The art of downsizing - expert tips for clearing the clutter in your home

Spring is a great time for changes and new beginnings. Maybe this spring you could finally make some changes in your home. The COVID-19 pandemic left us all with little or no choice for outdoor activities and socializing. Instead, we became more oriented to private, stay-at-home entertainment. Since this is the case, we might as well use this time to make our personal space, where we spend most of our time, more pleasant. Whether you are relocating your home or just redecorating, the art of downsizing can come in handy. Of course, not everyone practices this art regularly, so we bring you some of the expert tips for clearing the clutter in your home quickly and easily.

Choose a starting point for clearing the clutter

Every endeavor needs a starting point. Similarly, if you are preparing your terrain for clearing the clutter in your home, you need to know where to begin. You could, of course, start decluttering randomly as well. In fact, some people believe that the most important thing is to start as soon as possible and that coming up with the right strategy in this kind of work doesn't matter much. One can even perceive it as an unnecessary waste of time. However, that depends on the amount of your clutter. If you only need to clean one room, cleaning randomly might work. But, if we are talking about complete home organization, you are risking losing track of what you were doing, when, and where. So always choose a specific room to begin with.

Expert tip: If you have an attic or basement, this is an ideal starting spot. You can clear and clean it first and then utilize it as temporary storage until you take care of the rest. Alternatively, start from the most spacious room in your home.

Make an inventory list and precise selection of all items

Besides being in control of where you are decluttering, you should also be careful about what you are throwing away. Or even more importantly, what you aren't. Making an inventory list of all your belongings can help you a lot with this, especially if you are organizing for seniors, or anybody else, as a favor. You may not be aware of what are items they possess and how important any of them are. But once you put everything on paper, the selection becomes more straightforward. It is even better if you can divide your inventory list into categories for easier reference.

Some suggested categories are:

• Jewelry, art, and other  valuables

• Electronics

• Personal effects

• Items suitable for charity or give-away

• Clutter - the only category of things to be disposed of

Don't get too emotional when it comes to disposal

Once we start browsing through our dusty collections of god-knows-what all kinds of scrap, suddenly all the memories rush back. Unfortunately, this feeling doesn't last long. As soon as we continue with our everyday activities, we again forget about those items. And so, piles get larger and larger. Just imagine what a waste of space this is. Of course, this doesn't mean you should throw away all your memories. Instead, try to select them the best you can and keep only the dearest ones.

Expert tip: There is no point in keeping your emotional valuables in the basement away from everyone's eyes. Alternatively, you can give them some life back by using them to personalize your bedroom.

Use all the help and tools available

One of the most common beginner's mistakes is underestimating your opponent. In this case - the clutter. Yes, you are a real hero if you manage to take care of the whole clearing process alone. But is it worth the trouble? Especially nowadays, with so many tools and professional cleaning services available. Virtual organizing is one of the latest break-through in this field, and it is certainly worth considering. Think of the time and effort you could save. An alternative, more old-school way is to get your friends and family to help you. This may not be the most effective way, but at least, it is the cheapest. And at least you don't have to do everything entirely by yourself.

Expert tip: If you don't want to deal with the heavy lifting when moving out your items, you can call a local relocation crew for help. Reliable movers can be great allies in the process, as they have the tools and the skills to handle this task without damage or injury.

Organize your home in a way to prevent piling of clutter in the future

Maybe you are done clearing the clutter in your home, but your job is not over yet. The next thing is to clutter-proof all your rooms. Only this way will all your effort pay off. What are all the sweat and sore muscles worth if your house looks the same as before after a week? Once the first pile of clutter reapers, it is already too late, so start thinking about this on time. 

Here are some practical and creative ways to promote downsizing from the first day of your new life: 

• Place bins around your home - many of them, everywhere, and in different colors. This can motivate you to recycle and be more responsible about clutter.

• Get new boxes, crates, and labeling material for easier categorization of stuff.

• Dedicate a part of your basement or house for uncategorized items. Everybody needs an organized multipurpose space in their home.

• Select one day a month for decluttering.

• Stay disciplined. Motivate yourself from time to time by imagining a spotlessly clean home. 

Even though the minimalistic way of living and decorating has been around for some time, not everyone is practicing it. Some people dedicate a lot of time to create a perfect downsizing strategy, while others prefer a more free and spontaneous approach. Still, for those who are about to embrace this new lifestyle, we hope that our expert tips for clearing the clutter in your home will be of great help.

Home Organization Techniques for the Modern Homeowner

These days, it seems it’s harder than ever before to keep a home properly organized. We’re all super busy with our work and family obligations, leaving us little time to organize the home. What’s more, it seems our houses fill up with junk automatically without us even noticing. Under such circumstances, it’s especially important to have an effective organizing plan. You can keep your home neat and tidy, but it requires some handy tricks. Here’s some tips to keep in mind as you organize your home.

