How to Organize Your Apartment Without the Help of a Professional
You don't need to hire a professional organizer to help you make better use of your small apartment or loft. In fact, there are some things you can do right now to take care of clutter once and for all. If you need help getting things in order, start applying these five tips right away for a cleaner and clearer living environment.
Stop Attaching Sentimental Value to Objects
Although certain items evoke emotions from you by reminding you of the past, they are not of value. What is valuable is your memories of the time you spent somewhere and the people you spent time with. The items themselves do not represent the experience or the emotion behind the relationships you've developed over the years.
Own things that make you happy and serve a purpose in your life. Do not hang onto trinkets because you think they're worth something to someone else. Only keep what you know you'll use, appreciate, and display.
Start Seeing Items with More Than One Use as Being Valuable
If an item can be used in more than one way, it's more valuable than single use items. Start investing in items that are convertible, adaptable, and can be used to get more than one job done. This will help eliminate the need for multiple items and keep clutter minimal.
Business Insider notes that common household items can be used in many different ways. For example, vinegar can be used to cook with, clean with, and even makes your dog's coat shine. Find products that give you the most bang for your buck so you don't have to keep multiple items on hand.
Don't Waste Precious Real Estate with a Poor Layout
Think of how you can make the best use of every square inch of your apartment or loft. See the floor, walls, and ceiling as opportunities to display items. Be unconventional in your thought process and see how much space you create for yourself by creatively using what you have in new ways.
Think of items that are compact and collapsible as being valuable. Invest in items that hang so you can make the most of the space you have. Slide things under beds and sofas so that you can retrieve them easily in the future.
Put Things Away Immediately to Avoid Clutter
The way to make small space living work is to make sure that everything has its place. Then, when you use it, you put it away right away. This keeps big piles of clutter from creating chaos in your life.
The Santa Barbara Independent says making a game out of organizing helps. This applies to children and adults. Give yourself a time limit for putting things away, crank up the music, and get busy sorting and organizing.
Go on a Spending Freeze for One Month
Stop buying things you don't need. Start finding other ways to acquire things without owning them. Borrow whenever you can and invest your money in items that last a long time, have dual purposes, and are things that you love and need.
Take a break from spending. Only buy necessities for a month and see how it changes your perspective about stuff. Research big ticket purchases before making them so you can get the best deal. Invest in quality over quantity.
If these tips don't help you gain order in your apartment without the help of a professional, look into storage options for the items you want to keep. Urbin Storage offers affordable solutions for your belongings. Best of all, we bring your storage bins to you whenever you request them so that you don't have to travel to retrieve them.