Small Tips For Big Results

Multipurpose furniture

One problem that many people find themselves facing in their home is often an issue with space. This is particularly true if you live in a newer house or apartment where the rooms so tend to be on the smaller side. This is where using furniture that is multipurpose can really come into its own. Shelving with a fold out table can be a particularly practical way of creating a work space for those days when you need to work from home. It also gives you the flexibility pack your “office” away at the end of the day. 

Sort out the cables

With so much technology in the home there is a good chance that you have wires trailing all over the place. Whilst these are necessary, they can be rather unsightly. Using a cable organising strip and making sure they are out of the way may seem like an incredibly simple idea. Still, it can have a huge impact on the look of a room. 

Declutter

If you are tired of looking at your house and think that it looks shabby and in need of some updating, it may not be nearly as bad as you think. Clutter can make a room not only feel smaller but also darker and scruffy. Start by having a good sort out. Get rid of anything that is broken or that you no longer want, and don’t keep things for the sake of it. Tidy up your remaining belongings and you can guarantee that this will make a huge difference. 

Add some plants

Adding plants to your home will not only make a huge difference to the look of a room but also has some benefits for your health as well. Studies have shown that indoor plants can help to lower blood pressure and also reduce stress. If you are not “green fingered” then opt for plants that are low maintenance. Those with striking foliage are a good option. Also, consider a couple of different sizes of plant to add variety, remembering to use the rule of three.

Change your colour scheme

Changing the colour of your walls can have a huge impact on the look of your room. Not only will it freshen up the room, but the right shade can make your room seem lighter and more open. For a smaller room, opt for lighter shades and for a room seems cold, look at warmer tones. 

Add a mirror

Finally, consider a staple in the interior design trick book; adding a mirror to any room. This can help to open it out and make it seem brighter and bigger. 

Hopefully, these small tips have inspired you to make the most out of your home, without giving you a huge project to tackle.

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Decluttering is a difficult task for anyone, even those who are relatively well-organised, there is no doubt about that. Choosing to throw out things that we still like is a tough path to tread, but one which is necessary if we are feeling stifled by our cluttered home and want to make a fresh start. Focusing on the benefits we can enjoy after we have effectively decluttered can help us to stay motivated, and can ensure we stay dedicated to the project, no matter how tough it gets! Here are just a few of the major benefits we can look forward to at the end of a de-cluttering project, which will hopefully help you to complete the job. By focussing on these benefits it will help you to get the task done as quickly and as thoroughly as possible:

• Use your furniture as it was intended: If your dining room table is more often used as a dumping ground than a family meal, then a good declutter is likely to bring your family back together at meal times by giving you a pleasant space where you can eat, chat and relax together.
• See your treasures: When you shelves are so cluttered, it is difficult to pick out the beautiful objects from the junk and the everyday objects. Decluttering will enable you to give your very best possessions pride of place, so that everyone can see them and enjoy them.
• More help: When the house is relatively easy to tidy, and everything has a place, children and other family members will be more inclined to help you tidy up. Because the house will spend more time tidy, you will also find people more inclined to do a bit of cleaning now and then, because they haven’t got to move a tonne of stuff first before you can dust or vacuum.
• More time: Because your home will be more orderly, it will be much easier for you to stay on top of things like cleaning and washing, leaving you more time for the things you really enjoy or simply to put your feet up and relax. Because everything in your home has its own place, you’ll know where things like your keys, wallet, passport and other important items are straight away, thereby eliminating the typical searching time required to locate these objects.
• More fun: When your home is clean and tidy the majority of the time, you’ll be able to have visitors over more often and at shorter notice, helping you to enjoy a better social life all round.
• Better health: Living in a clean and tidy environment has been proven to have certain health benefits. These include:
• Better sleep
• Reduced stress
• Less colds and flu
• Less depression
• More motivation
• More resilient to other stresses

No matter how hard you think it will be, decluttering has so many remarkable benefits on you, your family and your home, you’ll be glad you did it. There may never be a good time to make a fresh start so forget the delaying tactics and just get started because now is as good a time as any to sort out that clutter. And remember that if you really can’t bear to part with certain possessions but they are just taking up too much of the valuable space in your home then why not rent a self-storage unit and use it as storage overflow?

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If you desire to live a more minimalistic life, keep a cleaner and more organised home and to free yourself of all the ‘stuff’ that you seem to possess, de-cluttering is a worthwhile process that can help you get your life back to where you want it to be. You may look around your home and think that a life clear of clutter is an impossible mountain to scale, but with some help from our top tips for clearing your clutter, you can start to make progress up that mountain, one day at a time.

1. Little and often. Nobody relishes the prospect of an entire day of clutter sorting, but if you set aside just 15 minutes each day you will be surprised at how quickly you start to see the light at the end of the tunnel.
2. Stop bringing it in. There is a reason you have a cluttered house right now, and that is a habit you are going to have to break. Your home is like a sinking ship – you can bail the water out as quickly as you like, but if you don’t fix the leak you’ll end up right back where you started.
3. Be charitable. Your clutter is not just junk. In fact it may be of great value to someone else. Donate your cleared out items to a charity shop, or give them away locally to achieve a sense of empowerment and pride.
4. One in, two out. If you want to bring something new into the home, you have to get rid of two things that are already there. To start with you will probably cheat, throwing out some papers or a dead house plant, but soon you will need to move on to bigger and more challenging stuff.
5. Make a ‘one year’ box. Anything you think you will miss if you throw out, but don’t have a specific use for right now, put inside the box and seal it. Date the box, and one year from the date you have made it, if the box is unopened, donate it. You probably won’t remember what was inside that box anyway.
6. Cluttering clothes. Anything you haven’t worn for 6 months, unless it is seasonal clothing or footwear, should be sold or donated.
7. Get help. Get a trusted friend or relative to help you go through things. This will help sort the wheat from the chaff with a fresh pair of eyes.
8. One room at a time. Aim to de-clutter one room entirely, including all cupboards, drawers and shelves. Spending time in this minimal and refreshing space will be so good you’ll be inspired to continue with the other rooms in the house.
9. Remember, it’s just ‘stuff’. Work on your self-esteem to believe that you are worth more than just the sum of your ‘stuff’, and share your belongings through donations and gifts.
10. Store sentimental items. Everyone has a ‘treasure box’ or a collection of things that they could never bear to part with. Things like children’s artwork, old photos and other treasured memories don’t necessarily need to be thrown away. Cheap self storage can be a good way to put aside a couple of boxes you probably don’t need access to on a regular basis, but without the need to actually bin them (compare storage prices here).

