Long before she rose to Netflix fame, Marie Kondo has been helping people take tidying to a whole new level with her international bestseller, The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up. In it, her KonMari Method helps readers mindfully pare down their excess stuff to create a home that inspires their ideal lives. At the center of her method is a simple question tidy-ers should ask themselves of every item they own: “Does this spark joy?” If it does not, thank it for its service and let it go.
Kondo’s magic gained such a following that Netflix picked it up for the original series Tidying Up with Marie Kondo, which debuted earlier this year and inspired a new wave of joy-sparking decluttering. Even though the KonMari Method is designed for residences, the practice offers a fresh perspective and valuable strategies for neatening vacation rentals, too. Bookmark these adapted Tidying Up tips for your next deep clean.
Keep only what sparks joy – for guests
Short-term rental owners can apply Kondo’s joy principle to their properties with a twist. Ask yourself: “Does this item spark joy for my guests?” Detach from the property as its owner and try to see it as if you were in a stranger’s home with no attachment to its contents. It’s easier said than done, but building this objectivity muscle will result in a better experience for guests. If you find yourself thinking they’ll find joy in every item, like the tattered Uno box with half the deck missing, that muscle may not be strong enough yet.
Kondo recommends working through items by category, taking out all items in one and piling them together. In a residential home, her suggested groups are, in order: clothes, books, papers, komono (miscellaneous), and sentimental.
As these don’t exactly apply to STRs, we recommend the following:
- Textiles
- Books and games
- Kitchenware
- Komono – knick-knacks, miscellaneous décor, haphazard furniture and random “amenities”
- Sentimental
Sentimental items are arguably the toughest and most important category to address. Items like personal photos, family heirlooms, and other things with special memories attached should simply not be kept in a rental home. Wear and tear and accidental damage will happen. The flip side of the sparking joy question is “Would I be heartbroken if a guest accidentally damaged/ripped/spilled something on this?” If your answer is “yes,” bring it home or secure it in locked owner storage.
Make storage part of the décor
Once you’ve KonMari’d all five categories, it’s time to properly store what’s left by giving everything a place to live and making décor functional. For example, store throw blankets in a chic basket, keep board games in a cute wooden crate, and tuck outdoor gear in a bench. Keep tabletops and counters clear and organized, too, by staging little items like remotes in a sleek tray and pens in a pretty cup.
Use boxes to organize drawers for easier housekeeping
Kondo advises using small boxes as drawer organizers and storing like-size items together. Doing so will make it easier for guests to find and return items to their proper places and keep drawer and cabinet hardware from wearing out as quickly. It will also make it easier for housekeepers to sort and clean high-maintenance rooms like the kitchen. This can make a big difference in efficient and effective cleaning, particularly on busy turnover days.
Use items themselves as décor
A popular KonMari Method is to arrange items by size and color, like books or DVDs. Open shelves or glass-front cabinets in the kitchen can be the perfect display for thoughtfully arranged dishware. Organizing with this aesthetic purpose will make your home look more put together and make it easier for guests and housekeepers to put things away with more care and order.
Bonus tip: Consider building a community pocket library along the road front of your property where allowed. Not only will this free up space in the house, it will be a fun surprise for guests and a marketing tool to catch the eye of local traffic.
Fold and store towels and linens the KonMari way
Another popular KonMari Method practice is to store textile items rolled and stacked on shelves or folded and upright in drawers. These techniques save space, make each piece easy to see, and help stop fabric items from getting squished and creased at the bottom of a stack. If you provide bedding or towels to your guests, consider employing these techniques in your textile storage.
Here’s a quick how-to on folding a fitted sheet the KonMari way – because if you can tame a fitted sheet, you can do anything.
Refurnish with items that maximize joy and functionality
When it comes time to refurnish, use the joy question as you shop. Also, look for items that are multifunctional to maximize comfort and convenience for guests without adding back in all the clutter. For example, add flexible seating and hidden storage to the living room with small storage ottomans that can be lined up under a window to create a reading nook or easily brought around the coffee table for family game night.