About half of American households have a basement. If you are lucky enough to have one, chances are you use it for extra storage of your belongings. In fact, more than 40% of basement owners said they use their basement for storing excess household goods, according to...
Got a messy garage? I guess that sounds a bit redundant, right? The truth is a packed garage is more often than not a place where, aside from parking a car, we dump items we can’t find a spot for inside the house. It would be a shame not to tap into its full potential...
Have you ever rummaged through a tangled mess of necklaces, only to find your favorite one tarnished and dull? Proper jewelry storage is the secret to keeping your precious pieces sparkling and ready to wear. This guide will unveil the secrets to organizing, cleaning,...
Toys strewn across the floor, an unending task of picking up and the constant struggle to find storage solutions that truly work. That’s quite a familiar scene you’ve got there. As we speak, many parents and guardians are sifting through toy mountains, desperately...
The chaos of kids' toys strewn about the house can feel like an unstoppable force that cannot be contained. But there is another way... Transforming your child’s room into an organized space can seem quite a challenge at first — it’s up to you to make it both fun and...
It’s early in the morning, you haven’t had the chance to sip your coffee yet and you’re trying to find your way through the minefield of toys, scattered clothes and art supplies that is your child’s bedroom. Every step is a careful calculation to avoid the dreaded...
A staggering 97.6% of Americans decorate the interior of their homes for the holidays, and over 87% also splash some holiday charm on the exterior. No one can deny it’s a tradition that is hugely popular. And it comes with a price tag that is hard to ignore — the...
There’s something we all face after the holiday cheer winds down. The looming question: Where do we put all these decorations? If that bulky, artificial tree seems to eat up space in your closet, it’s time to find a better spot for it. And if you find yourself holding...
Beep, bop, boop! No, we aren’t talking to our robot friends, but those might be the sad sounds of your electronics if not properly packed and stored. In a world filled to the brim with gadgets and gizmos, figuring out how to organize electronics and understanding how...
Having one of those days? You’re ready to head out, but your keys have vanished. Or maybe it’s movie night, and the remote has mysteriously disappeared. Losing track of things at home is all too common. So common, in fact, that we thought it was high time we created a...
Starting college is an exciting adventure full of learning opportunities — and not just the academic kind. One of the first challenges you’ll face? Figuring out how to maximize storage in your tiny dorm room. As recent Babson College graduate, Brett Bogner,...
Ready to clear out your clutter and rake in some cash? A garage sale is a perfect way to do both! But pricing your items can feel like solving a jigsaw puzzle, especially if you're new to the game. Don't fret — we've got your back! We have put together a comprehensive...
Is your home overflowing with unused items? Looking to earn some extra cash? Hosting a garage sale might be the perfect solution. However, turning your clutter into a successful event requires careful planning, preparation, and a touch of strategy. In this article,...
Garage organization is an important way to have enough room for your vehicle, tools, and other items, while still being able to find things when you need them. But if your garage is a little chaotic right now, and you haven't gone through it in a while, you might feel...
Are you tired of playing a fierce game of Tetris every time you need something out of your pantry? If so, you’re not alone. A small pantry is a force to be reckoned with, for sure, but you can tame its wily ways with the right organizational touch. Ready to get...
With moving day approaching, you may be wondering what the best way to pack a lot of shoes is. After all, you don’t want to mix dressy heels or loafers with dirty winter boots. Read the following organizing hacks to learn how to pack your shoes for moving. Sort Shoes...
Don’t let clutter dampen your passion for creating culinary masterpieces in your kitchen. Organized kitchen cabinets can increase your storage space. Furthermore, you’ll save time and frustration every time you cook and clean. Where to start Downsize your kitchen...
Simple as it seems, packing is a science or an art that some of us seem to master and others seem to fail miserably at. You find yourself wondering 'how do I fit everything in?' or 'should I roll or fold my clothes?' So, how do you pack a suitcase to fit the most...
School is back in session. College students are relocating into their first dorm or apartment. Studies show that an organized dorm room promotes productivity and happiness since students won't spend endless time getting frustrated trying to find their belongings when...