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Updated 30 August 2022

When you enter your home, you want to come in to a place that promotes peace and calm after a busy day. Whether you are returning home from work, a school run, or shopping, when you enter a house that has had a good declutter you will find it is easier to relax and enjoy the space that you live in. When your house is untidy and cluttered, it can make you feel on edge as you are surrounded by things that you may not really want and need. Even if you have a cluttered house that is actually tidy (with lots of clever storage units), there is still the dreaded moment of opening the cupboards to try and find something that you are looking for that is buried beneath clutter. One of the key benefits to decluttering your home is to make life less stressful because it becomes easier to find things – there are many ways this can be achieved. Let’s take a look

1. Focus your mind

Firstly, you need to have a focussed mind. It is no good starting on decluttering, only to get sentimental about every item that you come across, as this doesn’t help. There needs to be an end goal in sight, and the reasons you are doing this must be kept at the forefront of your mind. Do you have items in your cupboards that have been packed away and not looked at for years; maybe not since you first moved to your new home? Perhaps you are one of those people that has kept every single workbook that your child has written in from the age of 3 to 18? Or odd pieces of wood that might come in handy one day, or a spare pack of porcelain tiles from when you tiled the bathroom 10 years ago “just in case”. Whatever the reason for decluttering, it is important to take the emotions out of it. Yes, it may be nice that you have all the pieces of artwork that your child has created since the day they picked up a pen; however, if you take a photo of your favourite few on your smart phone they can be stored virtually and the space of a box of artwork freed up. There are actually many apps and services such as Keepy that are set up for just this type of problem. You’ll still be able to look back on all the hard work your kids have put into their schoolwork and pictures for you but that space can be used for more useful current items that need storing, or indeed for items that don’t currently have a place to be stored. When you starting your decluttering mission, remember why you are doing it and if you find yourself wavering, take a break, focus back in and start again or continue tomorrow!

2. Start small

The thought of decluttering the house may seem totally daunting, understandably so. The task ahead isn’t something that is meant to be done in a short space of time. If this task seems like an uphill mountain that is difficult to climb, take it in small steps. Start with ten minutes on a particular shelf in a room. Once you have done that ten minutes, leave it and reward yourself with a cup of tea, or simply the joy that you have started. When you are feeling ready, go back and do it again. This time, if you can for a bit longer, but if not just stick to small ten minute bursts. Before you know it, the whole bookshelf will be done, then the room and slowly the house will be decluttered. This isn’t something to be taken as a quick fix that can be done overnight. Taking your time and completing it purposefully is far more achievable that trying to do the whole house in a day!

3. Make a mess

When you declutter it is useful to start a room at a time. By doing this, you can contain yourself and concentrate on the task at hand. With decluttering you have to expect mess, as you are emptying out cupboards or going through boxes and shelving. This can seem counterproductive, however it is totally necessary. To truly declutter you will first end up making a mess and then as you put stuff away that you are keeping, the tidiness will reappear. If you are working in one room, make sure that you can close the door and leave it when you have reached your limit; but, always go back to it the following day! It isn’t a quick job to properly declutter your house, and accepting that it may take time will help to get it done thoroughly.

4. Be ruthless

Once you have embarked on this mission, you must remember to be ruthless. It is no good spending time and effort on doing this, if you aren’t going to actually declutter what is there. Simply rearranging the clutter so it fits better won’t help. It may be easiest to make piles of things; a keep, throw, sell and charity shop pile could work quite well. If you keep pile doesn’t change drastically in size, then you know you need to get rid of those emotions, refocus and get ruthless! Obviously, getting rid of items you are going to want in the future is not the objective, but carefully considering what is, and isn’t necessary to keep is what you are trying to do. By having a ‘sell’ pile, you can even make some money out of items that are in your home. What may be sat in your home without a purpose could make someone in another home very happy! You may have a wedding present from 25 years ago, that you have never one used or looked at. Whilst it is great to have reminders of your wedding day, that object in the cupboard could make you a bit of petty cash to spend it on something more relevant that you need now.

5. Reorganise what you are keeping

If you have items that should be in the kitchen in the dining room, or items from the lounge in the bedroom then you will never find what you are looking for. Once you have decided what you are keeping, make sure you put all similar items together. Why have plugs and chargers stored in different places and different rooms? If you have a particular place to store all your plugs and chargers (only the ones you currently need, of course), then when you need one for the device you are using you save time and energy going to one central place to locate it. You don’t have to waste your timing moving from room to room, trying to find what you are looking for. By placing items in the room that they belong, and are most used, it means that things don’t get lost and everything that is needed is easy to locate. In addition to this, why not cleverly label each wire and organise your chargers and adaptors properly so they’re easier to pick out when you need them.

6. Get the family involved in the declutter

When decluttering it is important not to just dive headfirst and throw out someone else’s items whilst keeping your own! This could end up in disagreements and obviously isn’t a productive way of decluttering. If you are the main person doing the sorting, after an initial ‘filter’ of items that are going to be kept and removed, you may want to ask your partner or child whether or not it is something they want or need. What may seem like an item destined for a charity shop or the bin may be something that had gone missing the in ‘black hole’ of clutter and could be restored and used again. By getting everyone involved it means that the ownership of everything is shared, as is the ultimate aim of keeping the house clutter free. Kids can find helping out fun, but remember to stick to short bursts with kids as they do get bored easily.

