New Year, Fresh Home | Decluttering Tips From Our Agents
With the new year comes fresh opportunities to make every space in your home spark joy. For all those who are considering a decluttering and home organizing session to kick off 2023, we are featuring some tips and tricks from our talented agents who have a special expertise in home tidying and organization. From large seasonal decluttering projects to simple routines that can serve your home throughout the year, we hope this guide can help you achieve the home you want in 2023.
“‘You have to make a mess to clean a mess.’ Dump the cluttered drawer on the floor, pull everything off the shelf, try on the clothes that might not fit. Being able to clearly see what you have is the best way to evaluate and eliminate what you don’t need.”
Every big declutter session starts with taking stock of the clutter and making a plan for how to deal with it. After identifying the areas of your home that need work and laying out all your belongings in a given space, start gathering items into one of three piles: one for items that you will definitely keep because they are useful or bring you joy, one for items that will be leaving your home but can be donated or consigned, and one for items that are leaving your home to be thrown out or recycled.
“Set up a monthly donation box in your home! As a mom of two, our donation box is our monthly diaper box.”
Decluttering doesn’t have to be a once-in-a-while endeavor— regularly evaluating items that no longer serve you or spark joy in your home is an excellent way to keep your space cleaner and more organized throughout the year. Train your household to notice small items that are no longer being used or no longer accomplish their intended function, and make an outgoing donation box for them to be given away. You’ll be surprised at how many little things you can find throughout the week that you no longer need!
“If you have not worn or used something in the last two years, donate it!”
Often the centerpiece for clutter in the home is a messy closet, and the best solution is to donate clothes that are not often worn. This simple trick to identifying barely-used clothing works for every member of your household: simply designate a separate spot in a closet or dresser to place clothing after it has been worn, and any remaining clothing that hasn’t been touched in a few months or years can be safely donated. The hanger trick can also be used with this method: place all your clothes in the closet with the hangers facing one way, then flip the direction of the hanger once you’ve worn a specific clothing item. Clothing that is still turned in the initial direction after a while can be given away!
“The key to success is decluttering your home is installing professional closet organizers. Not only does it add value to your home, it is essential in staying organized. I highly recommend ELFA from The Container Store as it is not only more affordable than competitors, it’s more versatile and efficient.”
Speaking of closets, the best way to maximize any closet space is by installing professional organizers that serve as smart solutions for your clothing. Be sure to only take this step after you have already minimized and organized your closet’s contents to ensure that you are buying the right product for the job. This tip counts for more than closets, too— kitchen cabinet organizers, drawer inserts, storage baskets, and other organization products can completely revolutionize how you organize your home.
“Label pretty much everything. My husband/kids/nanny never have to ask where things are that way.”
Organization is integral to keeping a space properly decluttered. This means that every item must have its proper place, and be easy to both find and return to its proper spot. Labels and other identifiers can be an excellent way to ensure that no item ever becomes hard to find or loses its place, especially in homes with larger families or outside care such as nannies. Whether your labelling method involves a professional label maker or simple stickers and a marker, it can make a world of difference.
“Nightly tidying should only take 30 minutes to do and is so helpful in preparing for the next day.”
A routinely organized home is a home that suffers far less from clutter and chaos. Setting aside just a small portion of your day or night to tidy up, whether that be 10, 15, or 30 minutes, can drastically improve both your home’s cleanliness and your mood. You can also break up a daily tidying section into mini sprints for each room of the home to ensure that the entire house gets a tidying pass daily. This routine, once made into a habit, will make for a stress-free start to every day.