Whether you're protecting your outdoor cushions from chilly winter weather or you want to keep them from being damaged by the summer sun, knowing how to store your cushions is essential. Proper storage will enhance the value of your patio furniture and won't add much...
Tiny House Storage Ideas Considering transitioning into a tiny home? If so, this can definitely be a major lifestyle change for people accustomed to life in a home with average floor space. One of the most challenging aspects of the change is making do with the space...
Whether you are looking to box up your photo collection for a self-storage unit, put them away in a basement or attic, or box them up for a move, you want to make sure your photos will be properly preserved and protected from damage. From handling them with care to...
How can you tell if you have a hoarding disorder? A solid first step would be to compare your habits and home surroundings to the several clutter-hoarding scales that have been developed by psychologists, professional organizers and even one high-profile reality TV...
Moving from one home to another can be an enormous and overwhelming task. You need to be as efficient as possible while packing so that your belongings are well protected. Moving companies sell cardboard boxes especially designed for moving household items. And many...
At first it was just a toaster. Then a food processor. You had plenty of room for those. But before you knew it you had an egg boiler, a waffle iron, an Instant Pot and a juicer. Now your cabinets are overflowing and your countertop looks like a Bed Bath and Beyond....
Streaming music may hog the spotlight, but for many music aficionados vinyl records remain the format of choice. So much so in fact, sales of LPs totaled 27.5 million units in 2020, continuing a 15-year streak of increasing sales. Collecting vinyl has become so...
If you have a little bundle of joy on the way, it is time to assess the space in your home, plan a nursery and start making room for the abundance of baby gear that is soon to come your way. Although babies are small, they take a huge amount of planning. Undoubtedly a...
When your home is besieged with piles of clutter everywhere, it can seem like an unsurmountable task to get it organized. However, the way to conquer this messy situation is to not try and take it all on at once. Don't focus on making your entire home clutter-free....
Even though handbags play an important role in our daily lives, many people fail to store them correctly—whether at home between uses or in a self-storage unit for long-term storage. If the number of your handbags has grown from just a few to a full blown purse...
An empty storage unit is full of possibilities. Like an empty closet or room in your house, planning and determination can make your storage unit an organized space for keeping items you need--and not just a messy depository of assorted junk. If you plan to frequently...
Spring is closer than you think, and you might want to start thinking about how you will redo your closet to match the upcoming joyful season now. You want to assure yourself that your closet will match the mood for spring, and that it is full of the right colors and...
If you have a lazy Susan turntable in your kitchen, it can be the perfect place to store kitchen supplies. But without an organizational tool or system in place things can also get messy—fast. "It is very hard to see what you have in the space and oftentimes items get...
Every time the calendar flips from one year to the next, millions of us resolve to lose weight, quit smoking or reduce debt. But have you given much thought to getting your house in order? Are you tired of staring at all of those boxes crammed with clothes you haven’t...
Whether you’re in an apartment, condominium, or house, messiness happens. One thing leads to another (dirty dishes, unwashed counter tops, dirty carpets) and you feel overwhelmed by the amount of household chores piling up. The best way to tackle this is to know how...
America creates more food waste than any other country in the world. That is not a title to be proud of. Most of the food items that are thrown out are fresh fruits and vegetables that have been stored improperly or forgotten about in the deep recesses of the fridge....
A clutter-free home brings many rewards, including the joy of being able to find papers easily, clean up faster, and envision a bright future. An organized home can lead to better health and wellbeing, increase your productivity, and give visitors a beautiful first...
Decluttering is all the rage right now, especially with Marie Kondo and her method taking the pop culture world by storm. It seems like everywhere you turn, someone is talking about Kondo-ing their space, decluttering their life, or moving towards minimalism. For...
You may have watched a hoarder's home transform on TV. In real life, those magical turnarounds will take more than an hour of your time. If you have a parent or relative who has a growing collection of clutter, there could be a hoarding disorder within your family. It...
