10 Things Not To Do In Your Home

At Hello Simplified, we know that no two clients are alike and that every home and lifestyle has unique challenges. That's why we cater plans unique to each person's end goals. We have some rules we live by, tried and true methods, and on the flip side, we have some advice for what not to do when organizing your home. Read ahead for ten things you should stop doing for an organized home!

1. Making your Home Pretty but not Functional.

We all want pretty homes - especially entryways that are aesthetically pleasing and make good first impressions. However, when we sacrifice looks for functionality, we are left with a dysfunctional home (and unorganized)! Make sure even beautiful spaces tie in function, such as an entryway table with a bowl for keys, a coat rack next to the door, or even a shoe rack. If you’re going to take your shoes off at the door, no matter how pretty you’re trying to keep the space, put the shoe rack there! It will look better than a pile of shoes in the corner. ​

2. Organizing before Decluttering.

​One thing that won't solve your disorganization problem is buying a bunch of organizing products. That's part of the solution, of course, but in order to organize your space, you need to get to the root cause, which is almost always too much “stuff”. Editing and decluttering your home, then organizing, is the only way to maintain an organizational system successfully. You’ll be able to find the items you actually use and love, vs. always sifting through clutter and searching for those items.

3. Skipping Labels.

Organizing your items in bins and packing stuff away is great - until you need to figure out what's what and where is where! Make sure you label your containers and baskets. This is not only important for remembering where stuff goes, but it also keeps you accountable. For example, if you have a bin labeled oil in your pantry, then there is no excuse not to put the oil back in that bin. It also helps keep the rest of your family accountable for helping too. If you’re the only one who knows where everything goes, you’ll be the only one putting it all away. Let others help you maintain the organization you took so long to create!

4. ​Not Corralling Cords.

Even a tidy space can appear undone if there are messy cords. Using a cable box cord organizer is easy and can keep your electronics safe, make maintenance more accessible, and remove the eye sore that a bunch of cords causes!

5. ​Putting off Tidying up Until Tomorrow.

​Everyone has hectic days and seasons of life that are busier than others. However, we also know that letting a mess go unbothered will result in more of a mess, and eventually, it will become too overwhelming to tackle. Instead of letting things get out of hand, dedicate an hour or two a week to decluttering, tidying up, and putting things back where they belong. Even better if you can do this for a few short minutes daily! One quick tip is to leave items at the bottom or top of stairs that need to go up or down. Then when you’re already going to another floor, just grab those items and bring them with you (and ask your spouse/kids to do the same!) This becomes routine, and you’re not always having to make unnecessary trips.

6. ​Trying to Do it All in One Day.

You know the saying, don't bite off more than you can chew? This applies to home organizing! It can be very overwhelming to organize; the larger the space, the more time you'll need. Make sure you set time aside to do portions of your home, then take a break. If you feel decision fatigue (the deteriorating quality of decisions made by an individual after a long session of decision-making), then it's time to step away and come back later when you're refreshed. ​

7. ​Not Completing Tasks.

​On the other hand, after you've sorted your items and decided what's happening to each item, complete the mission as soon as possible. This means never keeping bags of clothes for charity or boxes for friends inside your home to deliver later. If possible, do it now and finish the process. Take the trash out, text your friend's photos of the items you think they’ll want, load your car with donation boxes, etc... You've already come so far - don't be bottled down now by donation and trash clutter.

8. ​Trying to Sell Instead of Donate.

We often fall into the trap of, ‘if I love this item it must have a lot of value’. Unfortunately, that’s not usually the case. It’s easier to say we’ll try selling the item later or hold a yard sale, and it goes right back into storage (with the giant task of a yard sale now looming over our heads). Make the decision now; either post the item to sell or let go of the guilt and donate it. It can help to set a limit, such as, if I can realistically sell this item for $50 or more, I will post it. If not, I can let it go. Your time is money. Don’t waste hours setting up a yard sale or posting items online if you’ll only make a few dollars and stress yourself out in the process.

9. ​Expecting Instagram-Level Results.

​Who doesn't want a closet that looks like a boutique or a pantry straight out of HGTV? However, the reality is most of us have to organize within the confines of what systems we already have. And that is perfectly okay! Being organized and clutter free is better than perfect.

10. Organizing in an Unattainable Way.

If your kids are not going to put their toys away by color - don't organize them like so! Make sure you create systems that make sense for you and your family and how you do daily tasks. This goes for all areas of the home; even if you saw a closet on Pinterest that you want to emulate but know you'll never be able to sustain, don't do it. Find a system and routine that works for you and one you can commit to keeping up with.