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If you’re getting ready to move or sell your home, clutter is your worst enemy. It makes packing a nightmare, and finding the one item you need could take an extra 15 minutes to more than an hour. Decluttering is a great way to get rid of the things you don’t need before moving or preparing your house for a walkthrough. But you need to avoid some of the common mistakes that come with this seemingly daunting job. Here are some of the roadblocks you could run into and how to handle them:

#1 Laziness or procrastination.

If you don’t feel like decluttering your house will achieve significant results or make your house feel cleaner, then you’re not going to do it effectively. At the same time, if you drag your feet, it may take weeks to get the job done. Have a set goal in mind and stick to it when starting this project, especially if you plan to do the entire house. If you need someone to help or keep you on track, you can hire a home organizer to set a schedule and make the process more manageable.

#2 Tackling too much at once.

You can’t organize the entire house in a day. It’s simply not doable. And it will sound far too overwhelming from the start, deterring you from ever finishing. Spend just a few hours each day decluttering, tackling one room at a time. If that’s too much to do, start with one closet or a few drawers and work your way up. Remember, you will always have a bigger mess before you have something more manageable. If you make a mess of your entire house, you may never regain the energy or desire to go back to the project. For more tips on how to organize your home quickly and easily, check out this post from HuffPost Homes.

#3 Not having an organization plan.

Once you start pulling items from your closets, drawers and other parts of your room, you need to have an organization plan in place. You don’t want to throw everything into one big pile — that creates another mess to sort through later. Instead, tackle it strategically by putting each item into a dedicated pile: donate, sell or throw away. That way, you’ll know where it goes and how to handle it once the room is completely decluttered.

#4 Letting emotions do the talking.

You may be tempted to keep certain items because of their sentimental worth — they were a present, belonged to a family member, have old memories attached, etc. — but oftentimes the pieces we hold onto are of no use. You shouldn’t keep pointless items just for emotions’ sake, unless the emotions are so overwhelming that you simply can’t help yourself. Old toys, pieces of clothing, shoes — these are better off at secondhand stores or in the trash. Yes, there will be pieces of jewelry or photos to keep, but be choosy.

#5 Getting rid of things.

Once everything is organized and out of the room, take the next step. Don’t let the garbage, donation items or garage sale pieces just sit around. You need to drive them down to the secondhand store or landfill. If you need to sell stuff, arrange a garage sale for the following weekend. Waiting until the opportune moment to finalize your decluttering could lead to more piles, which means more hassle for you.

#6 Waiting too long to declutter again.

Once you’ve decluttered every room — whether in preparation to move or sell your home — don’t get too relaxed. There will be another time, perhaps in the near future, where you will need to declutter again. It’s a natural part of life – getting rid of old items and making room for new ones. People accumulate things throughout their lives, and it’s imperative to keep cleaning out the house. Otherwise, you’ll be back at square one in a few years.

Andrea Davis is the editor for HomeAdvisor, which helps homeowners find home improvement professionals in their area at no charge to ensure the best service in the shortest amount of time.

Homeowner associations often deal with tree issues in the form of view blocking or overcrowding as they age and grow. Tree topping is sometimes used to address the view issue. But tree topping is perhaps the most harmful tree pruning practice known. Yet despite years of explaining its harmful effects, it remains a common practice. While the object is to reduce size or improve view, there are alternatives that achieve the same goals while protecting the health of the tree.

Topping is the indiscriminate cutting back of tree branches. Other names for topping include “heading,” “tipping,” “hat-racking,” and “rounding over.” Topping often removes 50-100% of the leaf-bearing crown of a tree. Since the leaves are the “food factory” of a tree, removing large sections can starve a tree. The severity of the pruning triggers a survival mechanism. The tree activates latent buds, forcing the rapid growth of multiple shoots below each cut. The tree needs to put out a new crop of leaves as soon as possible. If a tree does not have the stored energy reserves to do this, it will be seriously weakened and may die.

A stressed tree is more vulnerable to insect and disease infestations. Large, open pruning wounds expose the sapwood and heartwood to attack. The tree may lack sufficient energy to chemically “defend” the wounds against invasion. Some insects are actually attracted to stressed trees by chemical signals.

Topping Can Lead to Sunburn. Branches within a tree’s crown produce thousands of leaves to absorb sunlight. When the leaves are removed, the remaining branches and trunk are suddenly exposed to high levels of light and heat. The result may be sunburn of the tissues beneath the bark. This can lead to cankers, bark splitting and death of some branches.

Topping Creates Hazards. The survival mechanism that causes a tree to produce multiple shoots below each topping cut comes at great expense to the tree. These shoots develop from buds near the surface of the old branches. Unlike normal branches that develop in a “socket” of overlapping wood tissues, these new shoots are only anchored in the outermost layers of the parent branches. The new shoots grow very quickly, as much as 20 feet in one year, in some species. Unfortunately, the shoots are very prone to breaking, especially during windy conditions.