7. Do you really need it?

Once you have gone through items had got your keep pile, the next step is to ask yourself ‘do I really need it?’ Whilst it might be nice to have 50 pairs of shoes, by looking through what you have, you may be able to halve this amount by getting rid of shoes with similar styles or colours. One good tip for clothing is to turn all the hangers around at the start of the year; when you have worn an item and you place it back in the wardrobe turn the hanger around. At the end of the year, you will clearly see which items you have worn, and therefore need. Those items that have been neglected can then go to a charity shop or be sold, as they have no purpose in your home. Similarly, if you open a drawer to find five old mobile phones that you haven’t even switched on for at least a year, then really they don’t need to be there either.

8. So you have decluttered, now what?

Firstly, enjoy your clutter free house. Take your time to look around the rooms, enjoy the spaces you now have, and recognise that the time and effort you have put in has made a big change to your home. Keeping your house clutter free is actually easier than you think. In the process of decluttering, everything will have been put away in a ‘place’ or an appropriate storage unit (compare storage prices here). To keep your house tidy and clutter free you must make sure that everything is returned to this spot once it has been used. It is no good getting an item from one room in the house, using it in another and then not putting it back where it belongs. Otherwise, over time, the mess will build up and clutter will start to reappear.

When you are out shopping if you feel the twinge to buy something for you home ask yourself ‘do I really need this in my decluttered home?’ Remember that extra ornaments mean extra dusting; bringing more items in to your house will mean you need to find space to store it. If you buy some new clothes, shoes or even handbags, think of it as a replacement and get rid of a similar item. This will stop the build-up of possessions in your house and make it much easier to keep on top of it all.

Of course, there are times when it does make sense to buy things you might not immediately need because you can make a huge cost-saving. For example, buying goods out of season when you know you will need them in the coming months makes financial sense. Just make sure you have somewhere to store them until they are needed. For instance, use a garden shed for garden equipment and outdoor furniture or store winter sports equipment in your attic.

With a clutter free house you will find that you have a lot more time on your hands; you won’t be searching for items that were previously buried behind other objects; you won’t spend as much time cleaning and dusting; you won’t be stressing about where to put something you have bought. Reward yourself by inviting friends round to enjoy your home; there is nothing more satisfying than knowing you are living in a clutter free space and sharing that with friends is a great way to keep your motivation levels high for keeping your house like this.

Once you have taken the time to have a full declutter, try and keep on top of it regularly. Don’t let the clutter build up again and if you feel that a room is becoming a designated room for clutter, stop cluttering it and clear it! It is so easy to place items in a room and close the door, but whilst you will forget about it in that moment, it will still be there the next day. Instead, remind yourself of the question ‘do I really need it?’ and if you do, find it a place to be stored. By taking these simple steps your house will be free of all the items you no longer need, and the sense of achievement from doing this will be shared with everyone living in the home. Maintaining a decluttered home is easy to do in small steps if you designate a point in time where you will just reassess the rooms in your house and check for any clutter. Keep looking forward, and remind yourself of how great it felt when you first finished this decluttering mission.

The post How to Declutter your Home – The Ultimate Guide appeared first on Twits Guides.

Many of us live and work in environments full of belongings that we no longer use or need but are reluctant to part with. There are some people who find it easy to clear out unused possessions and live a minimalist lifestyle but the majority of us cling to items for often, long-forgotten, sentimental reasons. We make excuses about how an item might one day come in useful, but, in truth, we just can’t bear to get rid of our “stuff”.

Not only do we want to hang on to old belongings but we are accumulating new things all the time and eventually the storage in our homes just will not cope any more. An important element for people buying new houses these days is how much storage there is. Built-in storage almost always features in new homes of all sizes and a buyer would expect there to be sufficient storage for their possessions, but just how much storage is sufficient? And even though moving home would seem to be an ideal opportunity to clear out all the old junk, this doesn’t always happen.

But can living amongst clutter really add stress to already busy lives and, more importantly, can clearing out that clutter reduce our stress?

Stress in our lives can manifest itself in many ways – we have a train to catch for work or the school-run through busy traffic all before the main part of the day starts. Then we might put ourselves under pressure to meet deadlines throughout the day but this type of stress is often there because we have chosen to live our lives in a certain way. We choose to have an extra 15 minutes in bed in the morning and are, therefore, rushing for the train, for example. But there are also the ever-present causes of stress around us in our homes that are less easy to recognise as a cause of stress and one of those is the clutter.

Stress can affect the body in numerous ways such as:

• Insomnia
• Depression
• Digestive disorders
• Skin complaints e.g. eczema

There is often no single cause of stress (it could be more serious issues like financial worries, work issues or relationship problems) but if you want to easily reduce the stress on your mind and body maybe now is the time to be ruthless with your possessions.

So when your storage cupboards are bulging, and when your loft, garage and garden shed are all full is there any alternative to throwing away your possessions or donating them to charity?

Fortunately, there is an alternative because there are numerous self storage facilities across the country so if you really can’t bear to part with treasured belongings you can still organising your possessions and store them away to get some of the stress-reducing benefits of a more minimalist lifestyle. If you only keep to hand all the items that you know you need and use regularly then you will be more easily able to find what you want. No longer will you have to hunt through stuffed drawers or storage cupboards looking for that important document. Your storage space can be well-organised because you will simply have more space for storage.

Reputable self-storage facilities are dry and secure so you do not need to worry that valuables will become damp or be stolen. In fact, most storage facilities have much better security than the average home because their reputation depends on their security. As well as storing possessions with sentimental value but little everyday use you can also store seasonal items such as ski gear that may only be used once or twice a year.

