Say goodbye to clutter with these simple steps to help you get your home organised this season.
When it comes to our homes it is easy to become oblivious to the slow accumulation of ‘stuff’. We spend months, even years bringing new items into our homes without realising nothing has actually been removed in some time. The task of decluttering and reorganising is a challenge we all face at some point but it can be overwhelming knowing exactly where to start.
These 21 decluttering and organisation ideas will show you step-by-step exactly how to organise a room with too much stuff, from how to begin decluttering to how to keep your home organised for the long haul. We will guide you through everything you need to know to say goodbye to clutter and streamline your home once and for all.
How To Organise A Room With Too Much Stuff
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1. Set a Goal
You may be tempted to skip past this step but setting a goal can be hugely beneficial even when it comes to organising a room with too much stuff. Consider what you want to achieve from your decluttering or how you want your home to look. Having a clear focus on what you want the end result to look like can be useful for keeping you on track when your attention wanders.
If you are struggling to think of a clear goal try creating a vision board of what you want your home to look like. Yep we know, this may not seem the most productive use of time but it can be helpful to have something tangible to see when your motivation dips. They’re also pretty fun to create.
2. Make A Plan
The chaos of decluttering can quickly become overwhelming when you don’t have a plan. To avoid this overwhelm consider what time you have available. The chances are you’re not going to have the time or the energy to declutter and organise a whole house in one day, so don’t try. Be realistic and set a reasonable target for what you want to achieve in your allotted time. This could be one room or simply one or two cupboards. We are all guilty of underestimating how long a task will take so start small and slowly work up to bigger rooms or tasks.
Don’t forget to factor in the time it may take to dispose of the unwanted items and incorporate this into your plan. The last thing you want is a pile of ‘stuff’ waiting to be taken to the charity shop hanging around for weeks.
3. where to begin organising a room
Even with a clear goal and an action plan in place knowing where to actually begin decluttering can still be challenging. Choosing a small section of a room such as under the bed is a great place to start. Alternatively, another ideal starting point could be a specific category of items such as make-up or accessories.
By breaking up the task into manageable sections you’ll less likely to feel overwhelmed and once you begin to see improvements you’ll feel a boost in motivation.
4. Move everything to the right location
Now you have a clear idea of where to begin, start by removing items that do not belong in the space. Dirty glasses head to the dishwasher, dirty clothes to the laundry basket, and rubbish to the bin. It may seem obvious but seeing this small improvement can be a great way of getting the ball rolling and some quick wins can be magical for motivation levels.
5. Deciding What to keep
When it comes to how to organise a room with too much stuff the easiest way of organising items is to begin by splitting them into two categories, keep and discard.
Knowing exactly what to discard and what to keep probably won’t be easy as we often become attached to objects. However, decluttering a room can have great effects on our mental health and can make looking after our homes much more manageable.
When considering what to keep try asking yourself these key questions:
- Do I use it?
- Have I used it in the last year?
- Do I own something similar?
- Would I notice if this went missing?
- Could someone else benefit from this more than me?
- Do I love it?
When you truly consider these questions it becomes clearer to see if your decision is rational. This process doesn’t need to be an express trip to minimalism so don’t feel like you have to part with anything you are not sure about. Pop the items you are not sure about to one side and set a reminder to go back in a few months to review how you feel.
6. organising into categories
Once you have your discard and keep piles you can begin to categorise them further. Your discard pile can be sorted into four key categories: sell, donate, recycle, and trash.
Sell: Sometimes it is easier to part with items when you know they are going to a new home, this is when reselling websites are perfect. Gone are the days of rising at stupid o’clock to lug a carload of items to a car boots sale only to bring most of them back again. Sites such as eBay, Facebook, Depop and Vinted have made selling unused items a breeze.
Donate: For those items that aren’t worth the hassle of reselling but aren’t quite ready for the bin a donation centre such as a charity shop is a great option.
Recycle: Of course, we should always try to recycle before popping anything into general waste. This is especially true for items such as electronics which can be hazardous to the environment.
Trash: For those items that cannot be salvaged.
Your keep pile can be separated into two categories: items you need access to often and items that can be stored away.
Easy access: Items you use frequently and what to keep close to hand.
Store: This is anything you want to keep but infrequently use. This could be seasonal clothing such as hats and scarves, board games, Christmas decorations or travel accessories.
7. Send it to the bin
Now you have your belongings clearly categorised it’s time to move the discarded piles out of the house. It is not uncommon for the flutter of doubt to make an appearance so to avoid the temptation of changing your mind on what to discard, now is a good time to take rubbish to the bins, pop to the charity shop and upload items to sell online.
Although it can be tempting to leave this task until last this can often result in unwanted items hanging around in our organised rooms for some time. So to fully embrace the process of decluttering get unwanted items out of the house as quickly as possible.
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8. Deep clean
Once your space is full of only the items you actually want to keep consider taking some time to do a deep clean. Streamlining the home is so much more than just removing unwanted items and cleaning can be a big part of it.
Cleaning can have huge benefits for our mental well-being (who doesn’t feel a little relief when a thick layer of dust is removed) and can be just as cathartic as removing ‘stuff’ from our homes. So take the opportunity to clean those tricky areas we often forget about like under the bed and the top of wardrobes.
