Take care of your home!

Every homeowner has a problem room. Whether it is their garage, their attic space, or their basement, the increasing pace of life has demanded we develop a go-to area for things that don’t have a designated space at the moment. This phenomenon has come to be known as the dreaded “junk room.” Here’s how you can get your space organized without getting (too) overwhelmed by the task.

Lay Out Your Plan
See past the mess and envision the potential of the space in front of you. Do you want to revert the space into something similar to its original intention, or do you want to reinvent it? Logistically, estimate the amount of time you will need to set aside for the job. Is it reasonable to set aside an hour or two to tackle the space, or is it something that might take up a full weekend? Whatever the case, set up your schedule with room for growth to be safe.

Establish the Staging Ground
With a solid plan in place, you are ready to tackle even the biggest messes. A vital area during this process is the staging ground. Your staging ground should be an orderly area where you can organize your supplies and potentially start some sorting down the road. Designate a table or counter within the room ideally where you can organize and orient yourself. If this sort of space isn’t reasonably available then find a location in an adjacent room until you can relocate.

Remove Everything
That’s right, everything. You may need a lot of space, but work to take everything out of the space that you are trying to clean up in preparation for sorting. Larger jobs will necessitate breaking down the job into smaller parts to make the task more manageable. Still, start with the biggest issue to develop a positive forward momentum.

Organize Your Items and Refill Your Space
With an empty and clean room, you can focus on organizing everything that you removed. First, sort your items between the broad categories of what you plan on donating or selling, what you need to throw away, and what you plan on keeping. During this step, err towards culling your items so that you have more storage.

Finally comes the most satisfying step: refilling the room. Feel free to get creative and reimagine your space, while keeping practicality in mind. Place frequently used items in areas that are easily accessible and develop a system that works well for the space.