How to Start Organizing at Home With 10 Clear Steps

Inside: 10 clear steps for how to start organizing at home when you are overwhelmed or don’t know where to begin. 

You want more control over your home and your belongings. You want to know where things are when you need them and not stress about all the mess. And I don’t blame you! We all deserve this sort of function in our homes.

The good news is there are ways to start organizing and gain control over the things and systems in your home…even when you are short on time or know-how.

While you want to get organized; finding the time and motivation to do so can be difficult. So, how do you start organizing when you feel super overwhelmed and/or don’t know where to begin? 

Maybe you are asking yourself, What should I organize first?  What steps should I take?  How do I keep it that way once I’m done?

First, let’s start with your why.  Why organize in the first place?

Benefits to Organizing Your Home

• An organized home is easier to manage and keep clean
• Lowered anxiety.  Studies show when your surroundings are tidy and put together, it lowers stress and anxiety (less mess = less stress).
• More time in your life.  When your home is organized you aren’t frantically looking for items you need daily (where are those darned keys again?) and wasting precious minutes.
• More money.  Yes, more money!  When you have an organized home, you see what you own.  Knowing what you own means you don’t duplicate shopping and buy more than you need.  
• You enjoy your home and the things in it when they are tidy and accessible (i.e., you may be more motivated to cook a homemade, healthy meal when your kitchen is a pleasant environment to be in, not just a cluttered mess; bonus, you save money on not eating out).
• You model healthy living and responsibility to your children

So you know the benefits to organizing your home, but exactly how do you do it?  Where do you start?  The 10 tips below will give you a roadmap for how to start organizing straight away.

How to Start Organizing Your Home

1. Begin with a declutter 

Don’t bother organizing until you have cleaned out what you don’t need.  Remove excess first to know what’s necessary to organize.

Basic questions for a quick declutter:

• Do I use it?
• Do I love it?
• If yes to the above two questions, is it in good shape or should it be repaired/ replaced?

2. Start small 

Avoid feeling overwhelmed by trying to organize your house all at once.  After you’ve decluttered, start organizing one small area at a time.  This may be one room or even one section of a room (i.e., just the closet, not the bedroom; just the pantry, not the kitchen).

3. Designate a home for everything

Will jackets and umbrellas go in a downstairs closet?  Will backpacks be hung in a certain spot?  Will dirty laundry go in a certain hamper?  Will mail be stowed on an entry table?  These are just a few ideas.

Determine where items will be located, communicate to your family the “homes” and ensure things are put away daily in the same space for an auto-pilot routine.

4. Contain items in ways that make sense for you

There’s no one right way to store goods.  You can start organizing your home with things from around the house…boxes, file folders, shelves, trays; whatever you see fit in keeping your post-decluttered stuff contained.

For example, I use a Trader Joe’s freezer bag to hold all my reusable grocery bags. I use a cardboard wine box to hold unopened bottles inside the pantry.

Pretty storage containers are great for high-profile spots but check around your home first before buying new containers. Work with what you have and what makes sense for you to keep things contained.

5. Label containers 

Be sure to label containers, boxes, file folders, etc. If you store things but forget where they are or what’s in containers, you end up creating additional work looking for said items. Use labels or tags for keeping track of what is where.

6. Get your family onboard 

Make sure family members understand your effort and the benefits of organizing so they will follow the new system. Show them the “homes” you’ve designated for daily items such as shoes, backpacks, sports equipment, etc. Give props to kids (and spouse) when they remember where things go!

7. Stop buying stuff you don’t need 

Avoid bringing unnecessary items into your home since overbuying creates more clutter which, of course, means more to manage.  Practice mindful shopping habits regarding your true household needs.  Try to skip wasteful trips to places like Costco and Target and use what you have.

8. Create a drop-zone for decluttered items 

You can declutter on the regular without making it a big project.  As you do laundry, put away dishes, or have the kids clean up toys, for example, you may notice items you no longer need.  Create a space (perhaps a coat closet or garage) where you can stow things for a donation drop off.

9. Tidy up daily

Even just 10 – 15 minutes of a daily tidy is a great way to start organizing your home.

Things you can do in 15 minutes or less:

• Put away clean laundry
• Empty and reload the dishwasher
• Sort the mail
• Clean out backpacks and lunchboxes for the following day
• Make the beds and tidy bedrooms
• Wipe down the kitchen countertops and vacuum the floor

Finding 15 minutes now will save you 30 minutes tomorrow when everyone is frantically looking for things to start their day or stressed out from all the clutter surrounding them.

10. Know your MITs

Make an MIT list (most important tasks).  Write down what is bothering you the most about your disorganized house and a priority list of what to do first will naturally form. By completing 1-2 items off this list you’ll instantly feel more in control.

For your MITs consider organizing tasks that are time-sensitive:  setting up a doctor’s appointment, paying bills, replying to an important text or email, washing your son’s baseball uniform, prepping dinner for a busy weeknight.

How to Stay Organized

You’ve figured out how to start organizing and you are already enjoying the benefits…congrats!  Now how to maintain it? 

tips for staying organized:

• Involve family members
• Tidy up daily
• Don’t overbuy, keep mindful spending habits
• Focus on your why
• Enjoy the benefits organizing creates (as discussed above)

Conclusion

Here’s the thing: you can get organized. You don’t have to be a home organization guru like Marie Kondo or Martha Stewart to know how. Everyone can enjoy an organized home, it’s just about knowing where to start.

Focus on the benefits, your why and by taking even just one small step you’ll be on your journey to an organized home straight away!