Winifred Gladin

What is it about spring that makes us want to get rid of things around our house? It’s when home buying and selling rates jump, and people get on the organizing bandwagon. I’ve always wondered why people spend so much time getting their homes ready to sell, putting in so much time, money and effort to make things just perfect for the next person. Why not invest in our homes now, so that we can actually enjoy them?

I heard about this concept of “staging your home for living” from Joshua Becker, who runs the Becoming Minimalist blog. And it immediately resonated with me. Why do we surround ourselves with cluttered homes, and then declutter for a perspective buyer? Why do we live with a wall color we can’t stand, or that needs touch ups, and then repaint it to sell? And why do people renovate their kitchens or bathrooms for efficiency and beauty for the next person to live there, instead of for themselves and their families?

To me, staging your home for living means that you focus on what you and your family need and want to make a space functional and beautiful. That means decluttering the kids toys you keep tripping over, sprucing up your sofa with throw pillows you love, and maybe finally refinishing those dingy floors. Little things around the house can make such a big difference, and I think we should spend the time, money and energy in creating spaces that work for our families, instead of focusing on the next person who may live in our home.