Organizing a Room with Too Much Stuff

Over time, clutter slowly starts to creep into our lives, building up until bookshelves are overflowing, valuable space is taken up on sideboards and drawers are fit to burst with items we no longer need, or want.

Maybe you want to make your bedroom a minimalist space? Or you’re ready to turn your dining room into an inviting spot for dinner parties? Whatever your reason for that big declutter session, here’s how to organize rooms if they’re currently “filled to the brim.”

What to Keep and What to Toss

Probably the trickiest part of organizing a room full of stuff, is working out what to keep and what to throw away.

Start by organizing your belongings into keep, donate, store, and throw away piles.

• Keep: Anything you want to keep can be put aside to reintroduce to the room later.
• Donate: Grab a trash bag or a large box to house all those items you want to drop off at your nearest Goodwill or Salvation Army.
• Storage: Move anything you want to keep but don’t have space for into a storage unit. This could be furniture or all the books on the bookshelf.
• Throw away: Anything else can go straight in the trash can. Make sure you recycle what you can or dispose of it correctly.

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Ask Yourself About Each Item

When deciding what to keep or toss, there are a few questions you can ask:

• Does this item have sentimental value? – Maybe it was a gift from someone special or carries a particularly important memory. In this case, you may want to think about holding onto it but giving it a dedicated spot in your home. 
• Is it broken? – Unless it can be upcycled or repurposed, broken items are of no use to us so it may be time to simply throw them in the garbage.
• Have I used it in the past 6 months? – If you haven’t used the item (and are unlikely to need it anytime soon) it may be a sign that it’s time to donate it or sell it.
• Can I sell it for a decent price? – Think about your items in a money-making sense. Can you pocket a few extra dollars by selling them on? That money could be put towards sprucing up the room!

Donate Any Good Items

You likely have some belongings that someone else can get more use from. Those curling tongs you never got the hang of or that set of dumbbells you’ve used once or twice can finally be enjoyed by someone else!

It may feel easier to throw things away. But donating any items you have lying around is better for the environment and the money made from them goes to good causes.

If anything is damaged or doesn’t work properly, what have you been holding on to it for? It’s garbage, taking up valuable space, and not donatable. Only donate lightly used or items in good condition.

Get Boxes

Boxes are great for categorizing smaller items, giving you a dedicated space to move things to for sorting later. This means you can clear the room quickly so you can see what you’re working with.

We recommend opting for large plastic boxes, instead of the cardboard variety. This means you can cram as much in as you need to, without worrying about the box breaking as soon as you move it! A box with a lid is also a great idea for the storage unit items. It keeps them safe and tucked away with no risk of spilling out or getting dusty over time.

Throw in an air freshener when sealing up the box to keep your items smelling great, ready for when you need them later. 

Start With Large Items

It can be easy to get wrapped up with cleaning out a single drawer and before you know it, the whole afternoon has passed by. Instead, start with larger items, like furniture. Decide what you want to keep, what could be moved to other rooms in the house and what you want to move out.

For example, if you’re turning a junk room into an office, you may want to keep the futon for afternoons when you’re reading documents. Or an informal spot for calls with colleagues. In a bedroom, removing an underused chest of drawers could help balance out the space. Start with the larger items and you’ll immediately feel like you’ve achieved something and have more space to work with.

Don’t Do Too Much at Once

When you want to organize a room full of stuff, even if you have the intention of tackling it all in one day, it’s easier to make it a longer project. We recommend spacing your organizing sessions out over a couple of weekends, so you don’t get bored and give up or get overwhelmed.

Maybe plan to spend a morning organizing everything that can be donated and then taking this to the appropriate stores. Or maybe pack up items for a storage unit and heading there to drop it off.

Then reserve a time for organizing the space, moving furniture around, and giving what you’re keeping in the room a deep clean. Splitting out your time and tasks will make organizing that room full of stuff a less daunting task.

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Stacking Storage Containers

When you’ve moved your items in plastic bins or storage boxes, it’s time to stack them in a neat and organized way. Here are our top tips for stacking containers:

• Heavy items on the bottom – This means they don’t squash any breakable items in other boxes and provide a sturdy base for stacking.
• Make it a game of Tetris – Don’t be afraid to slot slimmer or smaller boxes in between others. This can help prop things up and save space.
• Leave a little floor space at the front – While it may be tempting to cover every square of the room or storage unit you’ve designated for your plastic boxes, stack upwards not outwards. Leave enough room for you to step inside and move around to reach items at the back.
• Keep perishables and textiles off the ground – Store these in boxes higher up, to avoid the cold getting into the boxes.

Clean Often

Now that you know how to organize a room full of stuff, it’s important to consider how to keep it organized in the future. The key thing to do is to clean often.

Check for clutter regularly and have the ‘keep, donate, store, throw away’ mantra in mind. Try to avoid using clean surfaces or unfilled drawers as quick solutions to tidying up and make sure your belongings always find their way back to their designated homes.

It’s also a good idea to think about having a deep clean at least once a year. It helps ensure the room stays organized and fit for purpose.

Top Tip: Get a Storage Unit

One of the main things that you need to consider is “where is all the stuff I want to keep but don’t need now in this room going to go?” A storage unit is a great solution, offering a neutral space to house those items you can’t bear to part with or that you might have use for in the future.

A local storage unit is an ideal place for furniture, electrical and appliances, and any bulkier items that you can’t fit in your home. You can stack your belongings up to the ceiling to house all those personal possessions you don’t want to let go.