Weekend Project: Organize Your Home
Only got a weekend to organize your home? Whether your in-laws are coming to visit or you’re just fed up with clutter, these tips will help you organize your home in 6 simple steps.
1. Decide what needs the most work.
Let’s face it. If your home didn’t get this messy in a weekend, you’re probably not going to be able to organize it top to bottom in a single weekend unless you have a small army to help.
Instead of attacking your entire home at once, keep your expectations in check by choosing two or three rooms that need it the most. The task will seem less overwhelming, and if you have time and energy left over, you can always attack another room when you’re done.
2. Start by sorting.
This is the part where it’s easiest to get bogged down. Sorting through items can easily get you distracted from the bigger task: organizing a room. To keep on task, label several boxes and place items for tossing, recycling, shredding, selling, giving away to friends or family, and donating. Also make a box for items that belong elsewhere in the house. Instead of putting those items away as you find them, just stick them in the box and deal with them later, when you’re done sorting.
3. Get rid of what you don’t need.
We’ve all kept items because “Well, I might need it someday.” But if you haven’t used an item in over a year, it’s fair to say that you probably don’t need it. Focus on the benefits of purging: less clutter, more space, someone else who can benefit from the item, etc. Look at purging as a gain, not a loss.
4. Set up zones.
Remember in kindergarten how you had a station for every activity? Nap time, snacks, crafts, and storytime all had their specific locations. You can use the same concept for organizing a room. Set up zones for sorting mail, charging cell phones and other devices, doing homework, paying bills, making breakfast on a busy morning, etc. Keep items for each activity within the zone.
5. Organize with storage containers.
Now that you’ve got your zones set up, it’s time to put everything in its place. Use storage containers to group items together and reduce clutter. Make sure you don’t store too many items in one container. If you have to dig to the bottom every time you need to find the checkbook, either the container is too large or you have too many items in the container.
6. Set a reorganize date.
Even if you commit to putting everything in its place over the next few weeks and months, reality is that things tend to get disorganized again after awhile. Plus, your home storage and organizing needs might have changed. Set a date to reorganize your stuff. Ask yourself what’s working and what isn’t. Then make changes based on what will make it easiest to keep your space organized.
Home Storage Solutions – Minneapolis
Organizing a home is a big job. Let Harkraft make that job easier with custom home storage solutions for closets, pantries, mudrooms, garages, and almost any other storage area in the house. We offer a lifetime warranty on all products and labor! Give our Minneapolis office a call at (763) 544-4478 or contact us online for a free consultation!