Many people consider home organisation to be a huge task that requires the purchase of new cupboards, storage containers and a reset of the whole space. In truth, the habits that create the most time saving wins are actually relatively small changes. A few key organisation tweaks can create systems which reduce searching, stop clutter multiplying and create better habits.
Create a Landing Zone Near the Entrance
Items such as keys, wallets, school bags, sunglasses and mail can often cause issues as they are put down in different places on different days. Creating a landing zone near your entrance is a great way to create a place for these regularly misplaced items to be put without fear of where they will go. This landing zone can take the form of a tray, wall hooks, a drawer or a narrow console table.
What matters is that everyone in your household knows where the landing zone is and what goes where.
Group Similar Items Together
Grouping items together means that it is easier to see what you actually have.
This could be pantries with related products grouped together, cleaning products with their supplies, or spare cables that are kept together. It is also easier to resist buying more of something if you can see what you have. This habit will save you from having multiple packets of washing powder and reduce the amount of clutter that would normally build up over time.
Use Labels Where They Add Real Value
Labelling is a great way to add value to your system, particularly in shared spaces. By labelling items, you can create a system for your household to use without having to reorganisation everything each time someone moves something. That being said, not everything needs to be labelled and any system that requires thinking is not a good system. Use common sense and only label items that are likely to be confused or need organisation, such as paperwork, seasonal items, children’s clothes size, and long term storage.
Prepare Before Your Big Life Event
Organisation is especially important before your big life event such as a renovation or a relocation. It can be surprising how much packing can be stressful. It is not the act of packing that causes stress, it is instead not having a system that means that you can’t remember if you have packed something already. By using simple labelling methods such as numbering containers and having a simple written inventory, the unpacking process becomes much faster.
For people preparing for a home or office move, Green Crates is one example of a service offering reusable moving crates and related equipment. Using consistent containers can make labelling, stacking and organising belongings more straightforward during a busy transition.
Adopt a Short Daily Reset
One of the best habits is also one of the easiest to adopt: set aside a few minutes at the end of the day to put things back where they belong. This might include tidying up the kitchen bench, storing your shoes, sorting the day’s mail and getting out what you’ll need for the next morning.
A short reset will help prevent smaller messes from ballooning into weekend-cleaning marathons, and it will make the next day feel more organised right from the start.
Design Systems Around Real-Behaviour
The best organisational system is rarely the neatest-looking system.
It’s the system that people will actually use, so think about where things tend to end up in your home and design systems around those behaviours. If your shoes always come off at the front door, then you should store them there. If you always open paperwork in the kitchen, then you should have a simple paper management system in that room. Organisation should make life easier, not harder, and good systems design will save you time in the long run.
