The last thing you want when you come in from work – and indeed when potential buyers are looking around your home – is an obstacle course of kids toys to step through and piles of washing to lift from the sofa before you can sit down. If this picture is a familiar one, here are a few tips to create the relaxing, clutter-free living room and a space that will appeal to anyone picturing themselves living in your home
Loads of laundry
Clothes horses with dangling socks and undies, towels drying on radiators, piles of washing waiting to be ironed – it all leads to chaos in any living room and takes away from this being a space for relaxation and recreation. Ironing to a spot of binge TV is fine, but avoid from leaving piles of washing sitting for days waiting to be put away.
Piles of paperwork
Coffee and dining tables love collecting paperwork of all kinds from mail to magazines, work taken home, study notes or the kid’s homework books. Try to stop this gathering in the living room as again it acts as a distraction and creates a feeling of unfinished work needing done in a place you want to be calm. Instead create an office nook in the hallway or kitchen, with specific ‘dookits’ or pigeonhole files to organise paperwork. If space allows, set-up a homework desk for children in their bedrooms.
Scattered kids toys
It’s easier said than done, but children’s toys can become a real clutter nuisance in the living room so a system to keep these tidy will help keep these rooms step-hazard free! The majority of toys can be kept in children’s rooms and any in the living room should be easily stored away from sight come bed time – get kids into a routine of tidying them up if you can!
Old magazines
Another source of unnecessary papers gathering up is the old-fashioned magazine rack – designed to keep things tidy but inevitably full of out of date Radio Times Christmas editions from 2005! Ditch the mag rack and instead rotate magazine frequently, getting into the habit of recycling old titles.
Too much furniture
More often than not you’ll find that there are one too many armchairs or coffee tables in a living room. To create a sense of uncluttered calm, get the big bulky items right first such as your soft furnishings, storage units and tables. Don’t fill the room to the brim but use the space cleverly and think about fold-away furniture and pieces with built-in storage to maximise on space.
Unnecessary knick-knacks
Too many objects just collect dust not to mention a sense of mess in a living space. Collectors may find this tricky but keep decorative pieces to a minimum – your favourite pieces only and no more.
Distracting DVDs
When was the last time you reached for a DVD to watch? Bet you can’t remember when you last popped a VHS in the video recorder either! As technology has moved on via streaming subscription services, so should our living spaces, and there is little need now for lots of old media collecting dust on the shelf. Keep your favourites and donate the rest.
Untidy cables
Cables for lamps, TVs, computers and games consoles strewn across floors can create a really untidy look. Plan out your living space in accordance with power outlets to avoid lots of visible cables or ugly extensions. Make the most of wireless technology where you can too.
Cushion overkill
Cushions can be great to add colour, texture and interest to a living room but you can definitely overdo it, so much so it’s impossible to get comfy on your sofa without half of them ending strewn across the living room floor. A couple in each sofa corner is sufficient!
Unused exercise equipment
Unless you really do work out on the cross trainer every night whilst catching up on your favourite shows, bulky exercise equipment will never look stylish and should find another space in the home for storage – the garage is usually ideal!