007
--
clearing
clutter
is
the
answer.
Realtors
will
tell
you
when
they
show
buyers
a
cluttered
home,
no
matter
how
lovely
it
could
be,
prospective
buyers
just
can't
picture
it
and
will
usually
pass
or
make
an
offer
for
much
less
than
the
seller
thinks
the
home
is
worth.
Yes,
packaging
matters.
It
matters
when
you're
buying
a
product
in a
store
and
it
matters
when
you're
selling
your
home.
Think
about
the
way
model
homes
are
packaged
for
display.
There's
so
little
in
them;
yet
they
look
just
perfectly
appealing.
Of
course,
that's
not
how
any
of
us
really
live.
But
it's
how
consumers
want
to
see
the
home.
The
fact
is,
maybe
we
could
live
with
a
little
less
--
at
least
while
our
home
is
on
the
market.
After
all,
much
of
the
clutter
ends
up
collecting
dust!
And
since
you
are
moving,
packing
up
some
of
your
belongings
before
you
actually
move
out
(or
even
getting
a
tax
credit
for
donating
items
to a
charity)
will
help
you
when
you
finally
sell
your
home
and
are
ready
to
move.
Even
if
you're
not
in
the
market
to
sell,
clearing
clutter
will
give
you
a
sense
of
freedom
(and
the
ability
to
eventually
accumulate
more).
Since
the
holidays
just
passed,
you
probably
are
already
bombarded
with
stuff
and
maybe
even
wondering
where
to
put
it
all.
The
problem
is
many
of
us
have
a
hard
time
letting
go
of
things.
So
clutter
builds
up
fast
and
furious
and
undoing
the
clutter
becomes
a
frustrating
task.
But
it
doesn't
have
to
be.
Here
are
some
tips
on
de-cluttering.
Wouldn't
it
be
nice
to
have
a
home
that
when
you
stepped
inside
you
felt
a
sense
of
spaciousness
--
everything
seemed
to
have
a
place
rather
than
items
jammed
into
every
last
inch
of
the
room?
Cabinets
and
closets
closed
properly
--
not
like
when
you've
gone
on a
three-week
vacation
to
Italy
and
now
you
have
to
sit
atop
your
luggage
and
tug
roughly
on
the
zipper
to
get
it
closed.
De-cluttering
is a
project
that
once
you
take
the
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time
to
unload
a
few
items,
you
often
find
they're
never
missed.
And
consider
this,
studies
have
shown
that
people
waste
several
weeks
a
year
looking
for
misplaced
items
that
are
buried
beneath
clutter.
So
let's
get
started.
First,
don't
de-clutter
by
making
more
room
for
clutter.
As
crazy
as
this
is,
true
pack
rats
merely
move
their
clutter
from
one
location
to
another
throughout
the
year
without
ever
throwing
anything
out.
When
one
area
is
too
cluttered,
they
add
shelves
or
even
room
additions
to
house
their
clutter.
Start
with
non-emotional
items
and
rooms.
You're
less
likely
to
have
trouble
throwing
out
things
if
you
don't
have
an
emotional
attachment
to
them.
Do
you
really
need
12
different
measuring
cups?
But
here's
a
tip,
I
don't
recommend
throwing
out
your
spouse's
trinket
collection
(no
matter
how
tempted
you
are)
without
first
consulting
him/her.
Otherwise,
you
might
end
up
listing
your
home
by
divorce
default!
Instead,
start
with
your
own
stuff
and
lead
by
example.
Next
go
to
the
bathroom
cabinets.
Get
rid
of
old
prescriptions
and
products
that
you
rarely
use.
Clean
out
the
clutter
from
under
the
bed.
There
are
likely
items
that
you
haven't
used
in
years
underneath
the
bed
just
collecting
dust.
Nothings
worse
than
viewing
a
home
and
the
buyer
lifts
a
corner
of
the
bed's
dust
ruffle
to
reveal
a
mixture
of
clutter,
dust,
and
pet
hair
--
yuck!
Walk-in-closets
are
so
named
because
you
should
be
able
to
move
about
in
them.
But
some
people
have
them
overflowing.
Buyers
can't
even
squeeze
inside,
nor
would
they
want
to
in
that
condition.
So,
the
desirable
walk-in-closet
now
becomes
a
negative
for
the
buyer.
Chances
are
there
are
clothes
in
your
closet
that
probably
haven't
been
worn
in a
long
time.
Clearing
clutter
not
only
makes
your
home
appealing
to
others,
it's
a
richly
satisfying
feeling
to
create
a
sense
of
organization
and
space.
And
just
think
what
you
could
do
if
you
didn't
have
to
spend
weeks
looking
beneath
clutter
to
find
something
you've
misplaced.
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