5 Home Organization Trends Professional Declutterers Want You to Avoid

As seasons change, we often feel the urge to change and clear out our own space. Whether that’s in our home or in the office, it’s always good to reset and refresh to help organize our surroundings.

Now, you don’t want to get rid of too much in one go or too little, finding a middle ground will enable you to create a calmer and more centred space in every area of your life as well as your home.

Our experts look at what you want to avoid in order to get the best out of decluttering your space. From avoiding trendy gadgets to following a crowd — here's how to declutter your home the right way.

1. Trending Buys

Jamie Hord, founder of Horderly Professional Organizing, says we should stay away from classic organizers that are on sale. The best thing to do would be to purchase ‘organizing products after you know exactly what you want to store in it,’ Jamie adds.

He says it’s also important to know where the organizer is ‘going to live so that you can measure and get the product that fits best based on your items and space’.

2. Following the crowd

Let’s avoid the ‘copy and paste’ trend and try to be a little unique shall we? Jamie emphasizes that you need to organize things for yourself. Think about what is the most efficient for you, for your space and for your time. ‘Organize in a way that makes sense for you. Not everyone is the same,’ he says.

With that being said, I do love investing in the best organizer brands and there's one product that has caught my eye in the Clemens Overdoor Hanging Basket Organizer from Wayfair — It’s stylish yet dainty look is perfect for keeping in the bathroom, bedroom and even living room.

3. Don't decant items unless you really need to

‘Decanting isn't for everyone. Make sure it's a practical move for you before doing it,’ says Jamie. Decanting (the process of moving items from its original packaging to storage containers) is quite common and there are certain pantry items you should always decant. If you do wish to decant food into pantry containers, be sure to find the right storage containers for your items.

4. Avoid trendy gadgets

Shira Gill, organizing expert and author of Minimalista and Organized Living, says that investing in organizing products or trendy gadgets might actually add to your clutter rather than reduce the volume of mess. ‘Organized clutter is still clutter, so always start by questioning the things you own, making sure you keep only what you need, use, and love,’ she adds. When trying to clean your space, be mindful and see what works well for you. Will buying extra bins be resourceful or will you struggle to find where to store it? It’s always best to think before a purchase!

5. Try not to over-organize

When it comes to clearing out a space, we can often fall into the trap of doing too much all at once, while not really achieving the goal we sought out to do. Remember, the aim here is to declutter and Shira says 'over-organizing' can end up feeling 'difficult to maintain and backfire'. She explains that decluttering and organizing your space can be as simple as following two steps. Step one is to, 'group items in similar categories (like with like),' and two, 'store each category in one specific, designated place'. If you are already feeling slightly overwhelmed, Shira suggests you 'create practical, effortless systems that don’t require any extra work or effort'.