No matter the effort you go through when designing or renovating your home, letting your house become cluttered can ruin the appeal. Decluttering should be an ongoing and continuous process, as allowing the issue to fester can mean more work down the line. If you want to take back your house from the disorganization that is plaguing it, you should target the clutter ‘hotspots’ that are responsible for most of the inconvenience.
Decluttering Basics
If reading this blog has made you start considering a total house declutter, good! Decluttering your home might seem like a herculean task, especially if shelves, cabinets, and storage bins have been a place to haphazardly store anything and everything for years on end. It may be overwhelming when you begin removing your clutter and the room gets even messier. As long as you have a plan and are dedicated to downsizing, you should end up with a higher level of organization, more storage space, and a better idea of what you have in storage by the end of the process.
When removing things from storage, separate them into groups such as “Definite Keep,” “Donate,” “Garbage,” “Long Term Storage,” etc. If something is removed from storage and you didn’t even know it was there, that is a good indication it can be junked or donated. By only keeping essential items (or moving niche items to a storage area like the attic), you can keep your primary storage areas in important rooms like the kitchen or bedroom free of useless things and open that space for more important tools.
Common Clutter Areas In Your Home
Clutter does more than simply cut down on useable storage space. Any area full of clutter affects your efficiency or quality of life, whether or not you realize it. By reducing clutter and stress in the places you spend your time at home, you will see a marked improvement in your happiness, stress levels, and sense of comfort.
Closets
Closets might seem like an excellent place to store your overflow items out of sight, but that doesn’t mean it can’t have a negative effect on you as well. Every morning when you pick out clothes for the day ahead, the excess of choices from a cluttered closet unconsciously makes this simple process much more complicated than it needs to be. Yearly purges of old clothes ensure you only choose from a selection of clothes you still enjoy and can fit into. Anything sentimental or important can be moved to more permanent storage, like an attic or storage unit. Trust us, you are more likely to do routine tasks like vacuuming if you don’t have to dig out the vacuum from the back of a cluttered closet and fight to fit it back in at the end of the process. Closets should be a place to keep everyday items out of sight but nearby in order to use them effectively.
Kitchen
Cooking and preparing meals becomes infinitely more challenging when you have to juggle old utensils or devices that spill out of drawers and cabinets. Clutter can also accumulate in kitchens if your family uses it as a central hangout. If your kitchen is used for more than just cooking, separate your cooking tools in their own storage areas to make food prep that much easier. Pantries can also hide old food that no one should ever eat. Routinely clear out your pantry and fridge and keep only fresh food on hand. Consider adding a new cabinet design that includes ceiling-height cabinets or clever storage features. Consider repurposing any cabinets you remove into storage for the laundry room or garage.
Home Office
Only you know what is essential in your home office, but chances are many things can be removed or thrown out. If you have been accustomed to a messy office space, you may be surprised at how much more efficient you become when you take a hard look at everything in the room and only keep things around that help you thrive at your job responsibilities.
Sometimes simple changes can do the trick – but other times, you need a complete renovation to bring your home up to the specifications you desire. Call West Coast Design Build Florida today for more information about a new kitchen, bathroom, or outdoor living space that fits your lifestyle.
