Clutter Zones: The Most Common Cluttered Areas in Your Home

We all have a few places in the home that tend to collect unneeded items. However, some of them build more quickly than others, and many can go unnoticed until it’s too late. Fortunately, by identifying these clutter hotspots, you can make a conscious effort to organize them and keep your home cleaner in the long run. These are the most common cluttered areas in your home and how to stop the accumulation before it starts.

Clothing Closet

Clothing is one of the most prominent types of clutter homeowners struggle with. These items are easy to obtain and difficult to part with once you have them in your closet. Believe it or not, you might not even wear half of what you currently store. Make sure you occasionally sort through your garments and donate any of them that you don’t wear often.

Bathroom Cabinets

A lot of us can collect hygiene products in the same way. Our bathroom cabinets only have so much space, and it’s common for these shelves to accumulate all kinds of clutter. There’s more here than we often comprehend, from extra skin-care formulas to razors and other grooming accessories. If you want to maintain organized cabinets, purge any expired or broken items.

The Garage

Our garage space is one of the largest offenders. Tools, automotive parts, and ongoing projects can all build up over time, creating a space that’s hazardous to even walk through. In fact, cluttered garages present the most significant risk for injury if you trip and fall on unorganized items. For this reason, stay on the lookout for warning signs that your garage is too cluttered, and act before someone gets hurt.

Under the Bed

Another of the most common cluttered areas in your home that you didn’t know about is underneath your bed. Maybe you’re missing one of your slippers, or you just can’t seem to find the other half of an outfit. Somehow, they all seem to find their way under your bed, and it can overflow before you even realize it. Routinely checking this spot will prevent an abundance of clutter and help you keep better track of your possessions.

The Junk Drawer

No list of clutter spots would be complete, though, without the infamous junk drawer. The entire purpose of a junk drawer is to house miscellaneous things that otherwise don’t have a home. However, years of throwing your odds and ends into this drawer can turn it into such a mess that it’s impossible to find anything in it. Because of this, it’s best to organize this area of your home every few months.

8 Awesome Ways to Make Your Camper Feel Like Home

Nothing is more exciting than signing papers and making a travel trailer officially yours. Nonetheless, living in a camper van is a lot of responsibility.

There are things you are allowed and not allowed to do. Otherwise, you might receive a ticket for illegal parking or clogging your RV toilet. But more than that, you should make your campervan feel like home.

After all, you still deserve to have a place where you can dine and sleep in peace.

These eight easy-to-do tips can ensure that you can create a relaxing and enjoyable space in your RV.

Change the Bed Mattress or Add a Topper

Here's the thing: You will still need a decent night's sleep whether you live in a house, an apartment, or an RV. As such, consider whether there is enough sleeping space in your camper or not.

And if you do, consider whether you will be comfortable with it or not.

Some full-time RVers would often take their mattress from home and place it in their camper van. Some would have their sleeping space and bed customized.

But if you are pressed for budget, and there is no way you can fit your mattress at home in your RV, consider purchasing a topper. Doing so will ensure that you have a cozy and comfortable bedroom in your camper van.

Add an Ottoman

Living in an RV means you have limited space. And if you want to live in it full-time, you have to be smart with how you will utilize them.

As such, multipurpose furniture pieces, like an ottoman, can come in handy.

For one, an ottoman is a smart storage solution. It allows you to keep your belongings without having to worry about where you will place another closet or shelving.

On the other hand, your ottoman serves as a chair when not in use. This means that you have another sitting area in your living room in case you need one.

Decorate With Pillows, Blankets, and Rugs

Nothing can make any space feel like home better than a throw pillow on a couch, a rug on the floor, and some blankets.

The best part? They serve a dual purpose if you live in a camper van.

You can use the throw pillows as your head pillows when it is time to doze off. And get cozied up with the blanket. You can also use the blanket to cover some areas of your RV for privacy without occupying too much space.

The same thing goes with your rug, aside from the fact that it can help distinguish different areas in your camper van.

Hang Some Smart Wall Décor

Just because you live in a camper van does not mean you cannot decorate the walls. If anything, your walls can also serve as a smart storage solution.

Thus, it is recommended that you hang some smart wall décor.

For instance, a framed family photo happens to hide a small opening where you place your safe and secure your money while traveling. Another example would be organizers that you can hang and add a pop of color to your wall.

Use Curtains Instead of Valances

You may have realized how being innovative in your decoration is integral when living in a camper van. Hence, it would be ideal to get rid of the valances on your window.

For one, valances take some precious wall space. Another reason is that they are blocking your window, brightening up your RV.

Instead, it would be best to let your windows be and hang some curtains. You can also opt to hang some blackout curtains for privacy and ensure a good night's sleep.

Have the Comforts of Your Home

Of course, the best way to make living in an RV comfortable is to bring the items that make you feel comfortable.

It can be your slippers, your favorite mug, and your coffee maker. What's important is you can store these items in a way that will not look cluttered. Doing so allows you to turn your camper van into a space you would love to be in.

You do not need to give up the simple pleasures of life just because you have limited space. What's important is that you are smart about it.

Utilize the Outdoors

Surprisingly, your living space is not limited within your RV. If you are in the national park that allows camper vans, for example, you can extend your living space outside.

