Decluttering and Organizing your home
The key to success is not setting yourself up for a fall. Work through your home one room at a time.
Each room should only house the things that belong there. For example, if you find batteries among your books, move them somewhere more practical – I keep mine in the utility room so I always know where they are.
I love the saying: A place for everything and everything in its place. It’s simple advice, but it works.
Pick a room, then clear out cupboards, shelves, and hidden corners. Gather everything into piles – books, ornaments, candles, paperwork, whatever’s there. Then decide whether each item should be binned, recycled, donated, or moved to a different room. Imagine your space as a blank canvas, and put back only the things you truly love, use, and value.
Have the right bags or boxes ready
- Charity donations – a dedicated bag or box
- Rubbish – a black bin liner
- Recycling – a white bag
This stops you running in and out every few minutes. You can take it out in one fell swoop.
If something feels out of place, it probably is. Think about the flow of your home and where each item makes the most sense.
Remember – less is more. What you no longer need might be a treasure for someone else.
Hold off buying new storage solutions until the end. Too often I’ve seen homes full of empty boxes and baskets that were never needed.
Decluttering and organising for busy people
A decluttered home is one where everything has its place – nothing spilling onto floors, piling on top of cupboards, or lurking behind doors.
Even with a busy schedule (and especially with family life), the golden rule is less stuff.
- Stay on top of your bins and recycling – clutter creeps in quickly if you don’t.
- Keep your fridge fresh – only store what you’ll eat.
- Put things away straight away – when I buy new clothes, they’re hung up immediately.
Get your family on board. Encourage them to bring down empty cups, hang coats and bags where they belong, and clear their own rubbish. Lead by example and set simple boundaries everyone can follow.
Make time for a weekly reset – a quick sweep of the house, putting things back where they belong. If you’re donating clothes or items, keep a charity bag by the door and drop it off next time you’re out.
Simple steps to declutter and organise every room
Decide what you love and what you don’t – Donate or sell anything that doesn’t spark joy.
Be ready to let go – Freeing yourself from clutter feels like fresh air flowing through your home.
Keep like with like – Mugs with mugs, glasses with glasses, it makes finding things so much easier.
Work in bite-sized chunks – No one can handle a big declutter and organise in just a few hours. It takes time, which is probably why a lot of us struggle with it. It’s easier to just ignore it.
Start small – Draw up a list of every room in the house and then every category. Work through category by category. I often can be found in my utility room, sifting through things. If I don’t know what it is, it goes. If I know what it is but it doesn’t feel right being there, it gets moved.
Decluttering and organising – it’s about creating flow
Decluttering and organising isn’t just about a tidy house, it’s about creating a home that supports the way you want to live. When everything has a place, life feels calmer, simpler, and more enjoyable.
Start small, keep going, and don’t be afraid to let go of what no longer serves you. The reward is a home you love walking into every single day.
Happy organising,
Beth