Switching out clothes for the next season

I caught a glimpse of my closet this AM and it is an understatement to say it is disorganized. It seems summer has come overnight here in Denver. Today will be the second day in a row it will reach 80 degrees. The change in weather is why my closet is in such disarray - two weeks ago all I needed were winter clothes but now I need to break into my summer clothes. Every other day I find myself reaching into storage to grab clothes geared for summer temperatures (which then end up on my closet floor). There is always this awkward period in Denver where you are not 100% positive that the new season has arrived for good. Sure, it is 80 degrees today but there is a chance of snow Thursday. It is a science to determine when to switch out clothes. Although I may be wearing a summer dress one day, I am still hesitant to store that wool sweater and boots for fear I MAY still need them as early as tomorrow. 

 No this is not my closet!

How do you deal with the change of seasons? Please share when you switch out your clothes. Until then I've vowed to grab the applicable season's clothes each day and keep my closet door closed.

In addition to writing for Daigle's Digs, Elizabeth works full-time as a Real Estate Agent with  Keller Williams Realty Downtown, LLC. Elizabeth's expertise is in buying and selling a home, first time home buyers, short sales, and investment properties. Contact Elizabeth for any real estate needs. Cell 303-819.73.71. Work 720-314-8352

Downsizing 101

Downsizing can often be a bittersweet transition as change often is. The reasons to downsize are plentiful but one thing is true it can be logistically difficult adjusting to a smaller space. If you are anything like me, no matter how much you plan you always still have too much stuff in your new home. I went from a 1,500 sq foot home in New Hampshire with A LOT of closet space to a one bedroom, 1 bathroom with minimal closet space. Prior to my move I went through and gave close to 5 large trash bags of stuff away and arrived in Denver with still too much stuff. 

I have found the trick to downsizing is organization. With a smaller space you need to be creative with both your space and how you organize. My new apartment has tall ceilings which is great to make the place feel bigger but the walls are also an awesome way to utilize extra space in a smaller home. When you have too much stuff - go up and use the walls as a means to organize. 

Here are some of my favorite ways to organize with the help of your home's walls. 

1. Create a command station. It is a great way to communicate with other people in your home and store things that you use everyday such as keys.

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2. Mount ledges on the wall to organize books. Great idea if you do not have enough space for a bookcase but have a lot of books.

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3. Use caddies or buckets to store really anything! I love the idea of using this in the bathroom.

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3. As a lover of jewelry I have an endless battle of figuring out a way to organize all of it without getting tangled. This would do the trick.  

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4. A pegboard on the wall can help with organization in any room.

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5. Using clipboards to organize and display pictures or important papers.

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This is just some of many ways to organize your space with the help of your walls. What other ways have you used? 

In addition to writing for Daigle's Digs, Elizabeth works full-time as a Real Estate Agent with Keller Williams Realty Downtown, LLC. Elizabeth's expertise is in buying and selling a home, first time home buyers, short sales, and investment properties. Contact Elizabeth for any real estate needs. Cell 303-819.73.71. Work 720-314-8352.

Creative Idea for the bathroom

Do you have a tiny bathroom that does not offer much counter space or storage? Consider this idea....

A stool offers a little more space for things that would typically be on the counter such as lotion, hand wash and towels.

In addition to writing for Daigle's Digs, Elizabeth works full-time as a Real Estate Agent with Keller Williams Realty Downtown, LLC. Elizabeth's expertise is in buying and selling a home, first time home buyers, short sales, and investment properties. Contact Elizabeth for any real estate needs. Cell 303-819.73.71. Work 720-314-8352.

My Absolute Favorite Cleaning Product

I am all about consolidation and making anything around the house just a little bit easier. After spending years with drawers filled with cleaning supplies, when I moved here I found I did not have enough room for multiple cleaning products. I bought one item- oxi clean.

Before I moved, I did a deep clean of my whole home. Someone had recommended using oxi clean for my tile and grout. Oh.my.goodness! I wish I had before and after pictures because it worked so well. I will not lie, it was hard work. I spent two days on my hands and knees with a brush but how great it looked created immense satisfaction. Along with cleaning tile, I use it as detergent, to clean the toilets and as a stain remover. According to this, oxi can be used to clean carpets, upholstery and a number of other things. Have you ever used oxi clean? Do you have your own go to cleaner?

In addition to writing for Daigle's Digs, Elizabeth works full-time as a Real Estate Agent with Keller Williams Realty Downtown, LLC. Elizabeth's expertise is in buying and selling a home, first time home buyers, short sales, and investment properties. Contact Elizabeth for any real estate needs. Cell 303-819.73.71. Work 720-314-8352. 

Staging + Smell

Smell.. the sense that is often overlooked in a home. We all become so immune to smells in our home whether it be the food we cook, pets, clothes or any other fragrances. We become used to the smell of our home. It may not be a bad smell but smell is one thing we need to keep in mind when putting your home on the market. 

When you put a home on the market, you want to make sure it presents the best it possible can. I always tell clients to keep in mind the smell. Your home will inevitable smell like you just by you living there. You want to impersonalize the home as much as possible so potential buyers can picture their family in the home. 

If you are planning on selling your home there are certain things you can do to neutralize the smell:

1. Avoid odorous food. When I had one of my homes on the market I made Brussels sprouts one night then had a showing the next day. The buyer actually made mention of the smell (36 hours after actually cooking). Foods that have a strong odor tend to stick around for quite some time. 
2. Shampoo carpets (especially if you have pets).
   
3. Get furniture professionally cleaned.
4. Deep clean all linens, duvets and wall treatments.
5. Keep the home as clean as possible when showing it (nothing smells better than the smell of a clean home).
6. If you (or even a past owner) smoked in the home, paint walls using a deodorizer primer and latex paint.
   
7. Get fresh air circulating by replacing any air filters, furnace filters and air conditioner filters.

Most people's first instinct is to disguise any smells in the home with potpourri, candles or air fresheners. While I do think these are great ways to make the house smell nice, I would be careful with the scent used. Some of those products can be overpowering and everyone has different reactions to smells. I, personally, stray away from floral scents and anything citrus. I would recommend a lavender scent, as it is usually not overpowering and can be calming.

In addition to writing for Daigle's Digs, Elizabeth works full-time as a Real Estate Agent with Keller Williams Realty Downtown, LLC. Elizabeth's expertise is in buying and selling a home, first time home buyers, short sales, and investment properties. Contact Elizabeth for any real estate needs. Cell 303-819.73.71. Work 720-314-8352.