Your Top Home Organization Questions Answered

As I’ve traveled from home-to-home, project-to-project, and family-to-family as a professional organizer, I’ve observed there are a number of questions I’m asked repetitively. Today I'm sharing three of these frequently asked questions (FAQ) with answers to help you organize and utilize your spaces with less stress and greater ease.

Question 1 | How do I know where to start?

There’s no doubt that beginning an organization project can feel daunting. If you have a space that is causing you stress, 90% of the time the first step will be decluttering. It doesn’t sound like a sexy task, but I promise it will do 2 especially meaningful things: give you clarity about your belongings and circumstances, and allow you to use the freshly organized space with extraordinary ease.

However, just the thought of decluttering (especially large spaces) can quickly invoke a “deer in headlights” response or swiftly fill your body with overwhelm until tears begin welling in your eyes.

I promise having a plan before you start makes all the difference in the world, and my 3-step Quick Declutter Method will lay it all out for you—setting you up for success come time to reorganize the items that survived the decluttering process. You can find my free Quick Declutter Method here. Additionally, I’ve included a bonus checklist to make sure you’ve got it all together (yup, I’ve got your back).

Question 2 | What’s the most common mistake you see people make when decluttering/organizing?

The number one mistake I see people make is buying beautiful containers (or bins, organizers, baskets, etc.), then using them without any organizational plan in place or labels identifying the use of the containers.

New organizers can be exciting, instantly hide your belongings, and give a clean appearance to your space; however, the frustration of not being able to identify exactly where items are and find them when you need them will eventually override the initial sense of bliss. Just because an item is out of sight in an aesthetically pleasing container does not mean it’s optimally or functionally organized. Good organization makes finding and putting away items effortless. My goal is to always make it as easy and intuitive as possible.

Organizers (especially visually pleasing ones) are the icing on the cake, but a solid organization plan is unquestionably the cake itself! And this is one scenario where you can definitely have your cake and eat it too! Find more tips on when it’s the perfect time to buy organizers and what to look for here.

Question 3 | Where do you get your organizers?

In no particular order, the top retailers I buy organizers from are Amazon, Target, Bed Bath & Beyond, and The Container Store. These stores have beautiful, sturdy, versatile storage solutions I consider staples in my business. They tick all the boxes I’m looking for as a professional organizer.

When considering an organizer, here are the non-negotiable qualities I look for before I buy it:

• Does it fit the space just right?

• Will it store items in a way that’s easy to use?

• Is it beautiful?

• Is it easy to label?

• Is it affordable?

To make selecting your own organizers easier, I’ve curated a list of my top 10 favorites for you here.

Do you have any questions about organizing? Email me at kerri@perfectpieceorganizing.com or send me a message on Facebook. I'll answer your questions in a future social media or blog post!