Our house is on the market as of Sunday!
I was unsure how we were going to do everything needed, especially since staging our home also means that we have to make it look like 4 boys DON’T live here. We started in April, selling big pieces of furniture that made the room smaller, giving away carloads of stuff to the thrift store, cleaning annoyances that we’ve somehow learned to live with.
Along the way, I’ve learned a couple valuable lessons. Prior to all this, I read about many people who hated living in their staged home because the space felt so empty and devoid of personality.
But let me tell you, I LOVE it. L.O.V.E.
I’ve fallen off the reservation.
I am in deep smit with minimalism.
Here’s why:
1. Our space is so empty and clutter free that it’s a cinch to clean. In just 20 minutes, I’ve picked up the toys, vacuumed, swept, put away dishes and wiped off surfaces. With another 10, I can also make the beds, throw in a load of laundry, and wipe the sinks down. 30 minutes to tidy the whole house? What’s not to love?
2. Now that our house is clutter free, my mind somehow feels clearer. In the past two weeks, our foster care situation has gotten VERY stressful. I can’t go into detail, but let me just say that these last two weeks have been more stressful than the past few months combined. And yet, somehow, I feel a little less ready to fall apart. A little more gathered. A little less crazy. Instead of looking all around and seeing projects and tasks, I see all the nicest aspects of my home. My favorite things are showcased instead of being surrounded. And it makes me feel safe. It makes me feel like I have a harbor of cleanliness and order to come back to.
3. Our 4 boys have gotten more creative. With fewer toys, they are actually happier! We have exactly two small baskets of toys out, and they have been playing with them non stop. Instead of whining and getting bored, they are using their imaginations. Our 3 year old put two sticks together and pretended they were a pair of scissors and “trimmed” all the bushes (aka, couches) in the house. They used to the same sticks to build railroad tracks since their huge train table is packed away. I love seeing what they come up with.
4. We have way more than we need. Maybe I’ll feel differently once we do a purge of the kitchen, but things like office supplies? Furniture on every wall? Even books (gasp)? We don’t need them. Not only that, but I really don’t miss my stuff as much as I thought. Right now, Jesse and I each have 2.5 drawers each, plus a small amount of closet space for 10 or so things. It’s so easy for me to find exactly what I want to wear in the morning, simply because I don’t have a lot to choose from!
5. I enjoy being home more. I actually thought I’d feel the opposite because I wouldn’t want to mess anything up, but home feels so much more peaceful now that it’s clutter free and easy to clean. And, even if we mess it up, I know it can all be clean again in around 30 minutes.
Don’t get me wrong– I know that if we lived in a staged home for more than a month or so, we’d start to get tired of it. The clutter would once again accumulate. Our children would probably get bored. I’d probably shop too much because I’d miss the variety of having lots of clothes.
However, I really am glad that we are getting to experience this time. I’m hoping that we can remember how good this feels and make some of these things permanent habits within our future homes.
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Robyn Black says
30 minutes to tidy the whole house?! that is awesome!!! my mind always feels cluttered or overwhelmed when our house is messy too! crazy how that works!
Kelly Cone says
I think they’ve even done studies on the effect of clutter on our minds and productivity levels!
Seana Turner says
Hallelujah and Amen to this! I’m always telling clients that we really do hold onto more than we need. Sometimes we hold onto more stuff than our kids even really benefit from. Enjoy this clearer and simpler time, and the freedom it will (temporarily) be:)
Kelly Cone says
It does feel like freedom! Who knew that possessions could actually have a “hold” over us, right?