ListingLife Frontpage / Interior Improvements
ListingLife
NOV 2009Clean Up Clutter: Organizing Your Home Before or After a Move
By Lynn Coulter
Garages crowded with bikes and skateboards, closets overflowing with shoes, junky drawers that won’t close—a cluttered house isn't a pretty sight.
It can also be stressful when you’re constantly stepping over toys or searching for a bill amid a stack of paper on the kitchen table. Life is better when you tame the clutter monster and get organized.
Just don’t try to do too much at once, says Olescia Anderson, a spokesperson for The Container Store, a Texas-based retailer that specializes in storage and organization solutions. “It’s easy to get overwhelmed. The trick is to divide and conquer, by focusing on one area or room at the time.”
Other tips for getting organized:
- Allow enough time for each area you tackle. You might not organize an entire garage in one day, but you could straighten a linen closet.
- Plan to discard items you don’t use anymore. Many charities will accept clothes you haven’t worn in years, or books you don’t plan to read again.
- Put wasted space to work. Slide a storage box under the bed, or extend your kitchen shelves all the way to the ceiling. Attach racks over doors to hold shoes or towels, and use hooks to hold key rings and coats.
- Go “up,” with stackable containers in bedrooms, laundry areas, and playrooms.
- Give yourself a pat on the back every time you finish an area, Anderson says, and then move on to the next one. Your home will look more spacious and inviting, and you can relax and enjoy the time you spend there.
SPONSOR