Give Every Item Its Place

In order to keep a house organized, you have to understand what “organized” looks like. If you don’t even know where your belongings are meant to be stored, you won’t be able to consistently put them where they belong. Pick a day when you have plenty of free time, and then give the house a thorough cleaning. As you do so, put everything away in a place that seems to make sense. Then, give the whole household a tour and insist that, from now one, these are the items’ new homes.

Enlist the Entire Household

Keeping a house organized is a big job that requires teamwork and cooperation. If you try to do it yourself without the rest of the household’s help, you’ll only find yourself running around after them, cleaning up their messes. Make it clear to everybody what their responsibilities are, and hold them accountable. You could even hold a household meeting to delegate weekly tasks.

Make a Schedule

Create a plan for tackling disorganization before it gets out of hand. In many cases, messes work like fires. If you get to them in time, they’re easy to take care of. If you arrive too late, they’ll consume your entire home. By scheduling weekly tasks for you and your housemates, you’ll stay on top of the situation and keep the house as organized as possible.

Furnace Installation

Part of keeping a house organized is making sure that all its features and amenities are functioning properly. If your heating system and hot water are out of whack, then your house is hardly in perfect order. Calling someone in for furnace installation is your first step toward getting the house back to its best.

You want your home to be organized. If you follow this advice, you should have no problem achieving this simple, universal goal.

7 Tips for Organizing Your Home during COVID-19

COVID-19 has dramatically changed our lives. Many of us are either virtually working from home or just staying at home as a measure to curb the spread of the deadly virus. It’s a new and distressing experience for most, if not all, of us.  Although the virus itself may make you feel powerless, there are some simple actions you can take to take charge of your home space. Even performing a few simple tasks to keep your home organized can help you lead a more comfortable and fulfilling life during these hard times. Here 7 practical tips for organizing your home during COVID-19.

1.      Choose  a Few Priority Areas to Declutter

 Decluttering is a crucial first step in organizing your home. But you don’t have to work on your whole house all at the same time. Instead, choose a couple of priority areas, and then work on each one of them daily. Consider setting up a dedicated workspace, especially if you’re working from home. It doesn’t have to be an entire room – your home office can be just a space in the dining room, pantry, or closet. Every time you complete a specific home organization task, you’ll feel happy and in control. On top of being active, decluttering can be a fun-filled activity. It’ll allow you to check out your old photos, clothing, gifts, and a variety of other valuable belongings.

2.      Clean Up Your Home Office

If you already have a home office space, take your time to clean and organize it. Check what’s on your work desk, bookshelves, or in drawers, and then sort out what you need and what should go to the trash can. Create a temporary filling area by getting rid of some unnecessary items on the bookshelf.

3.      Develop and Follow a Routine

When working from home or self-isolating, it’s advisable to come up with a routine and follow it daily. Start your day by showering, getting dressed, and taking your breakfast as if you were heading to the office. Ensure your home is clean and organized throughout the day. Once you’re done with your work-related tasks, neaten your workspace, clean the dishes, and ensure everything is tidy so that you can start the next day fresh and with a clear mind.

4.      Create An Extra Space

Do you have adult children? If yes, then adding an extra bathroom or bedroom can be a wise decision during the COVID-19 period. This will offer you adequate space to feel at ease, which will go a long way in enhancing your quality of life. Bear in mind that the pandemic has triggered an economic crisis and many people have lost their jobs. Many homeowners have already seen their adult children return home, and it’s a trend that’s likely to go on for a while. So creating an additional space will be a great idea. And one way to do that is through home remodeling, a project that should be handled by a professional. There are many reliable home remodeling contractors, so be sure to partner with one. Make sure to do your own research for your local area and partner with a good one.

5.      Focus on Safety

There are tons of fantastic how-to videos and guides on how to organize your home on the web, but remember many of them were created before the COVID-19 pandemic. Whatever advice you pay attention to, adapt it to the realities of the circumstances at hand. When sorting out and packing up things you want to dispose of during coronavirus, it’s a good idea to purchase moving boxes instead of depending on boxes from coworkers, friends, or grocery stores. Restrict help with organizing your home to close family members.

6.      Find a Designated Spot for the Masks and Personal Protective Equipment (PPE)

PPE and mask-friendly accessories have now become part of the clutter that you need to deal with during the COVID-19 crisis. Choose two designated spots for these valuable items – one spot for clean masks and PPE and the second spot for dirty ones. That way, it’ll be easy to separate clean ones from dirty ones.

