Is there such a thing as being too organised about staging your home? When it comes to getting your home ready for sale, experts always advise that your home should be neat and free of clutter. So can your home be too organised for potential buyers? The short answer is yes. They need to feel comfortable in your home and be able to imagine themselves there. In many cases when your home is overly organised, it can make potential buyers feel uncomfortable instead of “at home”. Being organised is a good thing, but having too much in your home during staging to be organised is where you run into the problem. Here are organising mistakes that can make your house look messy and unappealing to buyers.

Don’t Confuse Clean with Organised

Clean But Cluttered Image Credit: Pinterest

Even if you have neatly organised piles, that is still clutter. Until you learn to designate a spot for everything you have, your home won’t be completely organised. You have to give it away or find a place for it. Once you get the hang of it and turn this into a habit, staying organised and clutter free will become easier.

Don’t Keep Your Counters too Clean

Counters Can Be Too Clean Image Credit: HGTV

There is one thing to be organised and keep your counters clean, but sometimes it can be going overboard. If there is something you use daily, then make a space for that on your counter and leave it there. No need to waste time taking it out and putting it away every day.

Don’t Fill Your Refrigerator with Magnets

Empty Refrigerator Image Credit: HGTV

Your kitchen can be beautiful, spotless and clutter free, but if your refrigerator is filled with magnets, it can make the whole kitchen seem full of clutter or messy. The refrigerator is the focal point of the kitchen, which is why having this one thing cluttered up can cause a problem for the appearance of the entire kitchen. Your children’s artwork and family pictures can be displayed inside the cabinet or neatly framed on the wall.

Don’t Keep Kitchen Shelves Disorganised

Kitchen Shelves Image Credit: HGTV

The whole kitchen can look messy if the shelves are disheveled. If you have a kitchen with glass cabinets, make sure to either keep the shelves behind them organised or instead put fabric or contact paper in front of the glass to keep the cabinets looking uniform.

Don’t Make the Mistake of Only Using “The Usual” Storage Places

Kitchen Drawer Storage Image Credit: HGTV

Just because the dishes “usually” go in the cabinets doesn’t mean they have to go there. Find your own best places for storage that work for you. If you want to have clear windows for your cabinets, then sometimes you just have to pick and choose what goes where and how to make your home the most organised.

Make a Great First Impression

Entryway or Mudroom Image Credit: HGTV

Whether you have an entryway or a mudroom, it can be the first impression for guests entering your home. It can also be one of the most cluttered or messy areas of the home. However, there are ways you can design this part of your home to ensure that it remains a clean and organised space. Even a simple basket for shoes goes a long way toward eliminating clutter and also preventing anyone from tripping on said shoes. If you have kids that are having a hard time helping you keep this space organised, then adding labels will help prompt everyone to put their things away upon entering.

Don’t Skip Storage near the Front Door

Front Door Paper Storage Image Credit: HGTV

If you are like most people, things always get left by the front door including mail and other papers you might be bringing home. Don’t make the mistake of not putting a storage option for papers by the door thinking that causes clutter. Instead, it is a way to organise what inevitably ends up there anyhow.

Don’t Mistake an Organised Closet for a Functional One

Functional Closet Image Credit: HGTV

If you are focusing on organising your home, then your closets are usually one of the first things to organise. However, don’t make the mistake of over-organising your closets and making them non-functional. Your closets are busy centres for your everyday life, so make sure that it isn’t just organised well, but also functional.

Don’t Organise by Throwing Things in Drawers

Drawer Organisers Image Credit: HGTV

If you are big on organising, you may cringe at the idea of a “junk drawer”, but so many of us have at least one. Instead of creating a junk drawer, every drawer should have organisers in them to keep that from happening. When everything has its place, it makes it easier to be organised when every item is in a specific place.

Don’t Skip the Labels

Labels Image Credit: HGTV

Without labels, the organising can get out of control fast. Labels help everyone in the house stay organised.

Don’t Make the Mistake of Having Too Organised Bookshelves

Packed Bookshelves Image Credit: HGTV

Just organising everything you keep on your shelves and bookshelves can make you fall victim to over organising things. Instead, choose what to keep on the bookshelf and what goes into storage or gets put away in a different place. Everything doesn’t have to be on the bookshelves, even if it means that is making it more organised. Too much stuff on your bookshelves is still too much, even if it is all organised.

Don’t Over Organise Your Books

Books on the Bookshelves Image Credit: HGTV

 

Don’t make the mistake of putting all of your books on display. Similar to the example above with overcrowded shelves, too many books can make the space look cluttered, even if it is organised. Just put the books out that look nice. Maybe you want to colour code your books on display, or just keep to a theme that keeps them in a minimal presentation. Then, put the rest in storage or somewhere that is still organised, just not on display.