Clearing out your clutter can be liberating but if you are not ready for that yet, then storing your belongings can transform your home into a calmer environment and transform you into a less stressed person.

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In any household, there is a natural accumulation of clutter over time, regardless of whether you’re living on your own or as part of a busy family household. However, the latter naturally create more clutter, just the sheer increase in people for a start, but tie that in with kids it’s a whole different ball game. Although it doesn’t have to be if you follow our hints on living clutter free with kids of any age.

Everything has a home

When it comes to decluttering, it’s important to make sure every item in your household has a designated home. For example, chairs aren’t there to hang jackets or bags on, get some hooks by the front door that are in reach of all family members, so they can put these items away themselves. Similarly, making a conscious effort to keep your floors and surfaces clutter free will make sure you put everything away in its rightful place and make finding belongings much easier too.

Get Ruthless

Storage can be a major issue in many family homes, especially when you have to factor in an abundance of toys, gadgets and such, but this doesn’t mean you should just give up all together. Take the time to go through everyone’s belongings and be ruthless to free up valuable space to better organise the things you do use. Keep anything of sentimental value of course, but be realistic about what you really need and what you actually use. If you haven’t used it or worn it for over a year, get rid; whether it’s putting items in storage, selling it, donating to charity shops or throwing it away.

Set some ground rules

To maintain a clutter free home it is imperative to set some ground rules that every family member should follow. One instance of someone not putting their pots away or tidying their toys up before bedtime can easily result in other’s flouting the rules, having a snowball effect. Naturally little ones can’t be fully involved, but as soon as they’re old enough you should encourage them to clear away their toys and tidy up, as this positive mind-set will stay with them for life. With less clutter and everything in its designated place, up keeping no-clutter rules and putting everything away should be much easier, providing you remain committed to the cause.

Continual Cleansing

A good attitude to have towards decluttering is that it’s a cleansing process and one that should continually occur. There’s no point in going to a whole lot of effort to achieve a clutter free home, only to let things slide a few months/years down the line and be back to square one. Continually reviewing your possessions and decluttering will help you to keep your home clutter free and make sure you utilise everything in your home on most days.

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But, do you ever look at your home and wonder how you can use it better? With some small changes here and there, it could become an even better place to live. Updating your home, giving it a modern tweak on it looks inside and out maybe something you would love to do – but stop short because you think – or you know! – that it is a big job and you have no idea where to start or how.

In this article, we offer five tried and tested steps to getting a modern twist on your home without necessarily taking out a second mortgage, moving home or engaging in disruptive, expensive work. Making changes starts with small steps, one room at a time.

Step 1 – De-clutter

De-cluttering is a time-consuming but cathartic process. You will come across things long forgotten, enjoy some of the memories that they bring flooding back but also sad and anxious about other memories they recall.

De-cluttering is no one’s favourite job because it can take so long, as well as feel like an enormous task. But, if you want to make changes, whether it’s decorating a room or making big, structural changes, you need to begin with the process of decluttering.

It is a job that once started, can overwhelm you. When it comes to de-cluttering, there are a few tips that can help you de-cluttering more effective:

• Don’t start BIG – if you decide to de-clutter a whole room in one go, you may find that a few hours in to the task, you run out of steam. Start small: de-clutter the items in a cupboard etc. Deciding to declutter the whole house will only mean you run out of energy and determination sooner rather than later.
• Don’t forget you need to remove and recycle – de-cluttering can be a cathartic process but only if you see it through from start to end. You may be left with a de-cluttered lounge or hallway but, if the stuff is piled up in another room ready to be recycled etc. – and stays there for months – you have only completed half of the task.
• DO set aside plenty of time – you might think it’ll take half an hour to de-clutter the sideboard but it can take three times as long. Set aside plenty of time; even half an hour is better than not doing anything.
• DO have an idea of what you want to keep – there is no hard and fast rule about what to keep and what not to keep but if you haven’t used it in the last six months or more, then consider recycling, upcycling or donating.

Step 2 – Organise storage

De-cluttering your home is a great process and once you start to come to the end of it in a room, you can start to really see what space you have to work with.

However, there is a common, often forgotten issue when you have sorted through everything: storage. Once you know what you have and what you want to keep, you need to look at effective storage options.

Storage is not just about buying plastic boxes and hiding them away in cupboard; it is about prioritising access and using the space you have in the most effective and efficient way possible; using storage units that work in your space..

Prioritising and ordering items can be a useful way of ensuring that you can find what you want when you need it:

1. Eye level – keep things at eye level that are the most important things and ones that you will access on a frequent basis. This is especially true in wardrobe and cupboard space. Finding things quickly and easily usually depends on your eye being able to spot it amongst a sea of things.
2. Below the knee – the bunch of things that you will want to access from time to time is given storage space ‘below the knee’. This could be in cupboards or the lower portion of a wardrobe. There may be more effort involved in finding something but if you order your things correctly, you won’t need to access them as often.
3. Above the head – and finally, anything that you want to keep but will access infrequently should be kept above your head. This means making more of an effort to access – like climbing a small step ladder. Storing things like winter blankets etc. in the space above your head in the top portion of a wardrobe is a prime example of this.

One way of updating to the look of your home is to use parts of it that are hitherto ‘wasted’. Small nooks and crannies, under stairs spaces and so on can, with shelving and lighting become great storage spaces. Have a look online for inspiration on how to include bespoke and unique storage solutions in your home.

Step 3 – Snag list

Now that you have de-cluttered and started to deal with storage solutions, you can now spend some time looking at the space or the room. The objective is to create a snag list of what you want changing, followed by how you will go about doing this.

Consider these questions;

• What do you really use the room or space for? What would you like or need to use the space for?

It may be a dining room but is this what you really need it to be? It might a space that for the next few years, would be better used as a playroom or kid’s hangout. The best use of your home will depend on how you need to use it, so don’t think you have to follow a prescribe list or set of traditional ideas.

