Beginner’s guide to decluttering your space

Nobody ever plans to fill up their house with “stuff”. But it happens to the best of us. Here are some handy ideas to get you on the road to decluttering your space and organizing your home – and life – again.

Clutter is the bane of a well-lived life and means more than just a messy living room. Think piles of stuff everywhere that can take away your sense of control.

So what’s the key to controlling clutter? Start with a little at a time and maintain the clear space as you move toward the next cluttered area. However, most vital to remember among the secrets to decluttering a home is this one:

If you don’t use it, lose it!

Sometimes just looking at all the disorder is enough to shut people down. The good news? The process of getting rid of clutter can be quite simple.

• Make a list of what needs to be cleaned out.
• Schedule time to work on it.
• Eliminate the things you don’t need, want or love.
• Categorize what remains by grouping similar things together.
• Organize the categories by having a place for everything and everything in its place.

If the thought of decluttering every inch of space makes you panic, don’t worry. Rome wasn’t conquered in a day, so you need not tackle your whole house in one swoop. A good place to start? The closets.

Make it a rainy weekend project
Why not declutter you clothes closet over the weekend?

• Start on Saturday morning by dividing your clothes into piles to give away, throw out and keep.
• In the afternoon, freshen up your closet with a lick of paint and plan to add accessories to organize the space.
• Sunday morning shop for closet accessories then just add your clothes.

Set a schedule that’s easy to recall
Setting a schedule for cleaning is important. Sticking to it is another matter. Something more interesting always comes up, right? The solution? Declutter with changing seasons.

• Don’t forget that incorporating a system to keep everything in place and easy to access is also a part of the picture.

By nature children aren’t organized. But you can easily organize your child's closet and get them to keep it tidy on their own with a few simple changes, such as:

• Adding lower shelves.
• Building colourful cubbies.
• Placing photos of items where they’re meant to go.

Keep it simple
From the towels you use each day to the heirloom family quilt, is organizing your linen closet keeping you awake at night? Keeping everything tidy and fresh can be as simple as:

• Stacking items according to size.
• Adding louvered doors.
• Rolling delicate items before storing.

Sometimes all the decluttering in the world won’t make a lick of difference.

• Don't be afraid to redesign an existing closet to suit your lifestyle.
• Another option is to maximize the available space by storing stuff under your bed, or rearrange the existing space with functional closet organizers such as modular units, cube systems and hanging shelves.

Working from home can be amazing, but doesn’t it always seem to be in a disarray?
Uncluttering your home office by simply cleaning out a drawer or two, hanging a pin board, and putting your printer on a rolling trolley can mean the difference between efficiency and deficiency. For example:

• A messy desk can cost you time and productivity searching for misplaced items. A day spent organizing your workspace will pay dividends in helping to maximize your efficiency.
• Keeping it tidy and efficient will also ensure it’s a pleasant place to be, something to keep in mind when setting up a home office, if you don’t already have one.

Although you may not have a formal home office, you may have a workshop. In which case if it’s messy and disorganized, you may find projects taking twice as long as they should. Some ideas for organizing a clutter-free workshop?

• Make holders for nuts, bolts and screws. It saves time having to look for them.
• Use the wall to create more space on your workbench surface.
• Create common storage spots for tools you use together, like garden tools and potting supplies.

One room with never enough space is the bedroom, especially if it’s small.

• Multi-functional furniture such as a loft bed with a desk and bookshelves is a clever way to reduce clutter and organize your living space.

Even if it isn’t super small, saving space in the bedroom is just about the easiest thing in the world.

• Use the space under the bed to tuck away extra blankets or pillows.
• Hang handbags and ties over hooks on the inside of your closet door.
• Use decorative boxes to hide away objects in plain sight.

A small apartment can be cozy – until stuff starts to pile up. Whether your home is a bachelor's suite or a small two-bedroom condo, organizing a small apartment space and keeping it clutter-free can be a challenge. So what’s the secret?

• Invest in the right furniture that maximizes space but doesn’t compromise on quality. Think “fold-out futon” instead of couch.
• Don't try to hide everything. Go with creative solutions and, e.g., install wall hooks to hang kitchen utensils directly over your stove.
• Use the walls to mount prize possessions, whether that’s a valuable painting or your bicycle!

By now you’ve probably figured out that the key to managing clutter is more than just getting rid of things, it’s also about using smart storage solutions.

•  There are many clever ways to create storage space in hallways, corridors and beneath the stairs. Have you ever considered a small custom-made office or chest of drawers to go under a staircase in the hallway?
• Want to boost your bathroom cabinet storage space? Simply install a recessed medicine cabinet.
• Don’t forget the basement. The easiest way to clear out and reclaim your basement is to recycle the junk. You’ll be stunned at the space it buys you.

For pretty much any room in the house, recessed shelving can easily be added to an existing wall or built into a narrow closet.

Regardless how you go about it — one room at a time, on your own or with the help of an expert — decluttering will make your home more organized, clean, the kind of place where you deserve to live.