I was sitting around reading Facebook, seeing all the pictures of people doing their spring cleaning, and it got me to thinking about the sellers I work with and those “tough” areas of the home to discuss when on a listing appointment. I have some sellers that will ask me all kinds of questions about what to expect with other people coming into their home to view it. I thought I would write a simple blog about all the unruly places in our homes and the questions we all want to know the answers. Today let me start with a fun and messy one: Do buyers come into my home and open my closet doors? YES!!! A resounding YES! They open just about any door with a knob. They want to see the depth, size, length, etc. And, yes, of
almost every single closet.
If you are like me, there are times in our lives when the closet is just not the most important thing to keep clean.
I have a tendency to pile things up in there, especially when I’m going through a season change. I remind myself often of how I HATE to look for things when I’m getting ready or in a hurry. This 
usually prompts a purge on my part. Just looking at these pictures makes me feel stressed! So, how do you think a buyer “feels” when they see this? Motivated now? I am wanting to go organize my shoes right this very moment! It is crucial to a mom of three, smaller homeowners, double career minded individuals, etc., for there to be plenty of storage space! How do we create more storage space with only 2 or 3 closets, you might ask?? Very simple, make your 2 or 3 closets look HUGE! In the following steps, I will break it down. You needn’t get overwhelmed because you can make your closets appear larger, add to the value and appeal of your home, AND improve your life at the same time!
STEP 1: Pick a day and a closet. Pretty simple start, huh? Write on your calendar that Tuesday evening you are going to work on the closet in the guest bedroom.
STEP 2: Purge. The rule of thumb here is “if you haven’t worn it in 2 years, trash it!”. If it doesn’t fit anymore and you are hopeful that you will get back in it one day, put it aside in a box labeled SIZE 6, or whatever size it is. If you get back to that size, go grab the box out of the garage, or from under the bed, or from the attic.
STEP 3: Organize hanging items. You can do it however you would like, mine are done by color & type of shirt. I have all my tank tops at one end of my closet, then I start with white and go all the way through the rainbow to black. Then I have skirts, pants, 
cardigans and dresses. I have a hanging organizer with additional shelves and I have my t-shirts, blue jeans, and yard work clothes in it. I also have a belt organizer and I keep it by the tank tops.
STEP 4: Clean up the floor, and the shelves while you’re at it. Buy a shoe rack and push it all the way to the back, or a hanging shoe rack (but don’t put it over the door!). Put flip flops in a basket. I went to WalMart, purchased cheap brown bins and labeled them: scarves, purses, hats and gloves, and extra t-shirts. These were the piles on my top shelf.
**I don’t recommend purchasing expensive closet organizers since we are trying to get the home sold and get the most money out of the sale.**
STEP 5: Freshen it up! This is a biggie. Just as you’ve heard that your home needs to smell pleasing, don’t leave out the closet spaces. Too many times clients open the door to a stinky closet and then the tone for the rest of the room is set for a negative connotation. While you’re at it, vacuum or mop the floor.
THAT’S IT! Simple, huh? Purge, organize and clean. Such a small task, huge impact on the size of your closets!
Stay tuned for Part 2 of this series coming soon.
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