• What tasks can you complete yourself? Which do you think needs professional input?

Some changes are structural so before you start knocking walls down or ripping fireplaces out, it is a wise move to have a professional check for any structural changes or modifications that need to be made. You may feel able, willing and skilled with the right tools to take on certain tasks. Many people find it satisfying to be able to take on a project and complete it.

Step 4 – Create a mood board for each room and project

Updating your whole home is a mammoth task, especially if you decide to take it on all at once; this is why, taking it as a room by room project is a great way of completing it.

Once you have a snag list, you can set a budget for the updating the room or space, as well as deciding on the final look and uplift you are looking for.

In some cases, it may be as simple as painting and decorating or laying new porcelain tiles in the kitchen  but you want it to be stylish and practical. There are many ways of doing this, including creating a mood board.

A mood board is where you gather all the ideas you have about the final look of the room all in one place. Some people spread it out over a poster-sized piece of card but other people keep theirs in folders or a scrap book.

Your mood board will contain important information:

• Measurements and dimensions – measure the floor, as well as height of walls and the windows. These measurements are handy for when ordering curtain, blinds, flooring and so on. If you have these to hand, it makes the whole process a lot less stressful.
• A floor plan of your room – drawing an accurate floor plan, with fireplaces, and any other features can also be a great way of understanding how some things may or may not work in a space.
• Photos – clippings from magazines or from internet sites of colours, patterns and ideas are all kept on your mood board. This way, you can start to visualise how the finished room will look. Many people find visualising the final room difficult; if you are one of these people, a mood board is essential.
• Samples – if you are opting for new furnishings in a space, textures and colours are important. Keeping samples of these in a book is a great way of being able to compare how certain paint or wallpaper could work with them and so on. All too often, in our mind’s eye we may think that the carpet is a perfect match only to find that once laid, it makes the room look smaller or clashes with the décor and so on.
• Inclusive – everyone should have a say in how communal spaces in your home look, and mood boards are a great way of bringing ideas together and how they will work (or not!).

Step 5 – Maintenance of your ‘new’ home

You have worked really hard. You have a de-cluttered home, great storage solutions, a feeling of space and you and your family find that the house is once again, versatile and responsive to your needs.

Keeping it this way is not as tough as you think and this is why;

• Identify your buying ‘patterns or rituals’ – have you noticed how some people’s homes seem full of trinkets without it feeling cluttered? This is because these purchases are considered and thought out ones. This is how you need to be with every purchase you make in the future. Think carefully before every purchase – and never shop when tired – it’s so much harder to resist things.
• Visualise the coming months– you have come across a beautiful, hand blown vase. You must-have it! But, think how it will look in your home in six months’ time. Will it still fit with the décor? Or, if you change the look of that room, will the vase still have a place in it?
• Compulsive buys rarely work out… – everyone has had some kind of impulsive buy. Sometimes they work but more often than not, the item becomes an object that is passed around from room to room, and then put in a cupboard and forgotten about. When it comes to buying something for your home in the future, you need to be confident that it is a well-thought out purchase.
• Regular de-cluttering – staying on top of clutter is important. It doesn’t take long for it to all start to mount up again. Recycling and upcycling are a great way of reusing stuff that you no longer need, or no longer need in its current format. If you do want to recycle items, take advantage of the kerbside collections. Local authorities are now collecting a wider range of items as part of their weekly collections, from clothing to small electrical items. Many local recycling centres also offer collection for larger items and don’t forget that your ‘rubbish’ or unwanted stuff could be just perfect for someone else.

Updating your home takes a little effort and organisation but, get the basics right and you will soon see the fruits of your labour – remember the below and you won’t go far wrong.

• De-cluttering is great but only if you make arrangements for items to be moved/recycled/upcycled and reused.
• As well as budgeting, you also need to plan your time; some aspects of updating your home can take longer than others.
• Mood boards or books are a great way of gathering inspiration and ideas so that you get the final look that you want.
• Not also changes are DIY tasks; structural changes should be OK’d by a builder first or by a structural engineer.
• Get the whole family involved and remember, just because a room has ‘always been used as a dining room etc.’, doesn’t mean it has to stay as one. If you need a play room, then make space for one. It can always be changed back when you no longer need a play space.
• Awkward places make great storage solutions, especially if you use the space available creatively.

The post How to update your home, one room at a time appeared first on Twits Guides.

Not to worry, there are plenty of other ways you can create more space in your homes with a few ‘thinking outside the box’ tactics. In many cases it isn’t a case of adding space with extensions, but utilising the space you do have more effectively, so it in turn works better for you.

Storage, Storage and more Storage

First things first, let’s take a look at storage solutions. It seems that storage is high on the agenda for most homes and something we can never have enough of. Over a lifetime, we accumulate possessions and sometimes it’s a struggle to throw things away with the justification that “this gadget will definitely come in handy one day” or “these jeans will be back in fashion in ten years’ time”. It’s this sentimental thought process and not wanting to waste anything that can cause cupboards, drawers and even rooms to be full to the brim with unused items.

Of course, this isn’t the case with every household, as many people aren’t prone to keeping everything, but they still genuinely suffer from a lack of storage space. However, there are numerous ways you can keep all your items stored away neatly and in an organised fashion to utilise the space more.

Built-in Storage Solutions

Whilst built-in wardrobes and cupboards aren’t a new phenomenon, the modern designs we see now are far better equipped to coping with multi-functional storage. They are not only a great way to deal with a storage issue, but also can add value to your home and use space more effectively too.

The great thing about built-in storage solutions, is they can be closed units fitted with swing or sliding doors, open style shelving or a combination of the two, so you can fully incorporate your storage into the room. The versatility of built-in storage units allow you to create an area to meet your exact requirements and to make use of even the smallest or oddest shaped spaces. For example, if you have a recess in your home under the stairs, in your lounge or bedroom that doesn’t get used properly, why not create a bespoke shelving unit or cupboard so you can actually use the entire space for stashing away shoes, toys, books or anything you like.

