admin When you finally finished unpacking the last moving box, your home was organized, clean and functional. However, as the year progressed and you started buying new things there just wasn’t any space for them. Your dresser is overflowing with clothes, shoes are stacked from floor to ceiling in your closet and your junk drawer has more junk than a drawer. Clutter happens to all of us, but with a few simple steps, you can turn your cluttered home into an HGTV dream house.
Purging
You have things that you don’t need, don’t want, or never use. Why keep them? The first step to an organized home is to get rid of those unwanted items. You can hire a junk removal service or do it on your own.
If you haven’t worn an item of clothing in the last year, donate it. If you are holding onto DVDs or books that you never will watch or read again, sell them. The key here is to get rid of the non-essentials so that you can configure your space in a way that works for you. If you cannot decide just yet whether to throw this unnecessary stuff, you may consider renting out a storage facility. If you live in London, here’s how you can find a storage space.
A quick note on decorative items. These are typically the first thing to get tossed as their practicality is often overlooked. We don’t suggest holding on to knick-knacks that are unappealing or antiquated, but a decorative piece that makes you smile or brightens up your space is usually a good thing to keep.
The Bedroom
The bedroom is usually where the most clutter happens. It is so easy to shove a piece of clothing into the closet or dresser and close the door so that no one else sees it. A bedroom should be your sanctuary and if you are walking into a cluttered space, it is anything but relaxing. Practice these rules for maintaining an organized bedroom after you have purged:
- Avoid dressers with deep drawers. They are difficult to organize and easy to overfill.
- Apply the one-in, one-out rule. If you buy a new piece of clothing, get rid of an older similar piece of clothing.
- Buy a hanging shoe rack and don’t exceed the number of slots available. This will keep your shoes organized and off of your closet floor.
Remember your bedroom is a place for you to relax, so even though guests don’t typically go in there it’s important to keep it clean and organized.
The Rest of the House
While to the bedroom is typically the most cluttered room in the house, there are a few tips that you can follow to avoid clutter spilling over into the rest of your house.
- Don’t put off storing your positions. If everything has a place and everything is in its place when not in use, then your home will remain organized. If you can’t find a place for something, then it’s time to get rid of an item.
- Make things easy to put away by using bins and shelves. You are a lot more likely to put something away if you don’t have to unstack boxes or open lids in order to do so.
- Buy plastic organizers for drawers. This helps keep everything and its place and stops you from having a catch-all or “junk” drawer that will inevitably lead to clutter.
The key to having an organized house is having a system that works for you and your family. Spend a little time each day cleaning up and re-organizing to avoid having organization projects feel like an insurmountable chore. In a few weeks, you will have an organized home that will make you feel happy and calm.
