The New Year is finally here, and for many of us, it’s an opportunity to start afresh. From getting into shape to putting more effort in at work, a New Year’s Resolution is a great way of encouraging some improvement in your life. While the focus is often on ourselves, as the dust settles from your New Year’s party you may be noticing something else that could use some improvement.

Nothing helps usher in a New Year like a newly organised home. Whether you simply need a good spring clean or feel like your home could do with a complete update, an organised environment makes for an organised life. Of course, with a growing list of New Year’s Resolutions, it can be a struggle to find the time for a thorough tidy up. For those already feeling the clutter build up and the time slipping away, we’ve compiled a list of some easy organisation solutions. From quick tidy tips to affordable home updates, these ideas are the perfect way to prepare your home for the New Year.

Time to tidy up

Get rid of junk

The first step to getting your home clutter free is to identify the junk. While this particularly means anything that is broken or old, you should also look out for items you simply haven’t used in a while. Anything that is beyond repair or not suitable for charity shops should be disposed of appropriately. Make sure you leave enough time to identify your junk and dispose of it, otherwise you risk having a pile of clutter sat by your door!

Other items still in working order but haven’t been used in months or years should be boxed up and taken to charity shops to find a new home. Make sure you do your entire home, including any attic or loft space where the bulk of your junk might be buried.

De-clutter

With the main culprits out of the way, you can start to de-clutter the rest of your items. These may include recent Christmas presents you know you probably won’t use, or other bits and bobs you might use occasionally but perhaps not enough to be worth keeping.

During this stage, you’ll likely come across a lot of items you’re unsure about, such as objects that have some sentimental value or only have a seasonal use. For these items, you can box them up into categories and send them to your attic or other storage space. If by next year you haven’t had to go and get them, maybe it’s time to add them to the junk pile.

If you’re still a bit stuck, here’s a comprehensive guide to de-cluttering your home.

Clean

With plenty of free space around, cleaning should be much easier. Take the opportunity of a newly decluttered home to reach those dusty corners, such as behind TV monitors, under sofas and around electrical cables. There are plenty of tips and tricks for a cleaner home as well as time saving cleaning tips.

Once your home is clean, try and make a habit of spending 15 minutes every day cleaning a room or area of your home. Doing this will help to clean in those hard to reach places more often and makes big spring cleans in the future much easier.

Keep it organised

Drawer partitions

A key organisation technique is to tame drawer clutter. While drawers are a convenient way to hide items and avoid messy countertops and tables, they also accumulate a lot of miscellaneous items. While this doesn’t prevent your home from looking clean and tidy for guests, it can make for an unorganised home with lost and forgotten objects.

Drawer dividers and small boxes can provide some much-needed organisation to your drawers. Keeping items and clothes separated makes them easy to find and re-organise, and keeps your drawers looking nice and neat. It’s also a good idea to make sure each drawer has its own category, for example having the top drawer of a computer desk for pens and similar stationary. Make sure everyone knows which drawer is for which and try to stick to your structure.

Under bed storage

Most beds have some degree of under bed storage space, depending on the height of your bed. This otherwise wasted space is perfect for storing linen or other miscellaneous items that may have occasional use. Of course, it’s important to use the right type of storage unit to avoid a collection of junk.

The height of your bed will determine the type of storage unit, and therefore the types of items you can store. For higher beds, larger box storage or cover bags can be used for duvets, blankets and other bulkier items. For a smaller space, a flatter storage box for out of season clothing, sheets and smaller linen items might be more appropriate. In either case, clear containers with wheels make an ideal solution and provide easy access when needed.

Toy boxes

It’s no small task keeping your little ones organised. To ease the strain, we recommend the use of toy boxes. To encourage more everyday organisation, you may want to find a toy box without a lid, or remove the lid from another toy box. Leaving the box open shows kids exactly where toys go, and makes it quick and easy for them to throw in their toys after use.

Alternatively, a toy box with lid can provide a convenient place to sit. Doubling a strong box as a bench ensures no space is wasted. A lid with slats to make the toys visible can also provide a good middle ground.

New home updates

New cushions

If your home décor is looking a bit tired or outdated, why not try adding some affordable updates for a cosy home. Change up the style of your living space with some new cushions, keeping to a similar colour scheme. Alternatively, you can shift the colour scheme of your living space by choosing cushions with your main colour and a new accent colour. With some additional accessories in the same accent colour, such as a vase, you can easily update the colour scheme without expensive or time-consuming DIY projects.

New rug

With so many sizes to choose from, it’s easy to find a rug to fit any room and it can be a great focal point, making it perfect for updating the colour and style of your current décor. A new hallway rug is a great way to impress guests with a new look, while a large fluffy area rug can add some much-needed texture to your living room. As a bonus, rugs are also a great way of hiding stains or marks on old flooring.

New walls

If you have a bit more time this New Year and feel like creating a more dramatic change in your home, paint or wallpaper a feature wall. Bedrooms, in particular, will benefit from a fresh new wall with matching bed linen. We recommend choosing a bold patterned wallpaper or bright paint while keeping the other walls in a neutral lighter shade. Select cushions and accessories to complement your colour scheme, using your accent colour sparingly.