How to organise a room with too much stuff

Having a lot of stuff can be a burden. With more things to take care of, life can get chaotic. Having too much stuff in your home can cause you to worry and even hate the place where you are supposed to be able to relax the most.

A cluttered home can make you feel anxious and can have negative effects on your physical and mental health.

The Link Between an Organised Home and Good Health

Firstly, let's have a look at how keeping your home organised is beneficial for your physical and mental health. There's more than just a pleasing aesthetic to an orderly space. 

Research indicates that a tidy living space contributes to a calm mental state. Living amidst clutter can heighten stress levels and lower your productivity, creating a vicious cycle.

From a physical health perspective, a cluttered space can be a dust trap, harbouring allergens that could spark a whole array of health problems. Also, navigating a space chock-a-block with items is an accident waiting to happen.

If your home is cluttered it could cause an accident in the home too.  Older people are far more likely to fall at home, so if you have been collecting items for years it's now time to declutter your home by getting rid of any junk.

Deciding What to Keep, Donate, and Get Rid of

Before you start organising your home, it's important to sort your stuff. 

The initial step, often the most challenging, is sorting your belongings into distinct categories: keep, donate, or get rid of. This isn't just a physical process, it's an emotional one too. It's about deciding what stays in your life and what doesn't.

First consider what items you want to keep.  This category is for items you use regularly or those that have a special place in your heart. It could be anything from your daily cooking utensils to your favourite jumper. But be cautious; it's easy to justify keeping everything. That's where the rule of thumb comes in - if you haven't used an item in the last year and it doesn't hold any sentimental value, reconsider its place in the 'keep' pile.

Next is the donate pile, These are items that are no longer useful to you, but could benefit others. Perhaps it's clothes that no longer fit, books you've finished reading, or household items replaced by newer models. Donating not only helps clear your space, but it also contributes to a good cause. Consider reaching out to local charities or organising a giveaway in your community.

Finally, the get rid of pile, This pile is for items that have lived their life and need to be discarded. Maybe it's a broken lamp or an old rug that's beyond cleaning. It's crucial to dispose of these items responsibly. Consider recycling wherever possible or reach out to professional services that can help you with proper waste disposal.

The whole process of deciding what to keep, get rid of and donate can be difficult.  If you are having trouble, then you may want to consider hiring a storage unit as you can be a little more flexible on the items you want to keep.

Hiring a Storage Unit

To organise your home, don't overlook the possibility of using a storage unit. It's a fantastic option for items you can't part with, but don't necessarily need on a daily basis. Seasonal items, collectables, and sentimental pieces can be safely stored away, freeing up space in your home while ensuring they remain intact.

A storage unit is cheaper than adding an extension or moving home too, so if you don't have room in your home and the clutter of furniture and other items are taking over then consider hiring a storage unit.  When organising your home external storage is invaluable. But how do you organise your home, our advice, one room at a time.

Should you organise your whole home or one room at a time

When organising your home the key is not to overwhelm yourself by attempting to tackle the whole house at once. Instead, start with one room at a time.

Whether it's the kitchen, your bedroom, or the living room, completely focus on it until it's organised to your satisfaction. Then, and only then, move on to the next room. It's a strategy that works wonders and leaves you with a sense of accomplishment, fuelling your motivation to press on.

Tackling your clutter all at once is a quick and easy way of getting burned out quickly.  

Cleaning to De-clutter

Finally, if you have done all of the above and your home still feels disorganised then consider cleaning your home more often.  Clutter often makes our homes feel small and cleaning more often will help make your home feel bigger.

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