Top House Organization Ideas & Hacks
I am excited to share some of my favorite house organization ideas. An organized house goes a long way in creating an aesthetically pleasing environment that will also provide you with peace of mind. Organizing your house frees up space in your home and your mind.
Simply organizing what you have is not going to get you to the root of the problem. Having too much stuff is the real issue. It doesn't matter how many different organizers you have.
Shoving things you don’t even need in an organized closet is just a complicated and expensive way to store stuff.
Start by getting rid of all your extra clutter. For example, I used to have way too much clothing. I got rid of all the stuff I barely wore and kept just my favorite clothes. Now I have a simple wardrobe of 15 to 20 different shirts and I just cycle through them.
I highly recommend trying to simplify your wardrobe. It can free up a ton of physical space and mental space as well. You never have to think too hard about what to wear because you’ve only kept your favorites.
How do you decide what you should get rid of and what to keep? Some choices will be harder to make than others. Some choices will be obvious and others will be less clear. There could be items you’ve received as gifts and feel guilty getting rid of, or items that have some memories attached to them. You might come across items you spent money on and getting rid of them feels like a waste of money.
I like to ask myself a couple of questions that help me decide what to keep and what to toss. First I ask myself, “If I didn't already have this, would I spend money to get it now?” If the answer is no, I get rid of it. If you wouldn't make that purchase again, then you probably don't need it.
Another question I ask myself is, “If there was a fire and this burned, or if I lost this somehow, would I care?” This has helped me decide on things like gifts I didn't want or ask for. I didn't need them, but I feel bad getting rid of them. If I would feel okay with them disappearing, it’s time to let it go.
If it’s challenging for you to part with your things, ask a friend to come over and help. They're not emotionally attached to your belongings. They can help you decide what’s worth keeping.
Once you’ve removed the majority of your clutter, you can start organizing. When you have a lot of stuff lying out on flat surfaces, your home will always feel cluttered.
In the kitchen, for example, unless you use something daily, it probably does not belong on your counters. Put it in your cabinets. This will drastically change how your entire kitchen feels.
Clear out furniture you don’t need, especially anything you can put other things on.
That will prevent things from getting left out. If you don't have a place to put extra stuff that doesn’t need to be out, you’ll be forced to put things away.
Place the things you do leave out on something like a platter or tray to make it look more organized. We put our loose items on a little wood platter and it looks much nicer.
Use closed storage. I’m not sure why open shelving is trending, but it won’t help keep your home feeling organized. You will also have to do a lot more dusting. Closed-in shelving will generally make your house look better.
Use organizers for the stuff you decide to keep. We used to have boxes of baggies and tin foil shoved into our kitchen drawers. They'd be ripping apart and making the drawers look like a mess.
We invested in some organizers and now our drawer always looks great. Invest in an under-the-kitchen-sink organizer as well. This keeps everything organized so it doesn't build up to the point where you can't even find anything.
Store the items you use together in one place. Keeping all your cleaning products together will ensure you always know where they are. Having a designated place to put things away after each use will also make it easier to stay organized.
Try to organize by ease of use. Things we use all the time are in the front, at eye level, and easy to reach. Things we use less often are more up at the top or in the back.
All these house cleaning and organizing tips are meant to improve the quality of your life. While getting rid of a few things or organizing one drawer won't change your life all that much, building new habits will. Staying organized requires habitual upkeep.
Make a habit of working on one area of the house one night a week, implementing some of the techniques I've talked about here. Do this systematically for an entire year. Then make it a habit that sticks for multiple years.
These habits can improve your life and provide mental clarity that you didn't realize you were missing until you have the space.
House organization ideas
When I started my minimalist journey one of the most profound realizations for me was that everything I have, owns a little space in my mind. As I got rid of more and more stuff, I had fewer choices to make every day.
While it is challenging, especially when you're getting started, it is worth the effort.
Leave me a comment and let me know if you found these organizing tips helpful. Let me know what you think.
Next, check out my Frugal Living Tips to Transform Your Finances.
Comments
Join the conversation