How to Maintain that Clutter-Free, “New House” Look in Your Own Home, Every Day!

Why is it that when we move into a house, we can never keep it as nice as the photos from the listing? There are so many beautiful pictures of apartments and houses up for sale. You never see any clutter in the kitchen or bathroom, for example. So how can we keep our own homes looking like this all the time?

We all deal with fighting clutter every time we walk through the door. How many times do you actually enter your own home empty-handed? From our own handbag, backpack, keys and phone, not to mention the mail, groceries, or other treasures from the day. Then there’s whatever we need to shed to get comfortable, items like our shoes, jacket, sunglasses, a leash for the pup. The clutter struggle is real!

As far as those nice new home photos, most of the time, people don’t actually live there. They’re staged professionally to look as inviting as possible, to sell a desirable lifestyle.  These photos work incredibly well, even for the savviest home buyers. Why do those pictures draw us in so well? Because they’re showing us something we want to see. Deep down, we want our homes to look and feel clean, organized, and decluttered. We just don’t always know how to get there!

Take inspiration from those photos by using them to make a de-cluttering Vision Board of a more organized lifestyle for yourself.

Start by considering the path you take from the front door and prioritize the rooms you see daily.  We all have that notorious spot collection area for things we need every day, as well as a growing assortment of things we simply can’t decide what to do with. Go through these things, removing things you don’t need, and find a different place to store the items you don’t use often. Think about what kind of organized storage space would work best for you. Baskets, Drawers, or Shelves? Something else? Maybe all you need is a big bowl for your keys. Consider shopping for one with a lid, too – a covered bowl will look neater and more organized.

Work on creating some new habits.  For example, as soon as you enter the door, go ahead and take stuff to where it should be stored. Put away groceries immediately. The same goes for your clean laundry. Clear some clutter (and maybe even save some money) by switching to digital magazine subscriptions. File, shred or recycle the mail before you have a chance to put it down and forget it. Do dishes quickly after you each meal, because dealing with dirty dishes is a very easy way to de-clutter your kitchen!

Keep only the products you use in the bathroom. Toss out those samples and makeup in the wrong color. Do you really need all those extra travel-size bottles and spare toothbrushes?

Lastly, keep those inspirational photos in a place you can see them at least every day. Compare to your home, the kitchen and bathroom, what is one item you can remove from each place? Start with that!