"We plan to sell our house in a couple of years so we'll have to spend about 6 months preparing it just before putting it on the market." You hear people say this all the time but why? Don't you want to enjoy a space that has less clutter and makes you feel at peace? Sure you do. Then let's make a plan. Grab some paper and a pen. Put on your real estate planner hat and let's get started.
Pick one room and get comfy. At the top of the paper write down the name of the room and make a list of what changes are needed. Think about ways to reduce clutter either from knickknacks, pictures, or even furniture. If the room needs a paint job then write that down too. The biggest problem might come from the slightly messy way you run your life. If so get some help from a friend or professional organizer for tips to reign in the messy with a few habit changes.
Now do this in each room. Once you have the plan, write a date to work on each room. Remember this is what you would have done 6 months prior to moving so that should be your max timeline. At the end of your 6 months of projects have a few friends over and show off the new you. Now enjoy it!