The Homeowner’s Guide to Organizing Your Living Space

One reality that we’re all facing right now is the abundance of items present inside our homes. It’s like the majority of us live in a constant state of mess and disorganization. There are several studies that show that living in a cluttered space can lead to an overall lower quality of life, oftentimes resulting in depression and anxiety.

When it comes to our houses, there’s no question that we want them to be as organized and spacious as ever. Unfortunately, the trend is for us to buy and buy until every nook and cranny of our house is filled with bits and pieces. This over consumerist behavior has been going on for years, fueled further by the rise of e-commerce stores like Amazon, eBay, and Etsy. Instead of taking hours going around shops, it only takes a few seconds and several clicks to order items online.

If your house is constantly messy, then you have come to the right place. Below is the Homeowner’s Guide to Organizing Your Living Space.

• Declutter

The first step to organizing your house is by decreasing the number of items inside your house. While you don’t need to go full Marie Kondo on your house, the show Tidying Up with Marie Kondo does hold some truth to it. If an item doesn’t so-to-speak “spark joy” anymore, then there’s no use keeping it inside your house. More often than not, our clutter is made up of items that have no inherent use to us anymore, but yet we choose to keep them.

Cross off a weekend on your calendar to declutter your house. Create three piles: Throwing Out, Giving Away, Sending to Storage. You’ll be surprised at just how many items inside your place are just sitting clutter.

• Rent a Storage Unit

So you got rid of all the items that have no more use to you. What about those that still have utility but are still essentially clutter for the major part of the year? You send them off to storage of course!

A storage unit is a convenient alternative for homeowners who don’t have extra storage space. Consider this as your remote basement, attic, or garage. Normally, you store here seasonal clothes, baby stuff, photo albums, power tools, extra furniture, and other items that you generally do not need in your daily life. 

When choosing  a storage unit, go for a location that’s nearby. You want a storage unit that you won’t feel too lazy to come to so you can still access all of your items.

Planning to renovate your house? Here’s a home renovation checklist so you know what to do and avoid!

• Add Shelves and Storage Bins

Now that all of the unessential items are gone, it’s time to organize. Do you have free wall space? Consider installing some shelves. By doing this, you can stack and store more items in one place. Wall shelves allow you to properly display some of your prized souvenirs, leading to better room aesthetics. Additionally, wall shelves allow you to put dangerous items out of reach of children.

Aside from shelves, you should also consider investing in storage bins. It’s easier to have a storage bin for every member of the house where they can put all of their miscellaneous items. For instance, you can store all of your kid’s toys inside every time they’re done playing. Does your husband have a hobby? Have him place all of his stuff inside his designated bin.

Stack all of your storage bins inside a closet or under the stairs so it doesn’t take up any of your valuable floor space.

• Use Your Vertical Space

If you’re living in a small house, using your vertical space is important. Aside from wall shelves, consider overhead cabinets. Overhead cabinets are a great way to store your pots and pans in the kitchen. Oftentimes, the kitchen is the most cluttered section of the house. By installing overhead cabinets for your kitchen tools, you free up your drawers for essentials like spices and ingredients.

• Consider Space-Saving Furniture

The world has accepted that a huge percentage of the population lives in a cramped place. That is just our reality. Because of this, the market now offers space-saving furniture. These are furniture pieces that help you keep the used space at a minimum.

If you’re not keen on eating inside your apartment, check out folding tables. This way, your dining room disappears after you’re done eating. Murphy beds allow you to reclaim your bedroom space when you’re not sleeping. Usually, people turn this into a study or an office. Lastly, ottomans provide you with another space where you can store items. This way, you have a “storage bin” hidden in plain sight. They’re also great living room additions!

Living in an enclosed space can be disconcerting, to say the least. It can decrease the quality of life, and even lead to accidents. If you happen to live in a not so spacious place, then it’s on you to organize it to the best of your abilities. You may not have any control on the square footage, but what you do with said square footage will show your creativity and sheer ingenuity.

About The Author: Katherine is a Creative Writing graduate with a passion for home improvement. She has been on the wrong end of crazy renovations and found that prep work is key.

Photo by Slava Keyzman on Unsplash