Book collections are one of the most overlooked home areas in need of organization. Even if you’re not actively scanning your shelves in search of a new book to read every week, having an organized space to house your favorite stories is the best way to ensure you’ll...
The onesie he wore home from the hospital. The gown she was christened in. The baby blanket that soothed away the tears. Parents yearn to store baby clothing in the hopes that one day their little angel might have an angel of their own, or sometimes they may just want...
If your home is cluttered with a bunch of space-hogging stuff, deciding what to keep and what to toss can seem like a huge task. So why not start with the items that definitely should go? Here's a list of 60 things to throw away, donate or recycle right away: 60....
Small spaces are becoming more common now whether we want it or not. Thanks to an increasing push towards cities, limited space, and a generation trending towards renting rather than owning, we're living in tighter quarters than we grew up in. Sometimes, small means...
Apartments can be tricky. Sometimes, you try your hardest to find the perfect space, but something will still be missing. In many city dwellers' cases, that missing thing can be a reasonably sized closet. That doesn't mean all hope is lost for keeping your clothes...
There are plenty of reasons to have a clutter free kitchen. It makes a good impression on visitors, makes meal prep more efficient and makes it easier to keep clean. But there is another reason you might want to declutter your kitchen: it could help you lose weight....
Spring might be the season for deep cleaning, but the cold weather means its time to get started on your winter organization projects. Since winter follows the holidays, “you may be more motivated [to declutter], as you have gotten a lot more stuff,” says Julie...
Some people have interesting old homes with lots of character but hardly any closet space. Others live in places that were merely designed poorly by someone without a care in the world about where we'd put our stuff. Whatever the reason, know that you are not the only...
That Lightning McQueen bed might have been pretty rad when your kid was 8-years-old, but now it is straight up embarrassing. As kids grow and change, so do their tastes. Around age 13, when kids enter adolescence, you'll likely hear requests for decoration and...
Have a lot of stuff? Why not make a profit from it? With so many options for buying and selling these days, it can be horribly confusing to figure out which platform is right for you. We listed out the pros and cons of 9 buying and selling marketplaces. Etsy Etsy was...
Think you don't have enough time to get organized? Think again! These days, getting organized can be easy, thanks to podcasts. Not everyone has time to sit down and read a self-help organizing book, but with podcasts, even the busiest of busies can get some quick...
Where’s my library book? Is today P.E? I need my permission slip signed. Sound familiar? Getting out the door for school can feel like a marathon if you aren’t properly organized. The key to a smooth departure? The right kind of storage. Here’s a zone-by-zone look at...
When you open your closet door, are pants and shirts hanging every which way and shoes strewn about the floor? If you have no idea where to even start organizing your closet, you're not alone. A recent SpareFoot survey of 18 to 34-year-olds found that 18 percent of...
For many of us, our tool shed is a place that can get crowded and disorganized over time. Moving tools into a new tool shed is important in keeping things organized to save you time later on. Check out these tips for unpacking, and organizing, your tool shed when...
You love working from home. However, your workspace is proving less than ideal. Maybe you work at the kitchen or dining room table or find yourself ensconced on the couch. Then again, maybe your home office contains uncomfortable furnishings or a disturbing color...
Back in February, Richard Eisenberg wrote a piece for Next Avenue titled, "Sorry, Nobody Wants Your Parents’ Stuff." While the post generated a mix of passionate responses, the message behind the article was still sadly relatable; we end up with a lot of stuff from...
If you want to give your home an eco-friendly edge but don’t know where to start, look to your stuff. The quality and volume of the things you buy — and the ways in which you organize and store those items — can have as much of an impact on your carbon footprint as...
We get it. The impulse to bring every possible thing from your old home when moving can be very strong. But you would actually be doing yourself a disservice in the long run. After all, moving is one of the best opportunities for decluttering. And if you're already...
If you’ve got kids who play sports, then you probably have lots of balls, pads, helmets, uniforms and other equipment that needs to be organized and stored. While you want to make sure that the gear doesn’t take over your home, you also want to eliminate the stress of...
