What does a traditionally busy Spring selling season mean for buyers in a changing market? Read this week’s @The Real Estate Conversation with John McGrath to find out.

This is your official reminder that it’s time to spring clean!

The month of September is my favorite time to hit reset and give my closet a nice big spring cleaning for the warmer months on the horizon. When friends and family come over, they are always surprised to see how little I keep in my closet. I find that the less I have to choose from, the easier my selection is for my day-to-day choices of getting dressed. But how do you know what to keep and what to toss? Here are a few of my top rules when it comes to cleaning out my closet.

Organize Everything

By grouping together t-shirts, sweaters, dresses and then arranging them by color, you can really get a sense for things you might have too much of. For example you might have 20 white t-shirts but only wear the same 4. Your wardrobe should always be organized by categories. Keep all of your pants together, your tops together, etc… so that you can treat your wardrobe like a shop.

Purge While You Clean

Toss on some sweet tunes and get to tossing anything you haven’t worn in a year. Yes, toss what you haven’t worn in the past year. Why are you holding on to it? If it is something super sentimental that you are holding on for your future offspring then store it away in an attic. Otherwise, make 2 piles {donate or sell} and get rid of anything that doesn’t fit within this criteria: Do I like it? Have I worn it in the past month and why not? Does it need to be repaired? Why am I keeping this? If I am truly on the fence about something I will leave it out on a pull out hanger, or in my bathroom and give myself exactly 1 week to find a way to wear the piece. If I cannot figure it out, then it gets tossed.

Re-Style To Style

Bring in a new floor pillow or stool to your wardrobe or just outside the door, and style the area in which you get dressed to inspire you to create new outfits. I like printing out inspiration and taping it to my closet so that I can try new outfit ideas with pre-existing pieces.

Rid The Anxiety

If cleaning out your closet and getting rid of a ton of wardrobe pieces gives you a lot of anxiety, give it a test run instead. You don’t have to literally throw out everything that you haven’t worn in a year… just hide it under your bed and give yourself a test run with the new closet clean and see how wonderful it feels. I bet you won’t miss the pieces as much as you think you will.

Shop Before You Shop

Having the right boxes, hangers and storage is essential to keeping a clean and tidy wardrobe. Instead of buying a new dress for spring, your next purchase should be containers. Hit up Spotlight or Ikea for over-the-door hooks, shoe organizers, boxes, etc… Basically whatever it takes to get your wardrobe organised. Invest in strong hangers that will give you positive vibes. Four years ago, I finally bit the bullet and purchased all wooden hangers and I still love and use them today. It was the best wardrobe investment ever! If you take pride in every inch of your closet you will want to keep it clean.

For tips on how to store your clothes, have a skim through Vogue’s expert tips

ONE of the best things about Thredbo is of course the snow and all the fun that comes along with that… however there is definitely more to Thredbo than that, as I was reminded on my trip down a few weekends ago for some hiking and relaxation.

Thredbo’s mountain in summer transforms into the mountain biking and hiking mecca of Australia. Thredbo offers over 34 kilometres of mountain bike trails to enjoy and over 20 different walks and hikes for those looking for an outdoor adventure, experience the stunning scenery of alpine Australia and conquering Australia’s highest peak, Mt Kosciuszko.  Whether it’s a family friendly hike to the top of Mt. Kosciuszko or an advanced day hike across the Australian Main Range, there’s something for every age and ability to enjoy. With tons of glacial lakes, unique flora and fauna and mountains as far as the eye can see, it’s a must do! They also run some group and private guided hikes during the summer time, which are great if you really want to get to know the area better.

Every home needs a refresh once in a while. Not only can this bring your property’s aesthetic in line with current trends and styles, but it can also increase your home’s value.

A full revamp can be a big undertaking, though — unless you hire a pro.

Are you thinking of updating a room (or your whole space)? Here’s how to hire the right person for the job to ensure a smooth experience. 

Gather referrals: Ask your neighbors, friends and colleagues for recommendations and cross-reference those names with online reviews and ratings. From there, you can start building out a shortlist of designers to interview. 

Vet them thoroughly: Once you have a shortlist, check out each designer’s portfolio and see if their style matches the aesthetic you’re going for. You should also schedule an in-person (or Zoom) interview with them. Ask about their experience, their process, their fees and their style inspiration. 

Have the details ready: Before you hire a pro, make sure you have all the details worked out — things like your budget and desired end date. You should also have an idea of how much control you want over the process. (Do you want to approve every choice or will you give the designer some decision-making autonomy?) 

Be proactive: You want to head off challenges before they can arise, so ask the important questions, like: “When will payments be due?” “How often will you update me?” and “Will we communicate by text, phone or email?” If you’re doing renovations as well, you’ll also want to ask about the mess and disruptions you can expect.

Need guidance on updating your house to increase its market value? Contact me for more information!