The Sacramento Bee
Real Estate : Special to
Sunday Homes
November 14, 1999
Organizing home's clutter a
boon to sellers looking for sale
by
Nancy Mandelberg
There is a trade secret long
shared amongst top selling real estate agents that is beginning to leak
out, and is rapidly being touted as the best thing to happen to their
business since the invention of the personal computer:
Organization - or the business
of helping those for whom a state of order doesnıt come naturally - is a multi-billion dollar industry. Based on the divine precept that
cutting the clutter from our lives enhances productivity, increases
creativity and incidents of sanity - organization could easily be
considered the ideal panacea for the New Age. Everyone from Heloise to
Oprah hosts tips and techniques in a dazzling display of ingenuity,
insight, and technological wizardry. Yet, in spite of all the king's
horses and all the kingıs men, organization is an illusive goal
often sought and rarely captured.
Anna Tonkin, a member of the
National Organization of Professional Organizers, is an objective and
frequently essential mediator between client and clutter. her techniques
bring order to office and home, leading her customers gently by the hand
through a process that few can accomplish on their own.
A classic example of the maxim
that warns against the hazards of putting new wine in old wineskins,
Tonkin professes that it is necessary for clients to tear the working or
living space down to the bare bones before implementing new procedures.
Her broad organizational spectrum helps real estate clients in three
major areas: In the home, office, and for special events.
Initially, she received acclaim
for assisting agentıs clients by bringing order to the moving process.
Undeniably the dirty deed of
the home-buying process, moving is that nasty interlude that comes
between the joy of closing escrows and the sanctity of nestling into the
new digs.
Shedding light on a dark
subject, Tonkin implements organization within the essential two phases
of the moving process. She helps clients clear out the clutter from the
old house and then establish and maintain working order in the new one.
Obtaining the key elements of a
client's pattern of operation, she assists her clients in the difficult
and sometimes emotional decisions about what realistically is worth
keeping.
"She communicates this in a
gentle manner and gets things done," said Maureen Higlin, agent for
Coldwell Banker in Granite Bay. "Downsizing is a painful process for a
lot of people."
These kinds of services are
especially valuable to seniors who have accumulated 30 or more years
worth of "stuff" under one roof. by helping clients
"focus on the now," assessing what they wish to take with them to the new location,
boxing up what theyıve decided to keep and then labeling the boxes,
organizers help their clients get ready for the movers.
"When we're free of things we
no longer use, we're more productive," said Tonkin.
Move-in organization involves a
total home assessment. "For example, there is a real method of
organization to the kitchen that is unique to any other room in the
house." Based on the client's budget, she accesses resources from
closet organizers to a host of products that help divide and conquer
kitchen chaos. She implements pull-outs, shelf design and dividers that
make everything easily accessible and within view. If the client has
little children, Tonkin recommends creating an area just for them.
Placing their dinnerware within easy reach can help teach a child
responsibility and a sense of discipline.
The move-in segment encompasses
order in the kitchen, closets, bedrooms and garage, utilizing principles
of zoning. "By implementing specific zones into any given room clutter
can be controlled and belongings can be located easily and
quickly,"
she said.
In the childrenıs rooms,
Tonkin sets up specific areas for clothing, toys and art. "We can't
put children's toys away in a closed trunk and expect them to
remember what is inside." Using clear bins and wire baskets permits
children to see what they have without tearing through everything to
find what theyıre looking for. The garage is no exception. Zones are
established for worktables, craft areas and seasonal possessions get
specific bins.
Home Office
The home office concept is
increasingly popular with buyers, said Coldwell Banker Realtor Maureen
Higelin. converting spare bedrooms into effective office spaces requires
adjustments to the existing layouts. Working from a host of established
resources, shelving, cabinetry, drawers, bins, and other such tools are
chosen to fit the particular needs of each client.
Melodee French, an agent for
Coldwell Banker in Granite Bay has a second business as an interior
designer and needed to restore order and reorganize her home office.
"I
had scraps of fabric all over my office for different client projects
on-going projects were piled all over my desk," she said. Sound
familiar?
Tonkin separated French's
clients into specific sections - then, taking the doors off the
closet, transformed a bedroom closet into an efficient supply area with
special cabinets, bins and storage. "It all made sense," said the
designer, admitting she now enjoys working in her home office. "She
even moved the furniture around so the space was more efficient - and
I'm an interior designer."
There are things we do for
others that we don't do for ourselves simply because we donıt think we
can afford to take the time.
Realtors have utilized various
techniques for broker presentations and to "add life to empty
homes."
Melodee French was selling a $4.9 million dollar home for a client
recently. "Some high end homes require special presentations,² said
French. "After talking with Anna, I decided on an invitation-only 'sneak preview'. Candles and fresh flowers were placed in key areas of
the home like the kitchen and bath, special scents, music are just a few
of the effects she works with to bring appeal to presentations."
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