Wide Open Spaces: 4 Tips to Help Your Home Feel Less Cluttered

If you live in a space for any number of years, you have probably accumulated a significant amount of clutter that makes your home look less attractive and that gets in the way of your daily life. Periodic de-cluttering is a necessary task that can help you live and work more efficiently. Here are a few tips to tackle the clutter that is making your life more stressful.

Go through Your Items Room by Room

Experts recommend getting four cardboard boxes, labeling them “Keep,” “Sell or Donate,” “Store Away” and “Trash.” When considering eliminating items, ask yourself if you don’t have another that does the job better or that you use more frequently. The number of items that have sentimental value can add up quickly, and you may have to be ruthless in determining what you really must keep and what you can donate or throw away.

Take Advantage of Technology

Start downloading books onto your tablet, instead of buying books. Put your photos and papers into digital files. If this seems like too big a task, use one of the digitizing service companies that are available. Store your computer files in “the cloud,” instead of having CDs and backup drives in your home.

Stow Away Seasonal Items

Inevitably, your home will accumulate a large amount of items that are only used for part of the year. These may include winter sports equipment, summer recreational equipment, holiday decorations and goods you only use for occasions when you entertain. These items can all be carefully put into plastic bins, labeled for easy recognition and placed out of the way like in a storage unit until needed.

Devise a System of Prevention

Staying de-cluttered involves developing systems and habits that allow you to organize as you go about your daily life. Place storage containers in key positions in your home, such as in the front entry, kitchen and family room. Make a commitment to buying fewer items, focusing on things you don’t need. Keep trash bins handy in various items of the home to remind yourself to throw out, rather than save.

One of the adages of life is that people will fill up whatever space they have available. Unfortunately, this can lead to unnecessary clutter that makes everyday life more difficult. You can tame this natural tendency by setting aside time to evaluate all the goods you keep on hand and re-organizing it in terms of how important it is to your daily life.