Whether your adult children have left the nest or you recently decided to "upsize" to a larger house, you're now faced with the minor "problem" of what to do with that extra space.

While some homeowners just use it for storage or guest bedrooms, there are plenty of other possibilities that are well worth considering.

Exercise room: In spite of the many proven benefits of regular exercise -- ranging from increased strength and endurance to weight control and slowing down the aging process, many people have trouble getting started and staying motivated. It's a lot easier to come up with a laundry list of excuses than join a gym and stick with an exercise program. It's surprising how many people actually join a health club, but then stop going after the novelty (and their enthusiasm) wears off.

However, when you create a dedicated fitness space at home, most of your former excuses no longer hold water! With a home gym or exercise room, you not only have convenience, privacy, and 24/7 availability, but there are no parking issues, traffic problems, membership fees, or noisy weightlifters. If you prefer a regimen that's less vigorous, there's always the option to use the room for yoga, tai chi, and meditation.

Home office: With more homeowners telecommuting, consulting, freelancing, blogging, and starting ecommerce stores, it makes sense to set aside a dedicated space in your home for business and career development. A home office is also a quieter place to go for other tasks, such as paying bills, applying for jobs, social networking, catching up on your email correspondence, or planning your next vacation.

Home library: If you or any of your family are avid readers, a room with lots of built-in shelving, comfortable furniture, and adjustable lighting would be the perfect place to curl up with a good book and a hot cup of tea. Not only would a home library be the ideal environment for reading, studying, or doing research, but it might even encourage your children to cultivate more of an appreciation for reading and learning.

Craft room: Whether there are artists, embroiderers, or jewelry makers in your household, a special room for artistic endeavors lends itself to creativity, while helping to keep craft supplies and projects confined to one area of the house! A craft room can also be ideal for storing gift-wrapping supplies and holiday cards.

Music room: If your family is musically inclined, a separate room for practicing instruments is beneficial to both budding musicians and those who want to watch TV, do homework, or have quiet conversations elsewhere in the house. A dedicated music room can also be a good spot for making music videos, recording music, and having jam sessions.

As you can imagine, extra space in your house gives you and your family the opportunity for more physical, intellectual, and creative development. Designating a spare room, a finished basement, or an attic area for artistic expression or personal development may even encourage others in your family to discover and cultivate their hidden and emerging talents!

Let's face it – clutter is an eyesore that all home sellers can live without. However, removing clutter before you list your house may prove to be difficult, particularly for those with limited time and resources at their disposal.

Fortunately, we're here to help you streamline the decluttering process. That way, you can speed up the process of improving your house's appearance and get your residence show-ready.

To better understand how to effectively declutter your home, let's take a look at three best practices for decluttering:

1. Organize Your Belongings

Old electronics, broken exercise equipment and other items can take up lots of space in your home. If you take a look at all of your belongings, you can differentiate clutter from items that you'd like to keep.

If you haven't used an item in several years or an item simply takes up space in your house, this item likely is clutter. As such, you should eliminate this item from your premises as soon as possible.

On the other hand, items that you use regularly or items that have sentimental value may prove to be keepers. With these items, you should store and maintain them properly to reduce the risk of deterioration.

2. Get Rid of Items That You No Longer Need

There may be a wide range of clutter scattered throughout your house. Although your first instinct might tell you to throw out excess items, it is important to consider whether these items could be sold or donated.

Even though a particular item no longer serves your needs, you may be able to sell this item to the highest bidder. Thus, if you post an item online or host a garage sell, you could earn extra cash by selling your clutter.

In addition, many charities will accept items that you no longer need. If you have excess items that are working properly, reach out to local charities, and these organizations may be able to pick them up at your convenience.

3. Consult with a Real Estate Agent

If you plan to list your home in the next few weeks, consulting with a real estate agent is ideal. This housing market professional can offer expert decluttering recommendations and help you get your house ready for the real estate market.

Typically, a real estate agent will meet with you, evaluate your house and learn about your home selling goals. He or she also will explain the home selling process and ensure you know what to expect before you list your residence.

In most instances, a real estate agent will set up home showings and open houses, notify you about offers on your house and provide various home selling recommendations and suggestions. Plus, if you ever have questions about decluttering your home or other home selling topics, a real estate agent can provide immediate answers.

Simplify the process of decluttering your house – use the aforementioned tips, and you can remove clutter from your residence in no time at all.

Photo by Jametlene Reskp on Unsplash

While the hurricane season may still be a couple of seasons away, now is a great time to start thinking about how best to protect your home in the event of a hurricane, tornado, or similar high wind storm situation. During high wind situations, windows can easily become broken as a result of flying debris and, once broken, that debris and window shards can cause a significant safety issue and increase the risks of other types of property damage. So protect your home, your belongings, and, most importantly, your family by considering the following preventative measures of protecting your windows during hurricane watches and other storms:

Protecting Your Windows During Hurricane Watches

Install storm shutters. When your home is in the line of a hurricane watch or other big storm, one of the most important things you'll be advised to do is to install plywood over your windows to prevent flying debris from shattering them. Obviously, should you live in an area with frequent storms, this can get tedious. So instead, consider the more permanent solution of installing storm shutters.  Storm shutters come in a variety of styles, all of which are designed to allow homeowners to easily cover their windows with a more protective shield in the event of high winds. 

Upgrade to hurricane impact windows. Upgrading to hurricane impact windows is perhaps the safest thing a homeowner can do in preparation of storm season. Impact windows are incredibly durable windows that are made out of multiple layers of tempered glass and have the added benefit of being incredibly insulated for both sound and climate. 

Looking to Sell Your Home?

Both storm shutters and hurricane impact windows are great investments homeowners can make to improve the value of their home as, after all, what family doesn't want to live in a safer, more durable home? And if you're ready to sell feel free to reach out, so we can start your home selling journey together.