Get Organized! Home Organization Made EASY
In this article: Find practical tips on how to organize a downsized home, so that your new small space feels like home!
Sometimes, life is full of surprises.
Moving from our old farmhouse by the sea into a 1250 square foot townhouse was one of them.
Downsizing our earthly belongings by more than a half wasn’t exactly in our plans…but that’s what happened!
Over the course of a year, we moved twice (living for 6 months in a beautiful rental home) , and are now settled into a lovely little townhouse.
Get organized! – Home organization one step at a time
Get started with home organization
Sometimes the biggest battle is just starting. Purging is always the first part of my home organizing tips.
I’ll admit, the purging process when we downsized took quite some time. Although I wouldn’t consider myself a hoarder, I did find it somewhat difficult to discern what to keep and what to get rid of. (Especially in the furniture department.)
Even if you aren’t downsizing, you may be ready for a major decluttering session in your home. If that’s you, you might want to check out these top tips for decluttering.
Store items you are unsure about
When downsizing or decluttering a home, the whole picture of the process can seem overwhelming. I found that it was best for me to work on one thing at a time, and then walk away when it got to be too much.
Our garage became our own personal storage unit the first winter as I figured out what to keep and what to get rid of. Over time I was able to discern what was worth keeping, and what was more valuable OUT of the house!
Organize items into workable situations for you
Once our “stuff” was a managable amount for our space, I wanted to get it organized into systems that work for us on a daily basis.
Everyday use of all the things in our home means that items are constantly being moved and shuffled, and over time, the drawers/closets/nooks/ and crannies just get messy.
Does that happen to you, too?
I decided to go through the whole house and try to get it organized.
Break up the organization into manageable pieces
I decided to break the process up into bite-sized pieces.
I began my own organization quest for our newly downsized home, and divided up the whole house into zones ~ tackling one zone a week. In 8 weeks the house felt SO MUCH more organized and had breathing room to sit, relax, and enjoy.
The new year always seems like a good time to work on a fresh start of organization in our home, so I tend to focus on one area of the house each week of the new year. My process looks like this:
- Week 1: Entryways
- Week 2: Office/ Paperwork
- Week 3: Dining & Living Room
- Week 4: Kitchen
- Week 5: Master bedroom
- Week 6: Bathrooms
- Week 7: Garage
- Week 8: Crafts & other
Starting with the Entryway, I systematically worked my way through the whole house ~ trying to think of practical ways to make our home work and function well for us. Some days I spent a chunk of time, and other days I only spent 10 minutes!
To see how each of the areas were organized in our townhouse, check out the related links below:
Week 1 : Entryways
How to Organize an Entryway Closet Like a Pro
My Favorite Tool When Organizing Any Space
How to Convert Bi-fold Closet Doors into Modern Farmhouse French Doors
Week 2: The Office & Paperwork
Office Supply Drawer Organization
How to Organize Office Supplies in Ikea’s Billy Bookcases
5 Ways to Conquer Paper Clutter
Week 3: Living & Dining Room
How to Make a Laptop Stand End Table
How to Organize a Dining Room Buffet
Take a Tour of Our Small Living Room ~ The Winter Edition
Week 4: Kitchen
How to Organize a Pantry in a Small Kitchen
How to Organize Cupboards in a Small Kitchen
3 Homemade Cleaners for the Kitchen
Week 5: Master Bedroom
Organize Your Master Bedroom to Become a Peaceful Retreat
10 Creative DIY Jewelry Organizers
Week 6: Bathroom
Organizing the Bathroom Vanity
Week 7: Garage
Creating Work Zones for Garage Organization
Free Decluttering Planner Just for You!
Decluttering feels a lot less overwhelming when you tackle it one category at a time. My free printable Decluttering Planner walks you through it:
- A category planner for 12 areas of your home, from clothes and books to the kitchen, linens, and those sentimental keepsakes. Set a goal date for each one and check it off when it’s done.
- Quick-reference lists of what to toss and what to donate or sell, so you’re not second-guessing every item.
- Decluttering questions to ask yourself when you’re stuck on the “should I keep this?” decisions.
These are the same steps that helped us downsize our home by more than half. Enter your email below and I’ll send it straight to your inbox!
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Great tips! I definitely need to break big tasks up into smaller parts so I feel accomplished and will continue to get it done!