“Owning a home is at the heart of most Americans’ dreams,” said Kevin Watters, CEO of Chase Mortgage Banking. Owning a home comes with a lot of responsibilities, one of them being cleanliness. When the clutter in our homes starts to pile up, so does our stress level. Laundry becomes a mountain, dishes pile up, dust collects, and things go missing, which leaves us more stressed and worried about keeping the home clean. According to a survey from HuffPost, home organization is one of the most universal stress triggers. 

This responsibility can be hard to maintain with everything going on in our lives, because it requires a lot of time. However, whether you are living in your home or looking to sell, The Washington Post claims that the benefits of your labor can pay off on the real estate market. Here are 5 tips you can follow to help your home become more organized, give it potential to increase the value of your home and help you sell it quickly when you’re ready to move.

Motivate and Commit to Organizing 

Motivation is key to maintaining a clean home. Unfortunately, it can be difficult to stay motivated over time as we become busier with everyday life. 

To get motivated, focus on the benefits of getting your home organized. Some of these include saving time, money and being less stressed out. Then, try making specific goals. Setting rewards or working with other people who share the same goals as you make it easier to stay committed. 

Prioritize 

One of the most important parts of organizing is prioritizing. As you consider the relative importance and location of your projects, determine the order you would like to complete the tasks.

Consider areas such as the garage, family room, playroom and any other room you have in your home or living space as you create your list. Once you have determined which areas need organizing, order them by importance. The number one room on your list should be the area you feel like needs the most help with organizing or the room you spend the most time in. 

Once you have prioritized your areas, you are ready for the next step. 

Declutter

It’s amazing just how many items we accumulate over the years, unfortunately, that typically means that we’re left without enough space to properly store those items. Decluttering can help ensure you are only holding onto the items that you really need. Go through your items room by room and decide what to keep or not. To help with this, split your items into three categories: keep, trash, donate.

Storage Systems 

After you have decided what you are keeping, storage systems are a great way to keep everything organized. One of our favorite ways to start is to organize your belongings in “zones” first. A zone is a space where similar items are stored. Once you figure out what items need to be stored together, you can decide on a storage system that will organize them best. Shelves, cabinets, totes, baskets and hooks are all great ways to maximize space in your living areas. They also are a great way to stage your home for potential buyers.

Make sure items that are used frequently are visible and easy to access. To avoid guessing where things go try using clear containers and labeling them.

Maintain

Even after spending several days organizing your house, it can easily become disorganized in a matter of seconds. To make sure this does not happen to you, implement a regular organizing schedule. The more often you organize, the less time it will take each time you do. Pick a schedule that suits the needs of your house and lifestyle best. Options could include daily, weekly or monthly.

Life can sometimes get the best of us, leaving our houses unorganized. Be sure to implement these steps to help you achieve and maintain the organized house you’ve always wanted. Which in turn can benefit your house now if you are living it it, or in the future if you plan on selling you home. Whatever your situation is, organization will benefit you.

This post was written by Allison Thomas at Queen City Garage Solutions. They help homeowners in the Cincinnati area organize their garages. Outside of work she can be found at the gym.

Additional Resources

• 8 Tips For A Better Living Space by Amelia Atkins
• Reasons To Declutter Your Home When Putting It Up For Sale by Kevin Vitali
• Things That Can Increase Or Decrease The Price Of Your Home by Paul Sian