The 8 Commandments of a Clutter-Free House

Everyday you see beautiful, clutter-free homes in magazines or on the web and perhaps for you this is a mirage. Your home could never look so tidy, clean and organized. But it can! If you have an overwhelming amount of stuff at home, now is the time to get rid of it. It won't take as much effort as you think. The following eight basic principles will definitely help you have a clutter-free life.

1. Live Within Your Means

According to a lot of videos published on Apartment Therapy, if you want a clutter-free home, there are a few things you should take into consideration. The phrase "live within your means" means that the size of your home determines how much stuff you will have in it. For example, if your closet is bursting at the seams, your first thought probably would be to purchase a bigger one. Doubtlessly, paring clothes down will be a smarter decision, because the new bigger closet will take a larger place in your room making it look smaller and narrow.

2. Clean Often

Even if you think that all you have at home is all you need, it's not exactly like that. Stuff keeps piling up. It's recommended to set aside a time, maybe a few days a year, to check all the things you have and get rid of those you don't use anymore. After that you'll feel lighter and relieved because all the unnecessary stuff has gone away. That way your weekly house cleaning will be faster as well.

3. Have A Place For Everything

One of the best organizing advice that experts give is to keep everything in its place. Yes, you've already heard that. It's a cliché. In a situation in which you have a lot of things on the floor or over the table, the best thing you could do is to find them a proper place. A console or a plastic show box could come in handy.

4. The Junk Drawer - Don't Underestimate It

There are little things that every household has - pens, tape, etc., that get used often, but they doesn't have a definite or logical place to go to. In this cases, a junk drawer will do an excellent job.

5. Store Things Where You Use Them

In order to avoid walking halfway across your home to put things, store things where you use them most. Save time. Make life easier on yourself. If you are finding yourself always writing things down when watching TV, then store a pen and notebook next to the couch. It's all about ease, not speed.

6. Stop Clutter Before It Enters Your Home With A Landing Strip

It's a term used for the place in your hallway just behind the door. It's given because you "land" and "take off" each day. Your entrance is the first step in protecting your home against clutter. Setting up a landing strip will prevent the clutter to sneak into your home.

7. Realize That Life Is About Experiences, Not Things

Everyday we are bombarded with advertisements trying to convince us that a happy life is all about having that new car, or those multifunctional oven, or an ice cream maker. The truth differs. Studies show that experiences we treasure most make us happy, not the things we own in our lives. Therefore, the next time you are tempted to buy something, think what could be if instead buying it, you spend the money for a vacation.

8. Forgive Yourself and Try Again

Don't forget that nobody is perfect, so do their homes. Even those homes in the magazines are not. A whole team of stylists and cleaners help them create that flawless vision. So, if your home is a disaster, don't panic. Just forgive yourself and try again. There is no meaning in complicating your life and aggravating your health in order to be perfect. Nobody will want that from you. So don't feel guilty when you take a break because you are tired.