9 tips from professional organizers to get your place feeling zen

If your house could use some organizational help, these pros have tips on how to make it happen.

(1) Step one: Get purging.

Letting go is the first step, then you can take inventory and start to categorize your things, Renee Martini of Stript Home Organizing says.

(2) Don’t go overboard with storage containers.

Sure, you’re excited to get your house in order, but hold off before purchasing endless amounts of bins and filing systems, Matlin Pessarra of Minimized says. If you don’t have a plan for each container, you’ll end up wasting space and money.

(When it is time to buy containers, though, Pessarra is a big fan of The Container Store.)

(3) Be discerning with items that have sentimental value.

Anne Steppe of Step by Steppe Solutions says one of her biggest hurdles with clients is teaching them that getting rid of an item, doesn’t mean you lose the memory.

“I always tell people, ‘If something is important to you, you’ll treat it that way,'” she said.

(4) Don’t hold on to clutter because of price.

Steppe says some people feel guilty getting rid of expensive items they’re no longer using. “Keeping an item doesn’t put money back in your wallet,” she said. (Oof, hard truth.)

(5) Make use of Lazy Susans.

The convenient turntables have use beyond just keeping the spices in your kitchen in order. Martini suggests using one in your bathroom for keeping your hair products or makeup looking tidy.

She recommends the Elfa System from The Container Store for creating space for your products to live.

(6) Be honest: you’re never going to use all those sample products.

Go ahead and chuck the samples, people. Pessarra says the one exception is in the guest bathroom.

“You can have a little bin for guests if they forget something or want a little something extra,” she suggested.

(7) If you’re overwhelmed as you get settled in a new home, start with the kitchen and owner’s bathroom.

Making a new house feel like home can take a while. If you’re looking to get things feeling settled ASAP, Martini says the kitchen and bathroom are huge.

(8) There are a few ways to know if it’s time to call in a professional.

If the project is creating fights; impacting your ability to get important tasks done, like turning in work on time; or you have multiple major life events (baby, job, wedding, etc.) happening at once, then Steppe says  it might be time to call in help.

(9) Know that those Netflix shows aren’t realistic.

You might feel inspired to tackle your home organization projects on your own after watching shows like “The Home Edit” and “Tidying Up” on Netflix. They get it all done in a neat thirty-minute episode, so why can’t you?

Steppe says one space is easily an all-day project, so plan accordingly.

Need all the zen you can get? Here are 7 ways to create a calm space, according to Charlotte design experts.