Marie Kondo has a popular series on Netflix called Tidying Up with Marie Kondo that helps people learn how declutter their homes. A topic that a lot of us need help with since a lot of Americans suffer from having cluttered homes.
A common problem is we tend to buy things to fill up the space we have. Then, instead of purging items we no longer use or want over the years, we accumulate new items on top of the old items, causing us to have way more than we need. It can sometimes become so overwhelming that you don’t even know where to start!
Everyone is always trying to find a magic fix for every problem they seem to encounter. So we wanted to tackle a huge issue that not only sellers, but almost everyone has: decluttering your home.
Since the KonMari method is now a recent craze across the United States we wanted to share the helpful ways that you can use this process not only to declutter your living space, but to help sell you home as well!
Most likely you’ve heard of the KonMari method recently. If not, no worries. We’re going to do a quick rehash on what the KonMari method is, how to use it, and why it’s so effective. Anyone looking to sell their home can also benefit from learning how to use the KonMari method to get your home on the market.
What is the KonMari Method?
The KonMari method is the Japanese method of decluttering. Marie Kondo has made it popular in the States with her show on Netflix, and this trend is just getting started. We can all take a lesson from this method as the process can help you in different ways.
This method is effective and people from all over the world are using it to help get their homes in order. One thing we love about the KonMari method is that it shifts your perspective on removing items from your home, so decluttering becomes a lifestyle change that you continue to think about in the future.
So this method is not just a temporary purge from which a month or so later you haven’t changed your habits. And then you’re back in a position where you have way more stuff than space to hold it in your home. Using the KonMari method is a shift in mentality to help you create joy in your home and maintain it.
The process can be used by everyone whether you live in an apartment, condo, rental home, or house. And this method can be especially helpful to sellers and those who are downsizing their house. If you are looking for more information on how to downsize a home, click here.
Now that we’ve covered what the KonMari method is, let’s go over some ways of how you can use it to declutter your home. We have even include Marie Kondo’s 6 Basic Rules for the KonMari method.
How to Use the KonMari Method to Sell Your Home
If you’ve only heard a sentence or two about the KonMari method, you’ve probably heard the question, “Does this spark joy?” Marie Kondo is known for holding each item and asking this question.
Her method is a simple one: hold the item and decide if it still brings you joy. If it does, then keep it. If not, then thank it for its service and part ways with it since this item no longer needs to be in your household.
“People cannot change their habits without first changing
their way of thinking.” – Marie Kondo
The KonMari method attacks the real problem: ourselves. This Japanese decluttering method knows that it’s all about your perspective. You have to find a new approach to solve the problem.
Sometimes our homes become decluttered and we get so overwhelmed we don’t know where to begin. Another main issue is we tend to become attached to some of our possessions.
“But when we really delve into the reasons for why we can’t let something go, there are only two: an attachment to the past or a fear for the future.”
– Marie Kondo
The way that the KonMari method works is to declutter by category, not by room. Room by room can take too long as you may want to stop after you complete each room. You also may have duplicate items in other rooms. For example, you might have more towels or coats than you realized if you just focused on your master closet and bathroom at a time.
So instead of conquering a room at a time, you are looking at the same group of items throughout your entire home. If it’s towels, then that includes towels from your master bathroom, guest bathroom, children’s bathroom, and any linen closets.
Clothes and shoes can be the biggest items we hoard, so pay special attention to these when you are going through these categories. One thing that I heard years ago that has stayed with me was if I saw one of the items in my closet at a store, would I buy it again?
Another trick is to use the hanger method of turning around all your clothes hangers. Then when you wear an item, you turn it back around. After a month or so you can visibly see the items you wear and the ones you don’t wear in your closet. Find a method that works best for you and stick to it.
Other times, simple things, like bath towels or dishes can get cluttered easily. We tend to want to buy enough of these items so we don’t run out, but we don’t seem to know when enough is enough. So we over clutter instead.
