KonMari your whare
You don’t need to spend a fortune to increase the value of your property. In this multi-part lockdown series, we’ll show you how. Part two – How to KonMari your whare.
Decluttering the KonMari way
Marie Kondo is a pro organiser. She loves organising so much that she has trademarked her approach to decluttering. The KonMari Method tackles your clutter category by category, rather than room by room; the goal is to have a house full (or not so full) of items that spark joy.
Marie Kondo’s Konmari Method works so well her books have sold over 11 million copies. She even has a show on Netflix (Tidying Up, released in 2019 and Sparking Joy, released in August, just in time for the latest lockdown).
Lockdown is the perfect time to KonMari your whare.
But first, let’s not imagine KonMari is easy. The method requires you to pull out every item you own, going through piece by piece to determine what sparks joy and what does not.
Here are Marie’s 6 basic rules for tidying:
1. Commit yourself to tidying up. KonMari, says Marie, is a chance to reset your life. But only if you commit to following its principles.
2. Imagine your ideal lifestyle. This is a process for the long haul. It’s not about a quick tidy up, it’s about imagining your ideal lifestyle and making it happen.
3. Finish discarding first. KonMari isn’t really about decluttering, it’s more about focusing on the items you want to keep. Discarding items though, provides an opportunity to
learn from your past experiences. Perhaps you didn’t really need that air fryer? On a practical level, by discarding first you can turn your full attention to those items that spark joy.
4. Tidy by category, not by location. Here’s where it gets tricky. You will literally be upending your home at this point. Take the books category for example – you’ll be pulling out every single book in your house and placing it in a pile for review. Kia kaha, you can do this.
“You can never grasp the overall volume of each type of thing you own”, says Marie. “You’re more likely to keep the paperclips in your office if you don’t take into account the stockpile in the attic. The result is that you become locked in a never-ending cycle of tidying.”
5. Follow the right order. Marie recommends starting with the easiest category (clothes), ending with the more challenging category (sentimental items). You’ll hone your skills as you go. Tidy in this order:
- Clothes
- Books
- Papers
- Komono (miscellaneous items)
- Sentimental Items
6. Ask yourself if it sparks joy. This is the underlying principle of KonMari. Only you can know what kind of environment makes you happy. Pick up every item and ask each one “Does this spark joy?” Be honest. If you genuinely feel joy, this is an item you’ll keep. If not – let it go. Either throw it away, list it on trademe or put it aside to donate to charity after lockdown has lifted.
If you’re considering selling your property, a great use of this lockdown time is to prepare your home and research your options. Our salespeople are on hand to chat through your needs. For
local knowledge and expertise, get in touch with your local First National office.