If you find yourself yearning for a smaller home to call yours, you’re not alone. According to a 2017 survey from real estate site Trulia, 60% of people living in homes of 2,000 square feet or more said they’d like to downsize. Michelle Hale, organizer and co-founder...
One of the keys to successfully working at home — aside from self-discipline and a strong Wi-Fi connection — is having a comfortable, convenient workspace. And no, the couch doesn’t count. Follow these six tips to create a home workspace that’ll make you happier and...
Every home has an equilibrium. It must be tended to. Fostered. Nurtured. Secured. Clutter, being vastly prominent in our overly-consumeristic and material-based society, is a threat to the healthy equilibrium of your home because it not only affects the home, but the...
There's nothing worse than moving into your new place only to find that your coffee table hogs the living room, the bed covers half a window, and your dining room table pokes into the pathway to the kitchen. "Many times we fall in love with a piece that just isn't...
After the movers drive away from your new home and you're perched on a pile of moving boxes, you'll face a tough decision: What should I unpack first? A recent SpareFoot survey asked people which rooms they'd unpack and set up first when moving to a new house or...
What better time than summer, when you're spending more hours in the fresh air, to take your outdoor living space to the next level? "Upgrading your backyard doesn't mean you have to break the bank on fancy furnishings or lavish greenery," notes Gordon Hitz, owner of...
Professional organizers routinely enter client homes where the job ahead is abundantly clear: Some are hopelessly cluttered, others chaotic, and a special few resemble a minefield more than a personal residence. But you want to know what really messes with an...
So you have a Keurig coffee maker and all those wonderful little K-Cups. Seemingly hundreds of those little K-Cups. It's great, all those different flavors to enjoy – but how do you store the things? And how long will they keep? There are “best by” dates on the sides...
If you cook at home, spending extra minutes hunting for the perfect spice when you need it can slow down your meal prep time. And seasonings stored in not-so-easy-to-find places might go months – or years – without getting used. “Spices are something that can sit a...
Meal prep doesn’t just help you save time and money — it can also lead to smarter, healthier eating habits. “If you have healthy foods at the ready, you’re more likely to opt for these over takeout or snacking through a meal,” says Amy Gorin, MS, RDN, and owner of Amy...
The must-have action figures. The stuffed animal you “won” at the fair (after spending $60 on tickets to “win” it!) Even the junk that came with their kids’ meal or birthday loot bag. Ask any kid which of their toys are special, and they are bound to say all of them....
When it comes to holding on to old clothing, the excuses are endless. What if you change sizes? What if a friend could use it sometime in the distant future? What if you need something to wear to paint your house in? What if you are invited to a costume party, and you...
It’s not unusual for professional organizers to hear from clients that they changed their lives. Sometimes it’s a small change, and other times, the sense of control that people get from reducing clutter and getting organized can inspire them to make bigger changes....
The prospect of moving is exciting for many. We love the idea of starting fresh and creating a new life for ourselves. However, the actual details surrounding a move can be daunting, and there is so much that’s beyond our control. And while many moves are by choice,...
As a professional organizer, clutter is the enemy I wrestle with on behalf of my clients each day. Fighting clutter is a priority for three main reasons: time, money, and stress. People in cluttered homes waste time looking for mundane items like keys, money, their...
It all started with that kitten you rescued five years ago. Later, you adopted a Great Dane. Then a stray cat appeared on your doorstep the same month you inherited your grandma’s Chihuahua. Now you’ve got a pack of animals to manage, and it’s easy to get overwhelmed....
From records to cassette tapes, VHS cassettes, CDs and laserdiscs, the history of media is rich with a variety of forms used to produce music and videos. And some of those early forms are actually increasing in popularity. In 2015, nearly 12 million vinyl albums were...
Think of how joyous it is to wander around the towel section of a department store -- all those jewel-toned towels stacked up, thick and inviting. Then, picture your linen closet. If it’s like most, it has become a jumble of mismatched sheets and fraying towels and a...