7.      Store Items Based on How Often They Are Used

The items you use daily should be in plain sight or at least where you can easily get to. The things you use occasionally should need a step stool (think of high shelves). Items you use just once per year should need a ladder. This is where attics and high shelves in a garage come in. With this kind of arrangement, it’ll be easy to access items you use frequently while keeping those you don’t use often clean and neat until you require them.

The Bottom Line

Organizing your home isn’t something you can do just one day and forget about it. Instead, it’s something that you should do every day. Integrate it into your daily schedule so that you can become more efficient at completing your tasks during the COVID-19 period.

9 Decluttering Habits to Adopt for the New Year

Decluttering your home has many benefits. Not only will the space feel cleaner, but so will your mind! As 2021 gets started, it’s important to develop these decluttering habits now so you can continue them throughout the rest of the year. Here are some of the best decluttering habits you can start now as the new year kicks off. 

1. Avoid replacing items you get rid of. Your home will never truly be decluttered if you just replace the items you’ve gotten rid of with newer versions. You should seriously consider each item you’re looking at before putting it in your shopping cart. If you already have one or two of the items, do you really need another one? By doing this, you’ll keep your home from staying cluttered and overwhelming. 

2. Take inventory every season. Each season, take inventory of your home. Go through all your closets, drawers and even your bathroom cabinets. No stone should remain unturned. Make a list of items you have and how often you use them. Be honest with yourself. Don’t try to make an item more important than it actually is. If you find items that you haven’t used at all that season, consider donating or tossing them. There really are some items that are seasonal (i.e., seasonal holiday decorations), but other items are usable all year, such as mixing bowls or cleaning products. If you haven’t used certain items at all over two seasons, then you should definitely consider donating them. 

3. Declutter before organizing. You can’t organize things if you have too much of them. Before you tackle organizing any spaces, desks or cabinets, you’ll want to completely declutter. An organized home is a decluttered one – not a home that has organized clutter. In fact, decluttered spaces increase productivity, making it easier for you to organize your space efficiently because you’ve removed all the clutter around you. It will also help you be more productive in your work life and personal life because your space isn’t overwhelming. 

4. Only take on one or two small projects at a time. When you take on too many home improvement projects at once, your home becomes easily cluttered and disorganized. Suddenly, halls are filled with tools, hardware and boxes that wouldn’t be there otherwise and you get overwhelmed just looking at it. To eliminate clutter in your home during projects, only take on one or two at a time, such as installing RTA cabinets. You’ll feel much better in the long run, and your home will stay decluttered.

5. Take stock of your sentimental items. Getting rid of sentimental items – photos, diaries, letters and other keepsakes – can be a very difficult thing to do. Those items were important to you at some point, and some of them still are. That’s why you need to take stock of them. There are some key signs that you should let go of that sentimental item: it’s been packed away for awhile, you’re only keeping it out of guilt or it annoys you to look at it. You should keep the things that still bring you joy or have a purpose for you. For items such as photos or letters, you can scan them into an external hard drive to have as digital copies and clear up space.

6. Minimize the amount of planners you have. Some people have a planner for every aspect of their life. While it’s important to keep everything compartmentalized, consider switching to a full day planner instead of using a different weekly/monthly planner for work, personal and health aspects of your life. You can also keep a small pocket calendar with you or use your phone calendar and reminder app to keep track of events and tasks on-the-go. Using one planner will keep everything together and ensure you don’t miss anything. Use a variety of pens, stickers and highlighters to organize your planner. Draw a helpful key on the front page of your planner to remind you how to set up your events.

7. Write a to-do list. To-do lists aren’t just for your mom anymore. Decluttering your space also means decluttering your mind. You can’t do this unless you have a plan for the day-to-day. In your planner or on a designated notepad, keep a to-do list. You can have multiple ones – one for monthly, weekly and daily. Some tasks you’ll do daily (checking your email, writing in your journal) and others you’ll do monthly (wiping the baseboards). Your weekly to-do list should include tasks such as cleaning the shower, going grocery shopping and vacuuming or mopping. You can set reminders on your phone to keep track, or you can create these to-do lists by hand after each round. 

8. Invest in storage and organizing tools. Traditional plastic storage containers and even decorative ones are great ways to keep track of items. Don’t be afraid to break out the label maker, either. Some Etsy stores even have label decals that you can have customized to match specific items in your home. Things don’t have to look drab. You can use patterned canvas storage totes on your coffee table shelves and leave the traditional plastic storage totes for your hall closet. You’ll want to get clear storage totes, though, so you can easily see what’s inside. That way, you don’t have to worry about purchasing multiples of something.

9. Give your items to a good cause. Instead of just trashing your items as you declutter, consider giving them to a local charity. Some organizations that typically need donations are domestic violence shelters, homeless shelters and addiction recovery programs. When you know your items are going to a good cause, you won’t feel as upset about getting rid of them. It’ll also be easier for you to get through the decluttering process.