Topping Makes Trees Ugly. The natural branching structure of a tree is a biological wonder. Trees form a variety of shapes and growth habits, all with the same goal of presenting their leaves to the sun. Topping removes the ends of the branches, often leaving ugly stubs. Topping destroys the natural form of a tree. Without the leaves (up to six months of the year in temperate climates) a topped tree appears disfigured and mutilated. With the leaves, it is a dense ball of foliage, lacking its simple grace. A tree that has been topped can never regain its natural form.

Topping is Expensive. The cost of topping a tree is not limited to what the perpetrator is paid. If the tree survives, it will require pruning again within a few years. It will either need to be reduced again, or storm damage will have to be cleaned up. If the tree dies it will have to be removed.

Alternatives to Topping. There are times when a tree must be reduced in height or spread. Providing clearance for utility lines is an example. There are recommended techniques for doing this. If practical, branches should be removed back to their point of origin. If a branch must be shortened, it should be cut back to a lateral that is large enough to assume the terminal role. A rule of thumb for this is to cut back to a lateral that is at least 1/3 the diameter of the limb being removed. This method of branch reduction helps to preserve the natural form of the tree. Sometimes the best solution is to remove the tree and replace it with a species that is more appropriate for the site.

If pruning involves working above the ground, or using power equipment, it is best to hire a professional arborist. An arborist can determine what type of pruning is necessary to improve the health, appearance and safety of your trees. A professional arborist can provide the services of a trained crew, with all of the required safety equipment and liability insurance.

A couple of closing caveats. Avoid using any tree company that advertises topping as a service provided. Hire only a trained arborist. Arborists know that topping is not an accepted practice. Pruning work should be accomplished by free climbing, ladders or lift equipment. Climbing spikes can damage trees, and their use should be limited to trees that are being removed. And never, never, never top your trees.

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With autumn here it is time to get your house in shape for the cooler months ahead. Fall is a great time to take care of the little things that can make a big difference for you and your home. Getting ready for colder weather means checking, repairing, and prepping your home to withstand the upcoming rain, wind, and snow.

Here are some helpful tips that every homeowner should do before hibernating this winter.

1. Stow Your Mower

With the cooler months ahead, it’s time to start thinking about how you are going to stow your lawn mower. Before saying goodbye to your lawn mower for the winter season, there are a few things you should consider. First, it will be a good idea to sharpen the blade of your lawn mower to ensure that it is in tip-top shape for the spring. You’ll also want to empty your gas tank before putting your lawn mower to rest. Taking simple steps like these before putting your lawn mower into storage will help increase the longevity of your equipment.

2. Perform an energy audit

Performing an energy audit is really important because it will tell you where heat is escaping, so you can correct the problem and save money on utilities. If you are doing an energy audit yourself, first make a list of all air leaks in your home by seeing where there are drafts. You can learn how to detect air leaks by following these simple steps. Seal the air leaks that you have identified by applying caulk or weatherstripping. Potential energy savings by detecting and fixing drafts can range from 5% to 30% and will make your home much more comfortable.

3. Replace Your Storm Windows

Before it gets too cold, replace your screen windows and doors with energy-efficient storm windows. Consider a proper storage space for your screen windows so they do not get damaged over the winter months. You’ll want to give them a good cleaning, along with your storm windows, so that they are ready for the upcoming colder months!

4. Check your Furnace

Home heating systems that aren’t properly maintained may be less than 50 percent efficient. A dirty filter will increase your heating costs and reduce the life of your equipment. For these reasons, it is important to check your filter once a month and replace or clean if necessary. Have a professional take a look and perform any adjustments to your furnace during this time if needed.

5. Install Gutter Guards

Homeowners often overlook the importance of gutters, but they protect your home by diverting rain water safely away from your home. Gutter cleaning is a temporary solution to a permanent problem, but it is important to keep your gutters clear and clean in order to prevent home issues like foundation and structural issues.

If neglected long enough, these types of concerns can be serious and costly. One way to combat clogged gutters and eliminate gutter cleaning is to have gutter guards professionally installed to your home. Installing a micromesh gutter protection system, will help save you the time and hassle of cleaning your gutters when the leaves begin to fall.

6. Maintain your Home’s Exterior

Trim back trees and branches that are hanging too close to your home. Fall and winter are known for unexpected weather conditions, so it is important to prevent any type of debris from falling on your home and producing serious damage. Seal driveways, brick patios, and wood decks. For long term care of your home exterior, it is important to apply a layer of sealant to prevent weed growth, repel stains, and increase the longevity of these areas.

7. Chimney and Fireplace

You’ll want to call in a professional to inspect and clean your chimney. Annual cleaning of your chimney is important to prevent dangerous chimney fires. Test your fireplace flue to ensure that it is tightly sealed when closed.

8. Test smoke/carbon dioxide detectors

This is a simple task for homeowners, but it is often forgotten about. Detectors should have a “test” button. If the alarm sounds — you’re good to go! If not, try replacing the batteries and test again. If the alarm still doesn’t fire, you may need a new detector. Testing these systems is a quick, but very important quarterly test to perform.

Taking these steps will not only lower your utility costs, but they will protect your largest investment, your home, from the unexpected weather conditions ahead.