5 Simple Ways to Organize Your Home

Despite its challenges, moving presents a unique opportunity to get organized. With a little extra legwork up front, you can set up a system for keeping your new home orderly and clutter-free for years. Here are some things you can do to organize while packing and unpacking:

1. Get Rid of Old Stuff

Have you come across anything while packing you forgot you had? That’s a good sign you don’t need it at all. Take stock of all the items you never use, clothes you never wear, and toys your kids don’t play with anymore and put them in a separate pile for donations.

2. Sort by Room

Pack everything one room at a time. Use color-coded labels to group boxes from each room together, and try to keep them in the same part of the moving van. When you’re in your new place, finish unpacking one room before moving on to another to streamline the process (most people start with the kitchen so they can get back to cooking right away).

3. Buy Stackable Containers

Stackable plastic containers will help you maximize the space in your closet, garage, and other parts of the house. We suggest buying clear containers so you can easily see what’s inside, but labeling each container works too.

4. Keep Cords in Check

Since you’ll have to set up all your technology again, now is the perfect time to organize your cords and wires so they don’t end up in a tangled mess. Use ties to keep wires straight and grouped together neatly, or tape them to the wall so they don’t pile up on the floor.

5. Lose the “Out of Sight, Out of Mind” Philosophy

When you’ve already organized your primary living areas, it’s tempting to throw everything left over in your attic or garage and call it a day. That will save you time now, but it’ll be a headache down the road. Treat your storage spaces like every other part of your house: Give each item a designated spot, and make sure you have clear access to anything you might look for later on.

Careful planning in the beginning will help you maintain an organized household from this point forward. There’s nothing like waking up in a clean, comfortable space every morning.