When you purchase a new home you have a vision for how it will look after you have moved in. Does that vision include clutter? Probably not. However, many homes become cluttered with time. Consider the following tips to avoid clutter in your new home. 

Take Time Unpacking

It’s so exciting moving into a new house. You may feel the need to rush to get everything put away. Living in the chaos of unpacked boxes is unpleasant. However, it is worthwhile to take your time unpacking. Really think through where everything should go. Get rid of items you don’t think you will be using again. Taking the time now to find convenient locations for your stuff will make it more likely you will put them away when you are done using them. For example, if you use your iron weekly you will want it in an easily accessible place. This will make it less tempting to just leave it out between uses. Also, in some cases items get left out because they don’t have a home. Make sure you take the time to find a home for everything. 

Toys, Toys, Toys

Toys can get out of control. They can easily become strewn everywhere making the house feel untidy. The obvious solution is to reduce the amount of toys you own — but kids generally don’t like that plan. Another option is to provide good toy storage. Try to find a room where toy storage makes sense. The child’s bedroom or a finished basement are both good choices. Then provide baskets, bins, and bookshelves for all the toys to reside on. Now, what to do when the toys aren’t put away? Recently the concept of “toy jail” has been popular on social media. A toy that isn’t put away properly goes into jail until the child does a chore to get it back. This limits clutter and helps out with the housework! 

Limit Furniture

You may not think of furniture when you think of clutter but furniture can easily cause a home to feel cramped. Select the pieces you will use and get rid of those you don’t. People often struggle with this because they have a piece of furniture passed down from a relative that they don’t want to get rid of. Try to break emotional bonds with furniture that is making your house feel cluttered. 

Create Kits

WebMD suggests creating kits for common tasks. Purchase a few clear shoebox size storage containers. Fill one with everything you need to pay the bills (pen, checkbook, calculator), fill another with your makeup supplies, fill a third with spare batteries. These can all be stored in a closet stacked together. You will find it easy to locate the kit you need. 



Create a Routine

Following the above tips will help reduce clutter but won’t eliminate it entirely. Pillows from the couch will end up on the floor and dirty dishes will pile up in the sink. HGTV suggests dedicating 15 minutes each evening for cleaning up. Walk through the house and straighten things like couch cushions and items on the kitchen counter. Fill and start the dishwasher. Put away items that didn’t get returned to their home. Doing this every night will help prevent clutter from accumulating. 

Enjoy your new home. Take pride in it. Incorporate the above tips as you move in and live an uncluttered life. Contact us for additional home ownership tips and schedule a visit to one of our new home communities.