If you’re looking for larger storage solutions, it can be a great idea to opt for a built-in unit that spans across a whole wall or certainly a large part of it in bigger rooms. This maximises the amount of storage space you’ll get with the unit, but at the same time creates continuity, with the unit becoming a focal feature rather than a randomly placed freestanding block of storage. Fitting mirrored doors will also make the room feel bigger and lighter, which is particularly important in smaller spaces.

Modern built-in storage also provides numerous ideas for storing items in your unit too, from compartmentalised drawers for smaller items to hanging hooks and with some designs, you can even create a built-in working desk or dressing table, which makes them perfect for home offices, vanity units or kid’s bedrooms.

Tidy your drawers

Whilst we’re on the subject of keeping things organised, even if you don’t have built-in storage solutions, you can still make a difference to those overflowing drawers in your kitchen, bedroom, lounge or bathroom.

Drawers are a great place for tidying away small items, such as stationary, jewellery, paperwork, takeaway menus and pretty much anything that you want to keep, but don’t want on show. However, in many cases things get chucked in a draw and soon get lost, but you can create simple, organised drawer storage solutions by creating your own draw tidy using small boxes or trays and clipping them together. With a myriad of different sized compartments, everything will be neatly in its place and you’ll find more space for storing additional items as the space is used more effectively.

Brilliant Boxes and Baskets

Other great ways to add additional storage solutions into your home is investing in some good quality boxes or baskets. Storage boxes, along with baskets, are versatile and practical. They come in all sorts of designs – clear plastic, painted wicker, printed cardboard, vintage wood – and a whole host of different shapes and sizes too. This means that you can get really creative with using boxes and baskets as storage solutions in your home. Add baskets to shelving or cupboards, so you can easily store more things on the shelves in the baskets, but they’ll be nice and neatly stowed away in a stylish way, with all items out of view. Or invest in a dual purpose footstool or coffee table that has hidden storage inside.

Also, don’t forget about the amount of dead space underneath large furniture, such as beds and sofas. Make use of that wasted space and choose some shallow boxes on wheels that can easily be pulled out and put away for those items that you don’t necessarily need access to every day. This could be rotating your summer/winter wardrobe, DVD’s, books…the possibilities are endless and so are the sizes of storage solutions available – so you’ll certainly find something to suit.

Easy kitchens

Another area in many homes that suffer from storage shortages is the kitchen. It’s a place where you need easy access to ingredients, dishes and pans; and whilst a complete kitchen extension or remodel may not be an option, you can make a few tweaks to maximise the space usage to make getting to everything nice and easy. And don’t forget there are decorating and design elements that can make a space feel larger even if it is not, such as light colours on the walls or large white porcelain tiles on the floor that reflect the light back into the room.

Innovative kitchen storage solutions, include pull out cupboards and shelves, rotating corner cupboard shelving and cupboard and drawer organisers that make life so much easier. These clever storage solutions can be added to most existing kitchen units, so you can adapt keep your spices organised with pull out wire drawers, or get to those hard to reach bowls at the back of the corner cupboard.

Another great way to utilise space in cupboards and drawers is with Tupperware and plastic boxes with lids. They not only help to keep ingredients fresher for longer, but stacking tubs and boxes will use more space in your cupboards so you can fit more in, plus they make finding items easier too.

Hang It or Shelve It

A key to getting more space in your home is to create additional floor and counter space. Of course, furniture takes up the large majority of floor space, but you’d be surprised at how much of your space is taken up unnecessarily with clutter. This is where getting items up off the floor and onto the walls can make all the difference.

Incorporating hooks and hanging areas can have a dramatic effect. It doesn’t matter whether it’s hanging your jewellery on hooks on the wall next to your dressing table, rather than taking up valuable space in a drawer, having extra hanging space for coats, scarves and hats or incorporating a hanging area for kitchen utensils or pots and pans that currently take up space on the worktop or in cupboards.

Shelving units can also allow items currently taking up valuable floor space to be stored effectively. It works incredibly well in well used areas such as kitchens and bathrooms, where you have a number of items that sit on the floor or worktops. With some stylish shelving or even a closed wall unit, you can get items such as cleaning products, spare loo rolls, cooking utensils and spices up off the floors and counters and in their own allocated space.

Decluttering = Space

Whilst creating additional space with clever storage solutions is great, it doesn’t always solve the problem of clutter, as you can simply be transporting stuff from one area to another and simply putting it out of sight and out of mind.

This is why if you are looking to create more space in your home, it’s also a good idea to have a good old-fashioned clear out. No one is saying you should get rid of everything, but taking a more objective and realistic approach to your belongings can help to create additional space.

Knowing exactly what you have and where it’s stored will mean you can house your belongings in a more structured and organised way. Sorting through items and categorising them in terms of the frequency of their use, will make sure that the items you need most frequently are easily accessible, whereas things that are used once, maybe twice a year aren’t taking up valuable front row space.

If you’re worried about things going to waste, why not donate to charity shops or friends, as well as sell good conditioned items on classified websites. That bit of extra money could go towards a built in storage unit!

Consider Your Home Layout

It’s amazing that when you live somewhere, you soon become accustomed to the layout of the furniture; and what in many cases was a temporary layout, remains that way for years, despite the fact it may not actually use the space particularly well.

Where you position your furniture, as well as the size and style can play a significant role in how big or small your home feels and the amount of space that is utilised. Choosing the right position, size and style of furniture appropriate for your home can make all the difference to the amount of space you have to live in.