They’re often dirty, they’re all different sizes and you keep tripping over them. No, we’re not talking about your children – we’re talking about yard tools. And whether they’re piled in a messy corner of the garage, strewn across the back porch or stuffed in a shed,...
Maybe you hate tripping over LEGOs and “Frozen” dolls, you’re tired of picking up tiny clothes off the floor or you simply want to teach your kids good life skills. Whatever your reason, you can get your kids into decluttering. “It’s important to work with kids so...
Do you think a minimalist is someone who lives in a stark room with just a bowl, a spoon, a mattress and a folding chair? If so, you’ve got minimalism all wrong. The truth is, minimalism isn’t about living with nothing. It’s about living with only what you need, said...
Keeping your home organized often requires you to carry out dozens of small tasks on a daily basis. But instead of constantly racking your brain to remember all these tasks, you should take advantage of apps that provide systems, steps and reminders to keep you on...
It doesn’t take much for a small space like a bedroom to feel cramped. To avoid the tendency of clutter buildup, “keep items to a minimum,” suggested Debra McCann, CEO of Delaware-based Organizing Outside the Box. Here, experts weigh in with strategies to clear out...
Drummer Patrick Drohan and his four mates that make up a fast-rising Southern rock band liked honing their skills in a 10x15 storage unit in Columbia, SC so much, that they named their band after the street where they jammed: Atlas Road Crew. “It was an awesome...
Few things in life are better than a well organized closet. Not only does it streamline the morning routine, but it also enables some independence in your child or toddler. That's why kids' closet organization is so important. And so, this guide will provide several...
A cluttered garage isn’t just an eyesore. It also can be dangerous. From 2009 through 2011, an estimated 6,600 fires broke out annually in garages attached to single-family homes and other residential structures, according to the U.S. Fire Administration. Those fires...
Let’s face it: We live in a packrat nation. According to a study by market research firm NPD Group, the average American home contains $7,000 worth of unused items. Multiply that by a storage unit or two, and you could be sitting on a first car for your teenager, a...
Utilitarian spaces like laundry rooms and mudrooms rarely receive the attention they deserve, which is unfortunate when you consider how often they’re used. A thoughtfully planned utility room can be a complete housekeeping area that simplifies your household tasks....
Here’s a startling statistic: The U.S. has an estimated 40 million clutterers, according to Beverly Keyes Taylor, author of “Clutter to Clarity: The Easy Key to Organizing.” Can’t wrap your brain around that figure? Then consider this: That’s about the same number of...
[ by Nannette Richford, Next Door Storage ] Attics are notorious for being cluttered with half-filled boxes and piles of unused items that are simply too good to throw away, but still get in the way. Sometimes this includes family heirlooms or old documents that,...
There are a lot of reasons a bike gets put away for months or years--off-seasons, injuries, spare bikes that go unused. And whether you’re throwing the bike in a shed, garage, storage unit or spare bedroom, there’s a right way and a wrong way to store a bike. Ralph...
Buying a new home is daunting enough as it is, what with securing a mortgage, vacating your old place and moving your belongings. So it’s understandable if organizing your new home isn’t on the top of your mind. Yet experts say it’s the perfect time to organize—when...
While getting organized is one of the most common New Year’s resolutions, many people stop short of putting their self-storage units in order. Often people will find it easier to just go buy a new seasonal wreath for their front door and a few hats and mittens for...
When it comes to dress wear, we men seem to be starved of options. While women have an ostensibly infinite variety of dresses and gowns available for formal occasions, men have the suit. With such a constrained closet, how does a man express himself and differentiate...
How many belongings do you have? Do you know? Think about every piece of furniture, every book, shoe, dish and MP3 player. Now, ask yourself this: How much money are all of those belongings worth? What would it cost you to replace everything you own? A home inventory,...
It’s officially the new year, which means that you need to start following through on your resolutions. Why not start by finally organizing and optimizing your workspace? The condition of your workstation can have a huge impact on quality and productivity. The...