Home organization is essential for a lot of reasons, but one that we don’t often consider is the fact that it saves us money. If we can’t find something in the heat of the moment, we might spend money on a replacement.
When we’ve got too much stuff, we spend money on boxes, racks and other storage necessities. There’s no need to spend unnecessarily. Here are some ways to organize your home by Home Advisor, and save money in the process:
Depending on what your basement is used for, you could use racks to store excess items that take up closet space in your home. If you plan to use your basement as extra living space, use closed storage – shelves with doors, standing armoires, etc. – to store items.
The rules here are simple. Keep your counters clear, use a vanity with drawers, and find convenient storage with drawers. If you can, find medicine cabinets and mirrors that open up and contain shelving.
If you want to be able to find items easily when going in or out, you will need open shelving in the foyer. You won’t want shoes and coats to share the same space though, so install coat racks or hooks as needed.
You can put a variety of storage units in your garage, including hanging racks, standing racks, open shelving and pegboards for your tools. This way, you can avoid a potential injury when stepping over something on the floor.
If you have a desk with no under cabinet storage, there’s a good chance it will look pretty messy. Make sure your desk has at least two cabinets on each side. Also, invest in bookshelves and open shelving as needed.
If you can, try to find a bed with built-in drawers. This adds storage in your child’s room without taking up more space. The closet is also essential for storage, so consider closet organizers to optimize the space.
You’ll need to keep appliances in a specific place. You should also have pullout shelves for heavier, easy-to-reach appliances. Make sure your counters are clear and think about lazy susans for your cabinets, especially if you can’t reach the back easily.
Although you attempt to keep it clean, most items will find their way to your living room. Deep storage with large doors will help — be it an ottoman, a chest or a trunk of some sort. This may also serve a dual purpose, depending on the design of your living room.
If your stairs are designed to be storage, consider pullout shelving or storage bins to optimize the space.
How it saves you money to organize?
Home office:
- Wasting time looking for lost papers or spending more money printing duplicates.
- Misplacing bills, which leads to late fees and bad credit
- Penalties for missing tax deadlines because you can’t find papers
Kitchen:
- Wasting money on food that expires out of sight
- Buying duplicates of food that you can’t see in the pantry
- Spending too much on appliances and dishes because your cabinets are overstuffed
Living room
- Losing time and productivity because of lost keys
- Spending money elsewhere because your home stresses you out
- Blocked ventilation/increased HVAC bills
These costs may develop over time, but they’re sure to hit you in the checkbook if you don’t address the problem head-on. Just take the time over a few weekends, spend a few extra dollars on the right storage supplies, and you could see a world of difference.