Getting your home organized and in order can seem like an impossible mission, but with a little planning and commitment, every one of your possessions will be in its proper place – and you’ll feel like the king or queen of your castle again.
In order to help you prepare, we thought we’d give you our top 25 tips to help alleviate the stress and get your home clutter free – and most importantly, keep it all away! Look for part 2 of this blog when we complete the top 25 tips.
Before you get started:
1. See where the problems lie.
Have a walk around your house and see where the majority of the clutter lies. Take photos so you’re able to see, remember and improve on the state of your rooms. Like this you can work on each room as if it’s a project. Identify the problem areas and come up with appropriate solutions to action.
2. Arrange your thoughts.
Even though it’s your home you’re de-cluttering your mind needs to undergo similar organization. With the added stress of daily life, work and family, you don’t need to be thinking constantly about the state of your home. Write things down, scribble ideas for storage solutions and always write daily to do lists to ensure your jobs get done, no matter how minimal the might seem in the grand scheme of things.
3. Prepare to tackle the job.
It’s important not to try and organize your house in one swoop. Planning is key. With the use of your photos (if you decided to take them) decide what every area in your house is to be used for. What drawers are for what utensils, what hooks are for what coats etc. Write a shopping list of what is required to complete those trouble areas, hangers, storage boxes or even vacuum-bags.
4. But …be realistic.
Decide what style of organized you want to be. If you’re naturally a tidy person, then hidden, compartmentalized storage and minimal displays will be right for you. If you’re more comfortable living in organized chaos then showing off the clutter you have within your house in a planned way is perhaps a better option for you.
5. Investigate other ways to create storage space.
Look through your photos…. are there areas that could be better utilized? Under beds, under stairs, under seating, perhaps a simple set of built in cupboards in your corridor would be useful. Behind doors is a great area forgotten. By purchasing a simple hanging unit you have an entire area to store scarves, ties or similar.
6. Make it a family affair.
This isn’t a job you should be expected to tackle alone – unless you wish too. You are not the only one who lives in your house and whose clutter you trip over in the corridor. Assign a room to every family member. Husbands get the garage, kiddies get the playroom and obviously all should be help responsible for their own rooms. Offer a reward for the best-organized boudoir, the most innovative storage solution and for who keeps their area in order the longest.
Identifying problem areas, dealing with them, and keeping them organized.
7. The linen closet.
No matter how hard you try your linen closet will always look like someone ripped everything out and stuffed it back in again about 3 days after you’ve organized it… So, help tame the trouble by organizing and separating items with the help of baskets and adjustable shelving, folding all items neatly and arranging each shelf according to the room you use the linen in.
8. Jewellery junk box.
Look on Pinterest for some great arty ideas for stands to display your jewels. This will save untangling time and also add a decorative piece to an empty surface. Always on the hunt for a matching earring, so many beautiful boxes are now available to buy to help organize all these little bits and pieces of jewellery.
9. Cluttered nightstand.
We all know this is a clutter hot spot. As I sit here I am looking at a pile of jewellery taken off from the night before, lip-gloss, water and nail polish. Limit the amount of anything you put on this, usually, small table that should only house a light and the latest book you’re reading – not 15!
10. Keeping keepsakes correctly.
You just love keeping cinema stubs from your first dates, photos from days out and other small mementoes… Create ways of displaying all these lovely memories and even sharing them with all your guests. Display boxes or framing a collage are great ideas. If your memories are not for the public eye conceal them in a file and store the file away for a sneaky walk down memory lane when no one is around.
11. Positioning of your mail.
Create a central spot to put your mail, bills, and correspondence, whether it be closed or opened. Create an inbox system for each person in the house so their mail isn’t left around the house awaiting their return home.
12. No more rummaging for receipts.
Keep your bag free of loose recipes and help with budgeting for the household. Keep your receipts in a tabbed wallet or file, including an index to assign each receipt to an area of the household – food, plumbing, electricity etc.
