Decluttering your home often seems like an insurmountable task. When you start to think of how many hours it might take, or how you might have to choose which items to keep or get rid of, it turns into a classic case of “paralysis by analysis.” Our first piece of advice is simple: commit to a certain amount of time each week rather than looking at the project as one giant all-or-nothing proposition that you have to accomplish in a weekend.
Maybe try breaking up your reorganization by tackling it room by room. This strategy makes these projects more manageable, giving you small milestones along the way so you feel like you’re making true progress. During social distancing time is one thing we all might have more of. So if you’re ready to reorganize and declutter, we’ve highlighted five spaces to get you on your way!
1. Your Bedroom
Once you start, you’ll find countertops are your own worst enemy. They collect items—chargers, unread books, and more—so the first order of business is taking a hard look at your nightstand, dresser, or vanity. Keep in mind shoving items into drawers isn’t solving the problem, so decide what needs to be recycled, donated, or thrown away. The items you’re keeping? Put them in their proper place. Oh, and don’t forget to make your bed!
2. Your Closet
Okay, so technically the closet isn’t a room. This said, we all know it’s a bear to reorganize, so it’s important to give your closet the attention it needs since it quickly accumulates items. The biggest tip for reorganizing your closet is to group like items together—this way decisions about what to keep and what to donate should be easier. For example, if you have two similar shirts, it might be time to get rid of the older one. The same goes for jeans, pants and shoes.
3. Your Bathroom
Decluttering your bathroom has an easy starting point: say good bye to outdated medications, makeup, or any other products you’re no longer using. The same goes for your shower/tub: do you have multiple bottles of shampoo and conditioner crowding your corners, leave the bottles you use most and store the other ones for later use.
4. Your Kitchen
Approach your kitchen the same way you did your closet: group similar items together.
Maybe you realize you don’t need two cutting boards that are the same size; maybe you now have an orphaned wine glass that doesn’t fit your current collection. Ultimately, your goal should be to clear off as much counter space as possible for cooking. So empty every space—every cabinet and drawer—and then reorganize based on which pots, pans, and utensils you use most, and then store them in the easiest-to-reach spaces.
5. Your Living Room
This high-traffic room is a tough one, especially for those with children, which means you’ll be decluttering this room on a regular basis. However, having a smart game plan means you should have to clean it up less and less. First, create specific bins or spaces for remote controls, books, and toys (this also makes them easier to find). Take a hard look at your electronics, too; often items like cords and devices remain that are no longer in use. If they’re no longer connected, you probably don’t need them.
In closing, we’ll note another benefit of decluttering your home: sometimes you discover that you legitimately don’t have enough space. If you’ve tidied up but still feel cramped, it might be time to consider moving to a new home, one with more spacious rooms, walk-in closets, and a larger kitchen. If you fall in that camp, then we invite you take a look around our site to see our available floorplans, homes, and communities in the Charlotte area. Whether you move or stay put, decluttering your home is a rewarding exercise once you’ve committed to it.
