10 easy ways to get your home organised in time for Christmas

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GETTING YOUR HOME ORGANISED 

Want to get your home organised in time for the festive season, but don’t know where to start? See these tips by professional organiser Nathalie Ricaud from Get Organised and Beyond. 

1. Envision the end result and take stock of your current space

Don’t underestimate the power of seeing the end result – an organised home – in your head. It helps to keep your motivated during the organising process. Then, understand what works well and what doesn’t in the space. Identify the cause of your mess at home. 

2. Block the time in your schedule

A task that you set aside time for has a greater chance of getting done. 

Read more: 10 beautiful things that keep your home organised

3. Break down your project into manageable steps

If you’re hoping to de-clutter your home, start with one room, or one item. For instance, you can start with the fridge in the kitchen or your go-out clothes in your wardrobe.  

4. Start with the easiest categories

Start with items you are not emotionally attached to and won’t struggle to part with. Alternatively, you can start with the areas that bother you the most. 

5. Don’t buy organising products too early in the organisation process

Buying organising products should only come at the end of the decluttering and organising process, because it’s only then that you can understand how much you have to store.  Also more often than not, you’re likely to come across baskets and containers that can be re-used.  You can also make do with old shoe boxes or plastic food containers to organise things.

6. If you still need them, consider these organisation products

LITTLE THINGS TO DO EVERY DAY TO KEEP YOUR HOME ORGANISED

Now that your home is organised and clutter-free, do these little things every day to keep it that way.

7. Return things where they belong after use

Teach each person in the family where things belong and encourage them to return things to their dedicated home every time. Be patient, it takes about 4 weeks to embrace a new habit.

Read more: 8 events and bazaars in November to get you into the mood for Christmas

8. End each day by doing a quick tidying around the house

This shouldn’t take more than 10min. If more than 10min is needed, you will need to re-evaluate your organisation system at home.

9. Make decisions on the spot

Don’t put things back in your cabinets that you know you won’t be using again or that you don’t love anymore.  Throw away what is not in a good condition. Have a box or bag in a closet for things you can give away or sell. Once they are filled up, action it!

10. Manage your paper

Open your mail on top of a wastebasket and get rid of as much as you can right away: junk mail, envelopes, publicity etc.  File the documents you need to keep for reference. Put those you need to work on in an interim action folder while capturing the task in your to-do list with a specific date.