Home De-cluttering Tips from a Personal Organizing Expert

De-cluttering your home can be a struggle between space, time and sentimentality 

By de-cluttering your home and better organizing your things, from incoming mail to stockpiles of household goods, you can stop wasting time searching for items and start creating the illusion of having more room.

Soraiya Kara, trained professional organizer and owner of POSabilities, shares advice: 

Q. What are the basics of home organization? 

A. Number one: Know what you have. Take an inventory so you’re not always chasing your tail. Treat your home like a stockroom or pantry. If you can’t create an inventory, create zones. If you do a particular task in a particular area, host related things in that zone. It’s important that the family gets involved. Take 20 minutes a day to put things away; if not, your home becomes a holding tank. 

Q. How can I get rid of the clutter? 

A. People suffer from emotional guilt. We need to give ourselves permission to keep or discard something. It’s a huge process to get rid of things so you need to be ready to de-clutter. Start by picking one room – not the whole house – then pick a category, like clothes. Ask yourself why you have something and if there’s a reason to get rid of it. Does it fit? If something doesn’t make you smile, don’t keep it. If it has sentimental value, take a photo of it. Assess your core needs and re-purpose things. Be realistic and give yourself permission to give things away.  

Q. How can I find space to become better organized? 

A. The best way to save on square footage is to put up a shelf. It’s easy and affordable and creates extra space. Sort things by commonality; tins of photos, baskets of magazines. Think about what it is you have first, and then find a container or shelf for it. Cubicle shelving is helpful. Don’t use ugly bins; find something you can work with and like.

Quick De-cluttering Tips

Re-jig closets to suit your needs; standard closets are too standard. 

Prioritize your items like you do in the kitchen. If you use something on a regular basis, keep it within easy reach.  

Organize your living areas into zones. Consider storage ottomans for media and gaming systems. 

Think under-bed storage in the bedroom to store bedding, seasonal clothing and extra shoes. 

Get Help De-cluttering

Originally published in BC Home Magazine. For monthly updates, subscribe to the free BC Home e-newsletter, or purchase a subscription to the bi-monthly magazine.