Six Keys to Organizing Your Home This Winter

Six Keys to Organizing Your Home This Winter

Winter is quickly approaching, and that means for many of you spending more time inside. If you’re going to be stuck inside this Winter, you might as well spend it in a place that isn’t driving you crazy. Over time our homes become more disheveled and disorganized, leading to a bit of stress. If this sounds like your home, here are a few things you can do to get your home more organized this Winter.

Make a Priorities List

The first thing you’ll want to do is make yourself a priorities list. Which areas of your home are the most disorganized? Where do you spend the most time? Your attic might be a mess, but if you’re never up there, maybe you’ll want to focus instead on organizing your bedroom closet. Write down all of the places in your home you want to organize, then rank them from most important to least. You may not have time to do every space in your home, so this list will help you to focus on the more important spots.

Separate Your Stuff

Next, once you pick an area to start on, begin separating the stuff there. Put everything into piles – a pile of stuff to keep, a pile of stuff that belongs somewhere else, and a pile of stuff to get rid of. Chances are you don’t need everything in your home, and clearing out some things will make it easier to organize your space.

Sell What You Don’t Need

Now that you have a pile of things you don’t need, it’s time to find something to do with it all. Your first option should be to try to sell it. You’d be surprised what other people are willing to buy, so it doesn’t hurt to try to get a few dollars for your junk.

To sell your stuff, consider placing ads for it through sites like Craigslist or eBay. Find similar products online to get a sense of what it’s worth, and don’t forget to factor in shipping costs. If you don’t want to sell online, consider hosting a garage sale, especially if you have a lot of items you want to get rid of.

Get Rid of the Rest

Just because you can’t sell something doesn’t mean you should keep it. You put those items into the “do not keep” pile for a reason, so find another way to get rid of it. One option is to donate it to charity. There are plenty of charities that will take things like old clothing or toys, and you can even get a tax write-off for it.

For anything you can’t donate, just throw it away. Many of us have a habit of hanging onto things we don’t need because we don’t like to throw away stuff. This leads to clutter around the home, and your goal here is to organize. Break the habit and throw your stuff away if you don’t need it.

Add or Find Additional Storage Space

Sometimes, even though you get rid of things, you still have a lot left over, and no where to put it. According to Livible, a company that provides storage units in Portland OR, “When it comes to winter storage, people are often at a loss for what they should transition out of their homes, garages, and closets and how to properly store those items so they’ll be in great shape next season.” A key step towards organizing your home is getting yourself some additional storage space. For this, you have a few options.

For starters, you could buy some storage items, like plastic tubs, shelving or drawers. These will help you to sort your belongings and keep them in a contained space. You can find containers of all shapes and sizes, so you should have no trouble finding a place for things. If this doesn’t work, consider renting out a storage unit for all your extra stuff.

Stick to Your New Habits

Finally, the real key to an organized home is sticking to your habits. You’re spending all this time organizing, don’t let it go to waste by falling back into your old habits. Get rid of things you no longer need rather than storing them in your basement. Put things back where they belong. If you notice a room becoming messy, organize it then rather than waiting for it to get worse.

Organizing your home takes time, but if you keep up with it, it’s not so bad. Use the tips above to get yourself organized for this Winter, then keep the habits going throughout the entire year, so you’re not reading this again at the same time next year.