For example, a huge, chunky dining room table that seats 8 people, will swamp a dining room that’s really only designed to fit a table of 4-6 people. In this instance, you may want to consider downsizing to a smaller table that also has the option to expand for more seating as and when you need it. Also, think about the positioning of furniture, do you have your sofa in front of the bay window in your living room? Have you considered how much space behind the sofa is wasted? Moving the sofa against a wall, can open up the room and allow you to use the recessed area more effectively, whether it’s incorporating additional chairs, a coffee table or storage.

When you’re planning the layout of any room, be it your living room, bedroom, bathroom or kitchen, it’s important to think about the purpose of the room and how you spend your time in there, as well as factoring in walkways. These fundamental elements of planning will make sure you create an area that fits your requirements and isn’t a pain to manoeuvre around.

Where you can, position large furniture such as chairs, beds and sofas flush against the wall, as putting them at an angle will waste space. The same goes for freestanding shelving units, dressers, wardrobes and drawers. Also pay close attention that none of these furniture items are impeding access or walkways as this can make a room feel smaller and less accessible. You want to be able to easily come in and out of a room, as well as walk through it without having to negotiate a lot of furniture on the way.

Avoid Overcrowding

Also be sure that when you’re positioning your furniture that you aren’t overcrowding the room. Sometimes, less is more for creating a well-laid out room that looks spacious and comfortable, so if space is premium in your home, be as minimalistic as you can. Focus on the essential furniture you need in a room first, such as seating, entertainment and storage, then move onto less essential items.

The same rules apply for the size of your furniture. It’s all about choosing furniture that matches the size of your rooms. Unless you have lots of space, avoid large and chunky furniture designs, as these will simply take over small spaces and eat into valuable living space.

As you can see, there are plenty of options for making better use of existing space in your home without the cost of extending. Whether you incorporate clever storage solutions, declutter or reinvest in new furniture pieces, by making some small changes in your home, you can have a really big impact on the space you’re left to work with.

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• Be Ruthless – this is the hardest of things for us all to do. It is, however, the number one reason for our cluttered predicament. The issue we have is that we become attached at a sentimental level and it can sometimes cloud our judgement. We need to be brave and ruthless when we de-clutter; if you don’t use it, need it or love it, it goes.
• Strong plastic containers are best – when de-cluttering the worst thing you can do is to have a collection of inferior boxes gathered from your local supermarket, using old boxes with half the side missing and tops ripped off will simply not do. At worst you need to pack away your de-cluttered items into proper packing boxes like removal companies use. The best thing to use, are custom designed plastic containers with lids that fit and clip on. These will keep your precious belongings safe while they are packed away and free from dust and dirt.
• Create an inventory before you start packing everything away create an inventory. Get a pad and write a list as you pack things into the boxes. Closely linked to this tip is the next tip we have.
• Label the boxes there is nothing worse than realising that you need to get something out of storage and you have no idea which box it is in. The solution? Label the boxes and linked to our previous tip put the number of the box onto your inventory list at the top of each page. So as you write your list put the box number at the top of the inventory page to create an accurate record that will make it easy to find particular items should they be needed. There are other ways of improving this process by packing things by room or in alphabetical order.
• Self-Storage finally move your boxes to your chosen self- storage facility. There are several real advantages to using self- storage; if you do pack something away in your de-cluttering exercise that you later need, and you have created your inventory, it is very simple to retrieve your items. Most self-storage facilities have easy access, so retrieving your possessions is simple. Knowing that your favourite items are still accessible and can be retrieved at a moment’s notice makes the process of de-cluttering easier. Saying good-bye to your items is then much easier.

The post How to de-clutter your home in five easy steps appeared first on Twits Guides.

Can you make your spaces bigger?

Firstly, it is important to consider if you can extend any of the existing rooms within the house in a cost effective way. By simply converting a garage in to a usable room, or adding a toilet downstairs this can make a big difference to the amount of storage space available and the level of comfort for everyone. If there is a large room, adding a small ‘en suite’ can take the pressure off the ‘family bathroom’ and it means that there won’t be a queue in the morning with everyone getting ready at a similar time to leave for work or school. If the new en-suite can be position close to the existing bathroom then that can keep costs down. There are also plenty of good, cheap bathroom fittings available online and a range of inexpensive porcelain tiles – and you won’t need many for an en-suite so it’s an affordable project.

The entrance

Another option is to perhaps add a porch and incorporate a cloak room or storage solution for coats and shoes. Remember that the entrance to the house is the first thing everyone sees when they arrive, so having an area that is clutter free, and where items such as shoes and clothing have a place to be stored is crucial. It may be that the number of people in your house is doubling, so by creating a porch area or cupboard to store the outdoor clothing it will keep everything kept out of sight.

Storage solutions for the living areas

Whether you are updating your existing living area or creating an extra space, the amount of storage available needs to factor in everyone in the house. If it is a house with younger children, they will need their homely comforts and toys to hand to make them feel welcome and keep them entertained. Whether you have older teenagers or younger children coming together, extra sofas or seating is a must. Everyone needs to be able to feel comfortable as this will be an area that is most commonly used and where everyone can come together to relax.

What to use an extra room for?

If you have the luxury of being able to convert a garage in to an extra room, it is crucial to consider everyone when allocating what this space will be used for. By using cube storage solutions, or bookshelves along a wall, you can significantly increase the amount of storage available to everyone involved. It also allows for things to be kept neat and tidy, making the home feel less cluttered. Whilst the majority of items can be stored in other rooms, everyone needs their homely comforts in the room that they will spend the most time.

Cube storage solutions

Cube storage is an ideal storage solution in living spaces. Not only can you purchase colour coordinated boxes to create a colour scheme for your room, these boxes can also hold a lot of items. Each child (or adult!) could be allocated their own box(es) or space to store their things, making everyone feel that their items are just as valued as everyone else’s. Bookcases are also a good choice too as it allows you to store a range of items; CDs. DVDs, or books will all look right at home in one of these. Certain shelves can also be reserved for those all-important family photos showing happy times together.

