Four Step Guide for Getting Your Home in Order

Is your home in disarray? Do you have too much junk and things all over the place? If so, you’re probably starting to grow frustrated with it. Having a home that is out of sorts makes for an unpleasant living experience. Not only does it make it harder to find the things you need, but you’re constantly reminded of the disorganized state, and you always feel like you need to do something about it.

Well, there’s no better time than the present to finally get your home in order. With a few simple steps, and some free time, you can whip your house into shape.

Step 1: Clean Out the Clutter

The first thing you’ll want to do is get rid of anything you don’t need. Old clothes, old furniture pieces, broken electronic equipment, and anything else. We all accumulate things over the years, and even though we don’t need them anymore, we keep them around. Go through all of your things and separate out the stuff you want to keep, and the stuff you no longer want in your home.

Once you’ve done this, you need to decide what to do with all of that stuff. Your first option is to store it some place else. You can rent a storage locker and keep all of your stuff there, going and getting it when you need it. You can even use a service like the one provided by this storage company in Portland in which they bring your stuff back and forth to the storage locker for you.

Another option is to try and sell your junk. You’d be surprised at what other people are willing to buy, so there’s no harm in trying to get some money for it. Either post your stuff online or host a garagesale to see what you can get rid of. You probably won’t get rich from this, but you might earn a few dollars for something you didn’t want anyway.

Finally, your last option is to just give it away. You can do this either by donating it to a charity, leaving it out on the curb for someone to take, or just throw it away. If you donate it you might get to claim it on your taxes, which is nice when tax season arrives. But if the item is in poor condition, your best bet might be to just throw it away and be done with it.

Step 2: Do a Deep Cleaning

Now that the clutter is out of the way you can give your home a deep cleaning. Sweep out those corners you haven’t seen in years. Dust behind furniture you’re now able to move. Clean the lights, the carpets, the furniture – anything you can. You’re already in the “get organized” mode, so you might as well make the most of it. When you start organizing your home, you’ll be happy you took the time to give it a proper cleaning.

Step 3: Get Some Storage or Organizational Pieces

Now comes the time to start organizing. For this it’s a good idea to pick up some extra supplies. Grab some of those plastic storage drawers, some tubs, put up some shelves, or even baskets you can use to sort supplies inside your desk. The goal is to have a designated place for everything, so that everything is easy to find.

Have a bunch of old clothes that you want to keep, but don’t wear often? Get some vacuum seal bags and place them in a large plastic tub. Paperclips, rubber bands, and pens getting lost in your desk? Use a divider to keep things separate. Head over to a local office supply store and grab any organizational pieces you think you might use. Then developa system for where everything goes and start sorting it all away.

Step 4: Stick to Your Plan

Finally, you don’t want to walk around your home a month from now and realize everything is back to the way it was. The key to keeping your home in order is to stick to your new habits. For example, if you designated a desk drawer for office supplies, make sure that drawer only has office supplies, and that you always put everything back in there. Make a conscious effort to stick to any new organization methods you set up and your home will stay in order for a longer time.

Everyone organizes their home differently. Take some time to think about how yours should be done, then put a home improvement plan into action. The above guide will hopefully get you started and before long your home will be a place that doesn’t stress you out every time you look at it!