If your house is starting to look more like an obstacle course than a living environment, getting things organized might feel like an epic task. On the other hand, if things are just starting to look a little cluttered, it’s easy to put off cleaning and organization for another day. Whatever your situation, taking the time to make things more orderly is worth the effort. This is especially true if you are planning to sell the home in the near future, because first impressions matter to homebuyers. Getting organized may take a weekend to complete, but once things are neatly arranged maintenance becomes much easier. Make a New Year’s resolution to get more organized at home, and you will feel more comfortable with your living environment. Read on to see our home organization ideas for 2017.
Toss the Junk
Many people overestimate the amount of things they need in their house. A purge is usually necessary to remove the things that are rarely used. Start by going around the home looking for items you may have forgotten about. Try to remember the last time you used each item, and toss the things that have been collecting dust (family heirlooms would be an exception). Once you start this process, you might be surprised with the items you’re willing to axe! It’s a uniquely satisfying feeling to get rid of the things that get in the way. Once you’ve committed to throwing away the junk, break out the trash bin and start your Tour de ‘Sposal.
Get Storage
If you’re going to reorganize the items lying around your house, you might as well invest in places to put them. One part of the home that is often overlooked for storage space is the walls. It’s easy to install hooks, shelves and cubbies to these vertical surfaces and free up some room around the house. If items in your mudroom always seem to pile up, consider getting a bench that serves double duty as a storage chest. Put it right next to a coat rack to easily store everything you’re likely to bring in from the great outdoors. In the bedroom, you can save plenty of space with shoe racks, bed frame drawers and headboard storage.
Keep Up with Maintenance
After you put your items in their designated storage locations, it can be tempting to put off cleaning until things look disastrous once again. Do your future self a favor and spend a few minutes each day putting things back where they belong. There is no easier time to keep the home clean than when it’s already relatively spotless. Once organizing your items becomes a habit, it will feel effortless. You can even time yourself by setting an alarm for exactly ten minutes of cleaning each day. When the alarm goes off, stop whatever you’re doing and get back to your life. You can be surprisingly productive in a short amount of time.
Find an Organization App
There’s no better place to keep records of your organization tasks than on your smartphone. There are loads of apps that make home organization easier, so find one that fits best for your life. BrightNest simplifies the scheduling process and reminds users when it’s time to clean the house. Even better, it will provide tips for these tasks to help you complete them more efficiently. If you want to get the whole family in on the cleaning action, check out Cozi, which syncs daily schedules for easy chore calendars. Want to take your organization a step further? Download HomeZada, which makes it easy to take inventory of the items around your home.
Every home looks its best without clutter, so make a plan to organize everything you own. There’s something about walking into a well-organized room that makes it feel more inviting, and selling a home is much easier when it’s clean. Keeping things clean is more difficult when you have children, so check out our blog post “8 Easy Ways to Baby Proof Your House” to learn how to keep things tidy and safe for your youngest family members. An orderly house provides peace of mind, and that feels good to come home to.