As many homeowners know, the days and weeks following Christmas are the perfect time to clean up and clear out the clutter. Old toys have been shelved and forgotten about, and all the organizational storage is on sale in stores. Take this time to give your home and your mental state a facelift by getting rid of old baggage. And by baggage, we mean the mountains of forgotten toys, piles of bills, stacks of outdated mail and outgrown clothing that’s hiding all around your home.
Make a Resolution
What is it that you would love to see happen in your home this year? Want to see an unused bedroom turned into a home office or an attic converted to a master suite? Whatever it is that fuels your muse, use it as incentive to get started. The first step in converting any space into something else is to clear it out. Once the dusty boxes and piles of outgrown clothing are gone, you can see the space for what it truly has to offer. This is the time to jumpstart your project with a new luxurious rug from the local carpet store or pretty new window treatments from theshadestore.com. Adding a touch of something beautiful will help spur you on to completion.
Ask for Help
Trying to go it all alone can be a challenge. Recognize your weaknesses and ask for help with the things that seem overwhelming. If your albatross is procrastination, enlist the aid of a friend to help keep you on track. If your organizational skills are lacking, download an organizational app to help clue you in. Free apps exist for Apple and Android that can help you keep track of everything from the items in your closet to bills and receipts for everything you buy:
- Cloth: Can’t remember which skirt you bought to go with that purple peasant blouse? Take a snapshot of every item in your closet and this handy little app keeps a running tally. Dressing for dinner just got a whole lot easier with the Cloth app, available for download on your Apple device.
- Shoeboxed: Tax time is much more enjoyable with this convenient app that lets you snap a pic of every receipt and store it for future reference. Shoeboxed lets you export your digital receipts directly to the software you use to prepare your taxes, effectively eliminating the need for paper storage. Shoeboxed is available as a free download for Apple and Android, according to Shoeboxed.com.
- Check: This app keeps track of your bills, due dates, amounts owed and more. Store all your bills in a digital version to eliminate the accumulation of paper hot spots throughout your space. Check sends you reminders of what you need to pay when you need to pay it. You’ll never miss a due date again with this functional little app that’s available for free on Apple and Android.
Divide and Conquer
Once you’ve figured out where everything goes, it’s time to get down to business, and get stuff out. All the great organizers know it’s just a matter of sorting and dividing through things like toys, magazines, housewares and collectibles into various piles. Make a “keep” pile, a “donate” pile, a “next yard sale” pile, and keep a large trash can close by for all the broken little pieces. Visit your online home organization store for containers to help you along your way.
The guest post was provided by: John Romero. John is home energy auditor who helps homeowners improve HVAC efficiency, reduce energy consumption and go green.