Does it feel like you’ve outgrown your St. Louis home? In many cases, the actual square footage of the house isn’t the issue — you might just need to get better organized. With all our attention placed on the day-to-day, home organization often takes a backseat; surfaces get crowded and cluttered, closets and storage spaces get packed full, and the thought of tackling the clutter can seem overwhelming. In reality, organizing your home will reduce some of the stress and chaos, leaving you with a freshened-up space you can relax in and enjoy. Here are some top tips to keep in mind:

Take Your Time

Planning to knock out the whole house in a day—or even a weekend—is unrealistic and will likely end in frustration. Set a practical and achievable timeline to organize each room by writing it on the calendar as a goal. For instance, marking Sunday as the day to organize the kitchen is an attainable goal with a realistic timeframe to finish it in. Start in the morning and you might find yourself done and excited to cook when it’s time for dinner. Once you finish the first room, set your next goal. 

Prioritize

Most likely, some of the areas of your home are more in need of organization than others, so prioritize from there. If you discover items in that room that belong elsewhere, just move that item into the room where it belongs and get back to working on the priority room. You want to avoid getting sidetracked if you don’t find the perfect spot for the item immediately.

Choosing What to Keep

Starting a full-scale organizational project is also the best time to weed out any belongings you don’t use, need, or want any longer. When considering what to keep — ask yourself; do you use it regularly? does it have sentimental value? Does it have financial value? Also find out if you can downsize any of the items you choose to keep. For instance, you may have three years of cooking magazines saved, but do you really think you’ll make all of the recipes they include (or ever open them again)? Check to see if the recipes are collected anywhere online or scan the recipes you like and recycle the magazines. 

Put Everything in its Place

If you want to get—and stay—organized, everything should have its place. You want to be able to put your belongings away easily and quickly. If you don’t already have the storage to house everything, add some. Take advantage of your wall space by adding shelving, utilize the space under your coffee table by adding some baskets, and utilize extra floor space with an organizational cart. It doesn’t require you to convert to a minimalist lifestyle to be organized; you just need to have a home within your home for your things.

Make it Fun

A chore, by definition, shouldn’t be any fun — but it can be. Turn up some music to get you going, flip through your photo albums if you come across them as you clean, try on the clothes you’ve forgotten in the back of your closet, or rearrange the furniture to give your home some newness. You’ve already given yourself a realistic timeframe to complete your goal, so it won’t be counterproductive to take some time-outs to sing, reminisce, and have a little fun. All of those things are stress relievers and can make the process a lot less unpleasant. Finally, reward yourself with a relaxing bath or a special meal once you’ve finished your work. It’s important to celebrate your accomplishment.

An organized home will increase your comfort and reduce stress. After you’re done with your organizational overhaul, it’s just upkeep from then on. 

If you really have run out of space and you’re looking for a new home, I’ll be happy to recommend an experienced, local Realtor or work with you on a preapproval for a mortgage.