Simple guide to a clutter-free home

Life can get messy and our homes disorganised in the process. The chaos that ensues in our most intimate spaces makes the living quarters less than ideal for thriving.

A huge factor that finds many homeowners playing into the hands of clutter is the hoarding culture – wanting more of something believing that you shall use it in future only for it to end up being idle junk eating away valuable space.

Unfortunately, having so much lying around without any actual use limits the functionality of your house while at the same time negatively impacting its aesthetics.

At the same time, you are unknowingly providing a hideout for home pests like cockroaches, mosquitoes and small rodents that are carriers of diseases and are visibly a nuisance.

Not to mention the health risks it poses with the accumulation of dust and mold due to the clutter in the confined spaces.

Here’s a simple guide to clearing out the clutter and breathing new life into your humble abode:

Organise your home

Though tedious, organising is an effective way of keeping the clutter demons at bay.

The principle here is to go room by room adopting strategies that are suitable for each space.

Have designated spaces for different items like a laundry basket for dirty clothes, stack your clothing in drawers and in the closet to be more presentable. As for the kitchen, install drawers, shelves and racks to properly arrange items.

Categorise by keeping like things together. Keep the like items close to where you will use them. This way, you’ll know exactly where they are when you need them and reduce little frustrations in your daily life.

Control what you purchase

A spending spree can have you have you owning too much stuff – way more than you need. To avoid this, you need to evaluate your purchases differently.

This is often the case when you encounter deals and you have the urge to get them. The action here is not to buy things for the sake of it.

Work with what space you have in your house for the item, and not the other way round where you find yourself making space for it.

Get rid of stuff you rarely use

Most of the stores, closets and barely used cabinets have junk in them. As these items occupy these spaces, products that are used on a regular are left out in the open causing a mess.

It’s time to say goodbye to some of the stuff. Only keep the things you absolutely need and enjoy and get rid of things you don’t.

Going room to room have three boxes, one for the items you shall keep; the second for the things you shall throw away and the other for things that can to storage.

In the process identify which items could make could candidates for recycling or reselling for example old newspapers, textbooks and plastic bottles. For items that are still in good condition, you can sell them online through social platforms and get some money back in your pocket.

You can also donate to charity. This way you shall free your space and in turn free your life.

Develop good daily habits

I shall introduce you to the ‘Tidy Up as You Go’ concept – where it’s the small things that make all the difference in keeping your home clutter-free.

Simple tasks like cleaning the dishes, taking out the garbage and dusting the living area shelves are crucial in maintaining order in your space.

For such, find the best time for you; it could be in the morning after breakfast, or in the evening before going to bed to do some basic cleaning and make a daily habit of it.

Also schedule a yearly thorough cleaning as you take account of what might have accumulated over the months and repurpose.

With that, you can transform your house from a chaotic chamber to tranquil space by making room for the things that matter.

By Gitonga Muriithi, Head of Sales & Marketing Centum Real Estate