Real Estate & The Marie Kondo Effect

What’s sparking joy got to do with real estate?

IMAGE CREDIT: KonMari

Unless you’ve been hiding under a rock, away from the glow of your Netflix account, chances are you’ve heard about the new show Tidying Up with Marie Kondo. The Netflix hit follows Marie Kondo the almighty organizer as she helps people purge their excess clutter to improve their lives. Marie asks the question “does it spark joy?” as a way of helping people decide whether to keep or toss an item.

So, what’s sparking joy got to do with real estate? Well, if you’re thinking of listing, a home equipped for optimal organization is a definite plus. In fact, just like how a wild paint colour can temporarily halt buyers in their tracks (we’ve all seen it happen on House Hunters — check out this video to see what I mean), a cluttered home is a real estate turnoff.

Try These Marie Kondo–Approved Ideas To “Spark Joy” With Prospective Buyers:

1. Install a built-in closet system. Your system doesn’t have to be expensive but trust me, everyone opens the closet doors when touring a house and an organized closet is an instant win in real estate.

2. Ensure your kitchen has a mix of storage. Designers and Toronto real estate agents agree that having a combination of deep drawers, a floating shelf or two for display, and an island or peninsula with storage is essential.

3. Channel zen vibes in your bedroom. Just like staying in a tranquil hotel room, having a clutter-free bedroom with calming colours and minimal distractions will make prospective buyers want to wake up there too.

4. Clean up your bathroom. Aside for the obvious cleaning that should be done, consider picking up an attractive storage caddy to hold your toothbrushes, and keep personal products off your counters — no one wants to see your prescriptions let alone your dirty towels!

5. Leave the living room for living. Common spaces like living rooms often become dumping grounds for everything from kids’ toys to office supplies. While it’s hard to keep rooms like these tidy all the time, having a place to tuck computer cords, remotes and toys helps give the illusion of order in the home.

Let the joy sparks fly! - Andrew Dunn, Toronto real estate agent.