Organizing a home can feel daunting without guidance. After living in the same space over a period of time, clutter can seem invisible. Understanding how to effectively declutter a room or an entire house can save time and ultimately prevent anxiety.
Where to Start When Organizing Your Home?
If you want to properly organize your home, there are various approaches you can take. While it may be tempting to get rid of everything in your home that you don't use frequently or don't absolutely love, it's important to be selective about what you keep. This will ensure that your home doesn't feel too empty or uninviting. For example, you may want to keep cozy armchairs for relaxation, even if you don't use them on a daily basis.
Organizing a house can take time and effort. Before deciding on what to organize or which items go where, first you must declutter.
When first decluttering a home, start by tackling one room at a time. If there is a lot of clutter, set a time limit so this task does not become overwhelming. Set a goal time for when each room should be completed and stick to the schedule. Since decluttering ultimately revolves around tossing or saving, it’s handy to have a large trash receptacle or plastic bag.
Common areas to clear off include:
-desks
-drawers
-surfaces
-closets
Depending on the state of the room, this process can become lengthy. The key to decluttering in a short amount of time is courage. Don’t be afraid to toss out items that haven’t been recently used. Clothing that hasn’t been worn in a year or tools that are unnecessary do not need to remain in the home. While sentimental items may be worth saving, not every item that was given as a gift may be worth keeping.
Decluttering is essential to the organizing process. By clearing off enough space, working from home and even sleeping, can become considerably easier.
What Should You Get Rid of When Decluttering?
Decluttering is the process of throwing unnecessary items away while saving what is important. Items that are frequently thrown away during the decluttering stage include:
-unnecessary papers
-trash
-unwanted books
-clothing that has not recently been worn
-knick knacks
-DVDs
-magazines
-manuals that are out of date
-old or broken toys
-broken electronics
-expired cosmetics
-old prescriptions
Clutter can take many forms. Many people collect clutter because they think they might need it in the future or because it’s “wrong” to throw it away. Guilt can prevent many people from throwing away unwanted items. If an item is truly sentimental, it should be stored in a safe place. Old birthday cards or gifts that are not used, but kept “just for the sake of it” may not be necessary.
Since every home is different, the belongings that are worth saving and tossing may vary. For items that are considered important, but also take up space, storage is crucial. Containers with label holders can help sort belongings into categories. Hanging storage or shelving that can be added to the walls can also save space.
How Long Does It Take To Declutter A Home?
It depends on the home. Since each room is different and contains different types of clutter, the time may vary. Many items can be a surprise when decluttering. Wires and cables, for instance, may need to be untangled or managed. Unused cookware can also take an unexpected amount of time to sort through.
Many individuals choose to declutter smaller rooms first. This can be an efficient way to ease into larger rooms with more items. Decluttering a bathroom may only take a half hour once the cabinets are sorted through.
To cut down on the time it takes to declutter, there are some helpful tips.
1.) Set reasonable deadlines. Decluttering a 3-story house in half a day may not be practical. Instead of setting a deadline that includes the entire house, breaking time tables up by the room is often helpful. By keeping track of time, unwanted items can be sorted faster.
2.) Use storage containers. Storage containers can’t keep everything, but they can save important items that take up too much space. Photographs, out-of-season clothes, and pet toys can all benefit from additional storage.
3.) Remove non-cook related items out of the kitchen. Once everything besides the essentials are relocated, you can then sort through what is important and what can be tossed.
What Is The Best Way to Organize?
A methodical plan can help the organizational process move faster. Once clutter has been either thrown away or saved, storage is the next step. Organizing is simply choosing which items to put where at this point.
Space is an essential part of organizing. By maximizing the amount of space each room has, a home can look cleaner and more accessible. Organizing can take many forms. Additional shelving units, colorful storage containers and dressers are just a few ways to manage the necessary items in a home. When entering a room for the first time, less clutter can mean less anxiety.
Organizing a house does not have to be a chore. By taking this process one step at a time, decluttering and reorganizing can remind you of what’s important. Finding sentimental valuables and tossing expired items often cultivates a sense of purpose and well-being.
Conclusion
Since not all items are compact, organizing can also mean getting creative. Storing cords, finding space for books and using vertical shelving rather than horizontal cases can all help maximize space. Once you have space, your space is your own.
