Where to Start Organizing

One of the most common questions I receive is, “Where do I start organizing?”  There’s no one easy answer because this really depends on the individual’s situation.  During the first organizing session, I discuss my clients’ priorities and then help them to determine the best place to start organizing based on their wants and needs.

Here are some examples from three different clients, and the reasons we chose these three different spaces to begin their home organizing projects.

The first client had several rooms in need of organizing, but when I asked her, “What is the one area that bothers you the most?”  She showed me a corner of the kitchen, next to the most used doorway, that had been bothering her for years.  We began in this section of the kitchen, and dispersed many items to other rooms, donated some, and tossed others.  My client had set a timer, and we decluttered and organized this corner of the kitchen in 36 minutes!  It only took 36 minutes to deal with years of frustration!

The second client had an entire home in need of decluttering and organizing services.  During the tour of her home, she pointed out a chair by her bedside that was an eyesore to her.  This was the first thing she saw when she woke up, and the last thing she saw when she went to sleep.  We started there, returning clothing to the dresser or closet, uncovering books and other items along the way.  Her room started transforming into a much more comfortable place once that chair was uncluttered.

The third client had a few rooms in need of organizing, but since she often had a parent stay over in the guest room, that was the best starting point for her home organizing project.  Removing clutter from this guest bedroom and closet took an hour or so, and it brought her great relief.

As you can tell, there’s no “one right place to start”.  Everyone’s situation is unique, and the stress-causing spaces are different for each person.  I suggest starting small and focusing on just one room or area at a time.  Once you see the positive changes, you’ll be eager to move on to the next space.