Creating a second space with a television will accommodate different tastes in programs and channels. If this is possible, it could be that this extra space is also where children’s toys are stored, or a home office is created. By having an additional living area, it means that if anyone is feeling the need for a bit of personal space or quiet, that this can be achieved easily. After a busy day at work or school, having the physical environment that promotes calm and peace can help to relieve stress.

The bedrooms

When two families come together, it may be the case that people who have previously had their own room now have to share. Whilst this can cause conflict, it is possible for everyone to have their own space, even within the confines of one room. In the case of children, beds that contain storage solutions within them are ideal. Cabin beds, or beds with shelving and a desk underneath mean that each child would get their own area to sleep, store their items, and study. A room can also be blocked off in to two distinct areas by using curtains or drapes. A more practical way to partition a room is to use the cube storage previously mentioned and the great thing about this type of shelving is that not only can they totally separate two areas within a room, the boxes provide extra storage solutions for toys, clothing or other personal items. As many shops stock this type of storage, it can be bought in whichever size needed to create two discrete spaces within one room.

Decoration considerations

Decorating can also be a way of distinguish different areas. It could be that the room is painted one colour but items such as wall stickers or pictures unique to each person in the room are used to create a more personal, comfortable environment. On the other hand, the room could be painted in two contrasting colours to create two very distinct (and equal!) spaces. Whichever you choose, it is important that each child is made to feel like they have their own space and create a homely environment for them.

It’s not just the kids that should be considered

As two adults come together, storage and space can also be an issue for them. Even though it is the adults who have made the decision to bring two families together in to one space, the adults too, need their bedroom to feel comfortable and inviting for them. An honest, open discussion is needed beforehand for preferences of colour and choice of storage solution. In the case of a woman moving in to a man’s home, or indeed a new home, the woman may have a preference for having a dressing table, or certain types of storage for their clothes. This will need to be factored in to the space available as these can be quite large!

Clothing storage solutions

Floor to ceiling sliding wardrobes are an ideal way to create lots of space and storage, but the space behind the door can also be adapted to suit the individual. For example, one person may prefer to have more drawers and less hanging space. This can be accommodated by buying drawer inserts for the wardrobe, and reducing the hanging rail space. Because these can be personalised it means that each person will have the correct type of storage for their items.

The bathroom

A bathroom is normally quite a fixed room in terms of the plumbing and the positioning of the suite and his can rarely be easily moved around. However, extending the bathroom or creating an extra space could be hugely beneficial. This is one room that everyone needs to have access to regularly, and quite often at a similar time of day (morning and evenings). If you can enlarge the space or create another one it would be advisable to do so. If you do not have the luxury of doing this, the space can be used creatively to ensure everyone has access to what they need quickly, reducing the amount of time they spend in there.

Bathroom storage solutions

One example of this is a mirror that is also a cupboard above the sink. If items such as toothbrushes, toothpaste and other daily essentials are stored here they can be quickly accessed by all. A cupboard under the sink is another ideal storage option to keep cleaning products, toilet rolls and even small towels to hand but keep them out of sight and make the bathroom clutter free. High shelving is an excellent way of storing towels as it keeps them to hand, and keeps the bathroom feeling like a wider, open space. Within the shower or bath, having enough storage for everyone’s hair and body products is an essential and there are shower shelves on the market that would be perfect for this. Everyone has their own preferences and creating enough space for everyone to have their own products will reduce the amount of time spent hunting for things!

The kitchen

Kitchen with Breakfast Bar and Dinning Table

Unless you have the luxury of putting in a whole new kitchen, this is another room that is totally fixed in terms of layout. In this area, it is important to ensure that there is enough cutlery and crockery to accommodate the growing family. Where 6 plates may have been enough for 2 or 3 people, it could be that more need to be purchased to allow everyone to have access to these without having to constantly wash up! If there is a breakfast bar or seating area, it is essential to consider how many more chairs or seats are needed so that everyone can sit down to eat. Whilst a breakfast bar may not accommodate everyone due to its size, having a dining table where everyone can come together for meals is a great way to bring people closer and share special moments of the day. In addition to this, there are many inserts for cupboards that provide storage solutions for many different kitchen items – after all, there will likely be a few extra items coming in to the house to cater for individual tastes.

Considering all spaces available

Looking at all the different areas within the house that could be adapted for a growing family is an ideal way to create extra space. It is a matter of looking what is available and consider how it can be used in a different way. Using the existing cupboard space, such as those under the stairs (if you have some!) or airing cupboards more efficiently, can create the much needed storage space that is needed for all the extra items that will be brought in to the home. The option of outdoor storage is also not to be forgotten. An outdoor shed is a great way to store items that won’t be affected by changes in weather.

Using attic or basement space can also add more room for everyone coming together. It can be a simple DIY job, such as boarding out the loft space which will allow items that are not needed regularly to be kept safe and sound, without cluttering up the existing space. Quite often people have sentimental items that they wish to keep, however don’t need to have access to on a daily basis. The attic is a perfect place to store these items. The attic can even be used to create a whole extra room or space. A basement can be an excellent area to place an extra freezer or fridge to store the additional food. If the plumbing is in place washing machines and dryers can be moved to basement areas creating extra living space in your kitchen areas.

Bringing everyone together happily

As you can see, there are many factors that need to be considered when combining two families. The most important thing is to ensure that each person feels like that they have their own space and feels ‘at home’. By utilising storage solutions, or using the space more creatively, it can be easy to bring together two families in to one abode. Making sure that everyone’s thoughts and opinions are shared will help to create harmony and bring two families together easily. Giving everyone a sense of the new house becoming their home, is the ultimate goal. It can be difficult to come together in a home however it is easy to make everyone feel valued and welcome with forward planning. Whether it is extending the space, adapting the space, or creating extra storage, there are many options available.

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