A Professional Organizer’s 10 Insider Secrets to Declutter Your Home in Chevy Chase and the Washington, DC Area

Want to declutter your home? Get rid of the stuff you no longer use and reclaim the space for something useful. A decluttered home will make your life easier, more efficient, happier, and will help attract buyers if you’re planning to sell. Here are some tips to help you through the process:

Declutter Your Home: 10 Tips from Professional Organizers in Chevy Chase, MD

1. Start small – If you lack motivation, taking baby steps is key. Be patient now and enjoy a big improvement later.
2. Block time – Just like medical appointments, date nights, and kids’s activities, schedule decluttering time on the calendar.
3. Ask for help – If you have  years’ worth of clutter, and lack the time or the energy, get help; be it the family, a friend or a professional.
4. Be ready to let go – Decluttering is laborious, but emotional too. Let go of the past, and evaluate each item vis a vis its value to your life NOW.   Let go of the “what-if you may need it ” philosophy  and either toss or donate things you no longer use.
5. Like with like – Do you have trouble finding things and end up with duplicates? Perhaps it’s because your belongings aren’t grouped and stored by type and usage.
6. Stored unused items – Are you an empty nester with bedroom closets filled with your adult children’s things? Store them in the basement or attic.
7. Know storage options – Assess what you own in relation to storage space and storage units e.g. closets, shelving, baskets, storage chests, basement/attic/garage, under beds
8. measure spaces – Don’t go shopping for storage bins, bookshelves, or filing cabinets before taking precise measurements of the space you have. Return trips to the store waste valuable time.
9. Remember computer storage– You don’t need hard copies of everything. If you’ve saved 10 years of bank statements, keep the last year’s worth and shred the rest.
10. Maintain the order – Once your home is decluttered, the work doesn’t quite end there.  Maintain your organization systems so things don’t get out of control again.  e.g. toss expired medications and food every 6 months; complete filing in your home office weekly

Need Help to Declutter Your home in Chevy Chase or Washington, DC?

Are you tired of living in a disorganized home? Do you need to declutter your home? Will you be downsizing soon? Does your home need pre-move staging? If you love the idea of a decluttered home, we are here to help. Our personal organizers can assist in any number of ways – we’ll take the lead role, just get you started, or provide guidance throughout the process.