9. finding the right storage solutions
Now it’s time to find the perfect storage solution for your organisational needs. Storing items within drawers, cupboards or boxes is a great way of reducing the appearance of clutter but it is important that what is hidden is just as organised as what is not.
Boxes and organisers are a great addition to any room to help tame the clutter. But consider where you want to place items before purchasing any new storage. There is no point in buying tiny drawer dividers for the drawer where you decide to store your knitted jumpers. Always measure your drawers and shelves to ensure you purchase boxes that fit perfectly to avoid any wasted space.
10. Expand Your Organisational space
Sometimes the reason our homes feel constantly messy and disorganised is that we have an inadequate amount of storage. This is when it is time to consider adding some more smart storage solutions to the home. This could be as simple as adding some storage boxes to the top of your wardrobe or it could be something that requires a little more investment such as upgrading your bedframe to an ottoman bed or adding some shelves to your walls.
11. label everything
Labelling is an organisational hack we should all be embracing. When we add labels to a box it is almost like a commitment to only storing that particular item there. It will make staying organised for the long haul much easier, not to mention how much easier it will be to find things.
12. Save space for collections to grow
Leaving some free space is one of the most important yet overlooked steps when it comes to decluttering and organising a room. No matter how minimalistic you are, you are likely to purchase something in the future. To ensure your home has space to accommodate these future purchases leave a clothes drawer half empty, a little rail space in your wardrobe or an empty shelf in your kitchen cupboard.
13. Finish Organising a room before moving on
You’ve almost finished your organising journey but don’t forget to actually finish before moving on to another area or task. When our motivation dips it can be all too easy to half finish the job and move on to something more exciting. To set yourself up for long-term organisational bliss make sure you completely finish one area before moving to the next.
14. create new habits
To truly keep your home organised and free from too much stuff you’ll need to spend some time developing new habits. Putting away items after you are done with them is oh-so-boring but is key to keeping your space feeling organised.
Just like with decluttering don’t try to do too much at once. Work on developing one new habit a week. This could be putting your clothes away as soon as you take them off or popping dirty dishes in the dishwasher as soon as you have used them. Don’t move on to building a new habit until the previous one feels like second nature.
15. How to keep a room decluttered
Decluttering and organising a room isn’t fun so you’ll want to avoid needing to do the process again any time soon. We have touched on many key points to help keep a room organised and free from clutter for the long haul. These are some of the most important.
When things feel like they are getting out of control remind yourself of your goal. Let your vision board motivate you to stay on track.
Use your labelling system to help keep everything in place. Your labels will help ensure everything goes back to its organised home you worked so hard to create.
Keep free space to allow your collections to grow. When things start to get a little tight consider a mini declutter to free up some space once again.
If something isn’t working, don’t force it. Adapt your system to suit your needs for long-term success.
Build some new habits to make keeping your home organised feel like second nature. Keeping your home tidy and free of clutter is so much easier when our everyday habits support our goals.
16. how to organise a living room with too much stuff
What one person stores in their living room can vary greatly from someone else. But what stays true to most of us is that our living rooms are a place to unwind and relax, whether that is curling up in front of the TV or socialising with friends.
With that in mind focus on prioritising relaxation. Clear surfaces of clutter and find suitable storage for any hobbies. This could be a TV stand with closed storage or some bookcases for your reading obsession.
17. how to organise a Kitchen with too much stuff
Decluttering your kitchen is an ideal way of making your everyday activities that little bit easier. Start by throwing away out-of-date items and ingredients you NEVER use. Consider donating equipment that you have doubles of and that smoothie maker that hasn’t seen the light of day since you got it. A streamlined kitchen is much more functional to prepare food in so try to focus on only keeping the essentials.
Interior organisers are an essential ingredient for kitchen organisation and help maximise storage space so find what works for you. Remember to measure your drawers and cupboards before purchasing any organisers to ensure no space is wasted.
18. how to organise a Hallway with too much stuff
The hallway is one room that is usually forgotten yet can often become a bit of a dumping ground. With it being the first impression of our home for both ourselves and guests it is a mystery why we don’t prioritise its organisation more.
Focus on ensuring you have plenty of storage space for everything you need particularly if your hallway is full of ‘stuff’. Declutter your shoes and jackets and consider storing away out-of-season pieces to help streamline your space. Closed shoe cabinets are great for keeping your hallway looking clutter-free as are mirrors with hidden storage.
19. how to organise a bedroom with too much stuff
Our bedrooms should ooze the feeling of tranquillity and relaxation but more often than not they are storage nightmares. Focus on decluttering the bedroom as much as possible and where possible opt for closed storage to create a calm environment free from visual clutter. Find bedroom furniture and organisers that match your storage needs for the best, long-term organisation.
20. how to organise a closet with too much stuff
Once your closet has been thoroughly decluttered find bedroom organisers that match your storage needs. Wardrobe organisers are a game changer when it comes to organising a wardrobe and maximising space. Consider freeing up space by storing out-of-season clothing in labelled boxes or vacuum bags.
21. how to organise a bathroom with too much stuff
The bathroom is the one room that always seems to have inadequate storage so focus on ensuring you have plenty for what you need to store. A small drawer unit, some clever shower storage or a handy wall shelf could be all you need to get your bathroom with too much stuff organised.
