Clutter Trouble Spots: 10 Areas of Focus to Achieve an Organized Home

The desire for spring cleaning can be strong this time of year. The trigger may be an upcoming move or home renovation, or even a buildup of items in your house after years of accumulation. Here are some tips to help you through the difficult areas.

1. Overstuffed garage – Must you park on the driveway or street? Is your garage filled with things you don’t need anymore (e.g., strollers, skis, bikes)? Wait for a nice day and pull everything out. Invest in some shelving and wall hooks. Donate, trash, or give away everything you no longer use. If the job is overwhelming, enlist some help. A team of professional organizers can help transform your garage.
2. Boxes of photos and memorabilia – You can actually pare down family items and preserve memories too. Photos can be scanned, saving space and allowing your extended family to also enjoy the digitized pictures. Reduce the volume of memorabilia by keeping samples for yourself and passing on the bulk of items to relatives or donating to the needy.
3. Too many clothes – Styles change frequently, but it’s hard to let go of clothes that are in good shape and still fit. If you haven’t worn something in a year, give it away to someone who will cherish it.
4. Heaps of paper – Home offices and kitchen counters can quickly be overrun with excess papers. Toss everything you no longer need, sort and organize important documents, and consider scanning documents that take up limited filing space.
5. Unwanted family heirlooms – Attics and basements are often full of things we inherit but don’t want. There is a long list of charities eager to accept furniture and other household items. Valuable antiques can be sold.
6. Inefficient kitchen – The kitchen is the most important room in your house. Make it a space where it’s easy to cook a meal. Have your favorite spices and cookware handy. Don’t put those utensils used once a year in the best drawer. Save that space for items used daily.
7. Messy foyer/mudroom – Everything needs an allotted spot. Prime space goes to those shoes and boots worn frequently, in-season jackets, and miscellaneous items like umbrellas and backpacks. The excess can be stored elsewhere in the house or given away if never used.
8. Overcrowded living room – Reassess the space your family uses to unwind. You may need an objective opinion on how to pare down the furniture and knick-knacks.  Our professional organizers at Potomac Concierge are skilled at staging and improving the aesthetics and efficiency of a room’s layout.
9. Dysfunctional guest room – If your basement, attic, and garage are used for storage, you shouldn’t have to give up the spare bedroom, too. It’s time to sort through everything.
10. Too many books – Get rid of your college textbooks. Keep a handful of your adult children’s old picture books and donate the rest. Pare down the overstuffed bookshelves. Go through those book boxes piled up in the basement since a damp environment is not the place for their long-term storage.

Spring is a great time to tackle a whole-house decluttering project. If you lack the time, energy, or motivation, consider calling Potomac Concierge today. Our professional organizers in the DC metro area will help in any way—get you started, provide guidance, or do everything from start to finish!

Contact us online or call (240) 200-4824 today to get in touch with a professional organizer in Maryland, DC, or Northern VA today!