But the tips above aren’t as simple as the KonMari mantra, ‘does it spark joy?’ Which is probably why it is so effective. So now that you know the KonMari process is to go through items by category and not by location, here are Marie Kondo’s 6 Basic Rules:
1. Commit Yourself to Tidying Up
Start with your goal in mind. We love this quote below from Marie Kondo. It gets our mindset focused on why we are doing this.
“Discarding is not the point; what matters is keeping those things that bring you joy. If you discard everything until you have nothing left but an empty house, I don’t think you’ll be happy living there. Our goal in tidying should be to create a living environment filled with the things we love.” – Marie Kondo
2. Imagine Your Ideal Lifestyle
Focus on the positives of going through this decluttering process. Even if you’re selling your home, the ideal goal is to create a neutral environment for buyers to fall in love with so your house will sell faster!
Marie states that “We should be choosing what we want to keep, not what we want to get rid of.” Focus on creating a joyful environment, not on what you won’t have.
3. Finish Discarding First
If you never get rid of your items in your discard pile, then it can make the next step of the process harder. Discard your items so you know what is left.
You don’t necessarily have to trash all of your discard items. You can sell items that have value, donate items that are usable, and trash items that can no longer be used.
4. Tidy by Category, Not Location
When you go through your items by category and not location, you know what all you have. If it’s visible in front of you, then you know what you want to keep and what you can get rid of.
Marie Kondo suggests to “…dispose of anything that does not fall into one of three categories: currently in use, needed for a limited period of time, or must be kept indefinitely.”
5. Follow the Right Order
There’s a certain art to the KonMari Japanese method. Marie Kondo says to start with clothing, then move to books, papers, miscellaneous items (otherwise known as ‘komono’ as Marie says), then save your sentimental items for last.
Sentimental items are the hardest, and you tend to spend more time sorting through these items, so it make sense to go though these last.
6. Ask Yourself if it Sparks Joy
Hold each item and ask yourself if it brings you joy. If yes, then keep it. If no, then thank it for its service and either sell, donate, or trash it.
Marie Kondo definitely knows how to inspire us to create a joyful home around us! Take advantage of the KonMari method to get your home decluttered and in order.
Why Use the KonMari Method to Sell Your Home?
House sellers can benefit greatly from the KonMari method! You should already be inspired and have a lot of decluttering ideas from what you’ve read so far. Do your own research and learn more about the KonMari method. If you have Netflix, watch Tidying up with Marie Kondo for more ideas.
Sellers can use the KonMari method as a different perspective to how others would view their home. To prepare for showing your home, look at your house with a new perspective. This will help you view your home objectively as a buyer would and not with the emotional attachment of it being your home.
Decide if you need to declutter your space more. Is there too much going on? What draws your eye, the room or the things in it? This will help you decide if you need to stage your home.
The great news about using the KonMari method for selling your home is that you don’t have to get rid of everything. You can pack some items away. Walk into each room and decide if it brings you joy. If so, great job! If not, figure out what can you change that will make you feel joy.
Of course, some items, like sentimental ones, are usually personal. So when you depersonalize your home these will need to be put away. We have a staging post on how to stage your home so you can learn more about this process. Read about staging your home here.
Not only can this method bring more simplicity and joy to your life and household, but it will make moving easier! And if you use the KonMari method to help get your house ready to go on the market, the end result will also help your home appeal to buyers since it will be decluttered.
Now You’re Ready to Try the KonMari Method
You should love the concept of the KonMari method by now! Even if everything you’ve read doesn’t resonate with you, there are so many useful tips that make you think of decluttering your home differently. Use the method, commit to it, and see how well it works for you.
Find the right way to declutter your home now and you will thank yourself in the future. Whether or not you’re selling your home, decluttering will make your home feel more spacious. Hopefully this method will stay with you so that you continue to keep your home decluttered and you only surround yourself with items that ‘spark joy’.
If you want more information on how to sell your home, click here to read it. Then compare these ideas to using the KonMari Method to sell your home. Find the right way that will works for you.
For decluttering ideas for your home besides using the KonMari method, see this post on how to declutter your house. Learning how to declutter is the first step, so now it’s time to put that knowledge to action and start decluttering!
