Start Simple: A Guide to Organizing Your Home

FastExpert partner and Los Gatos, CA real estate agent, Julie Wyss, shares her expert tips on how to simplify and organize your home, a must when you’re selling.

Many of us live with everyday clutter. But when it comes time to prepare your home for sale, decluttering and organizing your home isn’t just a nice idea—it’s essential. In fact, it’s the first thing your real estate agent will likely ask you to start with.

Why? Because clutter distracts from what we’re really selling: space, light, and potential.

Whether you keep every knick-knack or simply need to fine-tune your space, it’s easier than you think to make a big impact. Start small and stay motivated.

Here are my top five tips for getting your home market-ready by cutting the clutter.

1. Pick up everything off the floor that’s not furniture.

Start by removing the extras—little side tables with a plant, small area rugs, oversized potted plants, or decorative statues.

These things add visual noise and make rooms feel smaller. Bathrooms often get overlooked, but they’re important too. Take out floor rugs, trash cans, toilet brushes, and scales. It might feel a little bare, but that clean, open look is exactly what buyers respond to.

2. Clear off countertops and bookshelves.

Bookcases should be styled with about four books per shelf, max. Remove excess items and all personal clutter.

In the kitchen, have one small focal point in each zone. Think a sleek knife set or a high-end coffee maker. Everything else should be stored out of sight.

Buyers aren’t buying your lifestyle—they’re buying space, and clear counters help them see it.

3. Float your furniture.

It’s common to push all the big pieces against the walls, but floating furniture actually makes a room feel larger and more designer.

Try pulling your sofa about a foot away from the wall.

In bedrooms, position the head of the bed near the wall, but leave space on either side to create better flow. These small tweaks can make a big visual difference.

4. Remove heavy or dark window coverings.

Unless your window treatments are light, sheer, and airy, take them down. Natural sunlight is one of your home’s best assets, and heavy curtains block it.

The more light you let in, the more welcoming and cheerful the space feels. And that’s exactly what we want buyers to feel when they walk through the door.

5. Remove outdoor pots and random decorations.

Don’t forget your exterior spaces. Just like inside, less is more.

Remove extra potted plants, garden statues, and any random outdoor décor. We’re aiming to show off open patios, clean walkways, and well-maintained landscaping. Keep it simple and let the outdoor space speak for itself.

Final thought

At the end of the day, we’re not selling your furniture or your style—we’re selling real estate.

That means we want to highlight space, light, and the potential for a new buyer’s life to unfold there. My job as your real estate agent is to help you create that feeling, and it all starts with thoughtful decluttering and organizing your home.

You don’t have to do it all at once—just start with one room, one surface, or one category at a time. The results will surprise you—and so will the offers.