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Lela Burris dining room and entryway command center

How To Organize Your Home In Phases

February 25, 2021 · In: Organize

Learn how to organize your home in phases, even if you don’t have any extra money to buy new containers and furniture right now.

If you are constantly fighting with kitchen cabinet avalanches, stepping on Legos, and are late for work at least one day a week due to the clutter in your closet and bathroom, you probably realized it’s time for a change. But most people don’t just decide to organize their whole home at once and magically have all the funds they need to raid the container aisle. These three phases will help you get started on your journey to home organization without feeling overwhelmed.

organize with recycled boxes

Phase 1: “I don’t have any extra money right now but I can’t stand this mess”

Phase one of getting your home organized is all about decluttering, purging, and experimenting. You shouldn’t really be buying containers just yet anyway, because you don’t know what you need.

Start by doing a good old fashioned decluttering session. Trash anything that’s broken, damaged, expired, or obvious garbage. Sell or donate anything you no longer want or need. And relocate any items that don’t belong where they are currently hanging out. Just downsizing your belongings will instantly make your spaces feel less cluttered, even if they still are a hot mess. If you need help, my Home Decluttering Planner inside the Organized-ish Binder Kit Collection can assist with making an action plan and staying on track.

Once you’ve purged as much as you possibly can, shop your house for random containers, baskets, bins, Tupperware, shoe boxes, and even recycled Amazon boxes. Use those “found” containers to temporarily organize your spaces. By using temporary storage, you’ll get a better idea for what kind of containers you should buy later, what sizes you need, and what you like and don’t like. You’ll also get to experiment with different layouts and systems before shelling out real money.

linen closet labels from Cricut Joy

Phase 2: “I’m ready to crack down and categorize everything into separate matching containers”

So you’ve figured out your systems, container types, layouts, and methods, and you’ve saved up some spare moolah to hit the store. Before you break out your credit card, make sure you’ve noted all the measurements of the spaces you’re shopping for and the containers you need in the Notes app on your phone. You may think you’ll remember, but it’s better to have it just in case.

Order all the containers you need, and don’t forget your choice of labels, too. As you organize your new bins, be extra mindful about how you’re sorting and categorizing. Make sure your sorting methods not only make sense to you, but they also make sense to your spouse and other family members in the house. Remember that others can’t see inside your brain and may not understand your organizing systems like you do.

Related Blog Post: The Worst Containers For Organizing And Why They Don’t Work

organized pantry by Lela Burris

Phase 3: “Some of my methods aren’t working so it’s time to switch it up”

The third phase is the editing phase. You’ve already set up your systems, snapped a photo to humble-brag on Insta, and have been living with your newly organized spaces for a few months now. You may have noticed some of the methods aren’t working as well as you expected them to. Some containers are too small. Some are too big. Some fall off the shelf. Some labels are too hard to read. And some aren’t even being used and clutter is still piling up.

Time to evaluate the hard truth that you may need to rethink your layouts and organization systems. But don’t feel bad, because this is totally normal. I’m a professional organizer and this exact thing happens with every single client I’ve ever had. Even a pro needs to make edits; it’s just part of it.

Switch up containers, try new methods, ask family for input, and be ok with a full restart. Remember that getting organized is a journey that never really ends, and progress beats perfection every time. That’s why I encourage you to be Organized-ISH.

Related Blog Post: 8 Organizing Mistakes You’re Making (And How To Fix Them)

By: Lela Burris · In: Organize · Tagged: containers, declutter, home organization, mistake, spouse

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Meet Lela Burris

Meet Lela Burris
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My name is Lela, (say it like LEE-luh) and I'm so glad you stopped by my blog! Whether you're into organizing, home improvement, crafts, or you just think my pets are cute, you'll find all kinds of inspo here.

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Family isn’t defined by dna, it’s built on lov Family isn’t defined by dna, it’s built on love. Happy Father’s Day to the greatest man I know @___inteebe___ ❤️
He met this four year old little dude who was sick on the couch clutching his Lightening McQueen car. Soon after, Noah told me in the car “Mommy let’s stay friends with him, ok?”
So we did. And here we are ten years later. Nothing makes my heart more full than seeing these two together.
…Except when they gang up on me for asking [dumb] questions about superheroes… 😅
Happy Father’s Day Nigel!
Let’s talk about organizing overwhelm. Yep, we a Let’s talk about organizing overwhelm. Yep, we are going there…
As exciting and freeing and calming it is to get a space cleaned up and organized, it’s also stressful and overwhelming and exhausting. Especially when you’re doing big projects.
After three weeks straight of working on my garage, I was reaching the point of burnout. I got behind on other things, I constantly felt like I wasn’t doing enough, and my to-do list kept getting longer.
If you’re feeling this way today, I want you to give yourself permission to do these two things:
1. Take a break. It is ok to pause a project and take some chill time. Log off of social media, stop looking at your list, and just recharge.
2. Remove things from your list. You might have planned a huge project, but after a while you start losing enthusiasm. At that point, let some plans go. Save them for later in the year, or maybe even never. Projects should be flexible, not set in stone.
What’s something on your to-do list you can let go of today to save you time and stress?
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