New Home Organization: Our 5 Best Tips

A new home is a chance to start fresh, get rid of your old clutter, and begin a new organization routine… so don’t let yourself fall back into those old habits! We have five tips you can try to start (and maintain) a sense of organization in your new home.

No hiding: We all know the type: a shirt that, no matter where we look, just seems to have disappeared! If you fold and store your shirts on top of one another, that may be the reason—it’s just easier for items to get lost this way. Instead of storing your items of clothing vertically, try parting them into soft rolls and placing them (visibly) in your drawer. This way, you’ll never lose your t-shirts and will always know exactly where to go to find what you need.

Throw as you go: We’re not saying you should throw away every unused object in your closet—but start paying special attention to what you use on a daily basis, what you use once in a while, and what you never, ever use. Sometimes we cling onto items because of their sentimental or financial value; we think that if we spent a lot on something, we had better keep it forever. Wrong! Trends can change, and so can our tastes… if you can’t see yourself using a top, a pair of jeans or some boots in six months, it might be time to toss them out.

Keep a neat, simple workspace: Whether we’re at work or at home, it’s a natural tendency to want to place personal mementos—from photographs to trinkets and motivational desk signs—all over our workspace. While we do this in part to foster creativity, this little trick might not work as well as we’d like. Too many excess items can cause distraction and make it hard to finish the task in front of you—instead, try to keep a simple and clean a workspace as possible. Your mind will be forced to focus on your project, and you’ll see a greater turnaround time for your tasks.

Add order to your filing system: One of the biggest enemies of workspace organization is document buildup. The best way to avoid a physical mess is to stash your documents online—if you can’t do this for every document and project of yours, be sure to start up a smart organization system for the physical files you do have. Designate one area of your office or study as vital—here, you’ll place the things you need to get done in the next couple of days. For long-term projects and other important documents you want to hold on to, try setting aside a separate file cabinet to keep these things safe.

Get creative: Organization can be tough and, sometimes, pretty boring… go ahead and make it a little more fun with creative options! Over-the-door shoe racks, colorful stacking cubbies and drawer organizers are simple but unique ways to store and organize outside of your norm.