image source: https://www.pinterest.com/pin/68820700538768495/
That time of year is right around the corner….spring cleaning! A time beloved by some, and a season feared/hated/ignored by many. You may have resolved this year to simplify your life, by getting rid of clutter in your home and tackling the home organization you so desperately want but can’t seem to attain. I applaud your goal, because decluttering and organizing is a very necessary step before you can even consider taking on a design overhaul.
As a self-proclaimed lover of organization and keeping things simple, I wanted to put a few of my personal practices down on paper to see if they might help you.
How to Declutter Your Home Tip #1 – Remove the Emotional Attachment
My first tip is to remove the emotional attachment you have to things. You’ve heard this advice countless times before, but have you ever put it into practice? I would say that 95% of the things we want to hold onto, there really is nothing special about them. No sentimental value. But we tell ourselves to keep them because we’ve a). had them a long time b.) might need them in the future even though we’ve never used them before or c.) don’t want to be wasteful and just get rid of something that is perfectly fine. All of the reasons to keep that thing seem completely logical, but in reality, that thing is just weighing you down. You have to store it/fix it/clean it/repair it, it takes up space, takes up mental energy, takes effort to find it, and takes energy to reorganize or move it when you tackle spring cleaning the next time. 😉 If you truly don’t use or need something…just let it go. You will never regret it!
How to Declutter Your Home Tip #2 – Designate Single Areas for a Single Thing
As you declutter, your first goal is to get rid of unused items. Your next step will be to determine where you are going to store and organize the items you have decided to keep. I would urge you, as you are placing things in their forever home, focus on keeping ALL of the same type of thing in ONE single area. Let me explain. Let’s say you’ve decided to keep batteries in a side drawer in your kitchen. Perfect! Now, the only place in your entire home that stores batteries should be that 1 kitchen drawer. You don’t need another battery spot in your guest room closet. Just stick with the one location! Then, you will always know where all of your batteries are. Seems so simple, but I notice lots of people try to organize things in too many locations. This tip is the single most effective way that I attempt (mostly successfully) to keep my home organized.
How to Declutter Your Home #3 – You Probably Don’t Need more Storage
Many times when I am meeting with a prospective new client, they might mention that they need help with storage ideas for a particular room…it is a very common request. I am often hesitant to provide just loads of storage cabinets or storage solutions, because I am sure the client will quickly fill up and overflow those storage areas if the true issue isn’t addressed: they don’t need more storage, they need to get rid of unused possessions! Is trying to keep every piece of paper your issue? It is a common organizational struggle. How about this – consider a nice scanner – upload the document on the cloud in organized files, and then THROW THE ORIGINAL AWAY. It is the best…and you will never have to touch that unnecessary thing again.
If you have mastered the above tips and your organizational game is on point (bravo!), then maybe you are ready for a design overhaul?! What a treat it would be to walk into a well-designed, stylish, and organized home. Click the link below and fill out the form on my contact page – I would love to start a discussion with you on how we could transform your house into your dream home.