Get yourself a gazebo tent, set your dining table and chairs, and enjoy your meal while checking out the view. You can also use this space to stretch out, as living in a camper van means that you are often cramped up.

If you feel like basking under the sun, fold your dining table and chairs and bring out your zero-gravity chair instead. That way, you can sit and chill in your RV.

Always Keep it Clean and Organized

Often, the mess that we have is visual clutter. This can include shoes of varying sizes and colors stacked on a shelf. Another example is the mugs in the kitchen sink that you forgot to wash last night.

Clutter makes a space look smaller. Hence, you should always keep your RV clean and organized.

Spend a time of the day, like an hour before you sleep, to clean your camper van. Put everything back in its place, but the dishes in the dishwasher, and keep your tent away.

Once every week, take the time to do some general cleaning. Replace your beddings, vacuum the floor, re-organize your shelves. Doing so makes your RV cozy and homey wherever you are.

Conclusion

Whether you want to be a full-time RVer or experience an epic vacation, it is essential to make your RV feel like home.

Luckily, it does not take much to live a happy and comfortable life in a camper van. All you need is to keep these quick tips in mind

• Use multipurpose furniture pieces

• Be clever with your storage

• Make the most out of where you are parked

That and the tips listed above can make your RV feel like home.

Steps You'll Need to Take for Turning Your Basement Into Livable Space

When it comes to your home, the basement is often one of the most neglected areas. This space can be a great place for kids to play or an adult's personal man cave, but you need to take action in order to make it livable. Here are some steps that will help you turn your basement into a usable space:

Clean the Basement Out

Most people use their basement for storage and over the years it accumulates a bunch of junk. If you want to turn it into usable space you will need to clean it out. If you don't, there may not be enough room for furniture and other items that would make the space livable.

Dry It Out

Basements have a particular smell. That smell comes from the humidity and moisture. To make it livable, you need to dry out the area. After the basement is cleaned out you can run fans and dehumidifiers

Waterproof the Basement

Once you go through the work of cleaning out the basement and making it dry, you now need to perform basement waterproofing. This is important because if water gets into your basement from flooding there are not a lot of ways for it to escape. You will need to waterproof the basement from the inside and outside of your home. This is a step that you will want to make sure you have a professional do for you. When it rains, the surrounding water table rises. It can potentially be higher than the floor of your basement. The water may enter through a variety of outlets in an inadequately waterproofed basement. Leaks in the floor or walls might reveal the presence of water.

Install Walls and Flooring

Unless you want one large room, you will need to install walls and flooring. If you are looking for more privacy, consider installing drywall or paneling on the walls. Installing wood floors can help give your basement a homey feel while making it easier to clean up messes from playing with children while carpet will provide more cushion to protect from falls.

Install Lighting

Most people do not like to spend time in places with poor lighting. Make sure that you have a sufficient amount of lighting throughout the basement. There are many low-power LED options that simulate natural light that really makes a difference.

If you are looking to turn your basement into a liveable space, there is a lot that goes into it but it can really turn a drab space into a great hangout or bedroom. If you make sure to do these simple steps, you will be well on your way to enjoying a livable basement.

How to Save Money: Recognizing Perceived Obsolescence

Nowadays, more and more people are finding themselves trapped in the never-ending cycle of purchasing new products. As you browse through Amazon and see a shiny new set of kitchen knives, you might impulsively make the decision to hit the “buy now” button. But did you really need the new set? Or did you already have a perfectly functioning set of knives in your kitchen? This is where it becomes important to understand the cost of perceived obsolescence. 

Perceived Obsolescence: What Does It Mean?

If you’ve ever purchased a new product to replace an older, perfectly functioning product, you’ve suffered from perceived obsolescence. This is a common occurrence when it comes to cars and technology. Someone has an iPhone 12 that works fine, but they feel the need to buy an iPhone 13. Put simply, perceived obsolescence is when you feel the need to unnecessarily update products you already own. 

While it’s okay to make a new purchase every here and there, when perceived obsolescence gets out of hand it can really break the bank. The cost of constantly buying new phones, cars, kitchen appliances, and clothes can add up. 

Common Examples of Perceived Obsolescence

One of the best ways to defeat perceived obsolescence is to recognize its presence. People are particularly susceptible to obsolescence when it comes to a couple of specific industries. Here are some examples:

Sports Apparel

In the sports apparel industry, new jerseys come out every year. To support your favorite team, you have to keep buying new apparel to keep up with new players, logos, and designs. Over time, the cost of sports clothing can add up.

Technology

When it comes to tech, new products are emerging every day. Particularly, when it comes to phones, each model goes out of style within a couple of years. At this point, having the latest smartphone is a status symbol. That said, before you buy that new phone upgrade, you may want to stop and consider whether or not it's a necessary purchase.

Automotive

People experience perceived obsolescence all the time when it comes to cars. Car companies are on the constant move, designing their newest model of car to look prettier than its predecessor. As drivers start to see others driving around in new models of cars, they might feel the urge to unnecessarily upgrade. After the upgrade, however, the same thing is bound to happen again a couple of years later. 

Conclusion

While it can be difficult, the first step to resisting perceived obsolescence is to recognize it. Now that you know the industries where the phenomenon is most common, you can take steps to avoid unnecessary purchases and save money. For more information on how to defeat perceived obsolescence, check out the infographic provided below.