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After retiring, you may have decided to downsize or move to a new area. Now, once you’ve found the perfect house, how can you quickly turn it into your happy place? Here’s some advice and strategies to help you settle quickly and enjoy your new space:

Take Care of Home Maintenance Tasks

The home inspection that took place before you completed the purchase should have covered all the main systems inside  – HVAC, electrical, and plumbing – as well as the roof, basement, and exterior of the property. Now that you moved into your new home, establish a schedule for the maintenance tasks that need to be completed throughout the year to prevent issues from arising and to keep everything in optimal shape so that you can fully enjoy your new abode: clean or replace the air filters regularly, keep the gutters free of leaves and debris, test the smoke and carbon monoxide alarms and replace their batteries. And always be safety conscious before turning on your heater for the first time during colder months.    

Reduce Monthly Costs with Green Features

New eco-friendly technologies make our homes more energy-efficient, which is good for the planet and for our wallets. So if you’re moving into an older house, consider making green improvements: replace single-pane windows with double or triple-pane windows that will keep your home better insulated from the cold and the heat and also reduce noise pollution. If it’s time to replace the water heater, look for a tankless option that only heats the amount of water you need when you actually need it. And instead of standard bulbs in your light fixtures, use LED lights to save both energy and money.   

Increase Indoor and Outdoor Security

Now that you’re retired, you may start spending more time at home on your own. If you’re concerned about safety and security, look at improving lighting throughout the house: not only will it help prevent falls, but it can also be a great deterrent if you’re worried about intruders. Outdoor lights equipped with motion sensors can also keep you safer, and they will act as a deterrent as well. Smart home technology can also be a great tool to protect you and your property: from monitoring the air quality in your house to videoing potentially suspicious activities on your street, those systems are designed to keep you safe and prevent a catastrophe from happening.    

Set up Your Office Space

If you’re planning on working as a consultant or starting a side business after you retire, set up a dedicated workspace in your new home that will optimize your productivity. Position your desk so that it gets plenty of natural light to keep you energized and prevent eye strain, or buy a desk lamp with different brightness options that you can adjust depending on the time of day. Get a comfortable, ergonomic desk chair to prevent you from hunching over your keyboard and a workstation suitable for your height to avoid back, neck, and wrist pain. Also, think about bringing some of the outside in with fresh-cut flowers in a vase or potted plants such as succulents and aloe vera. Adding natural elements to your home office will turn it into a more relaxed, comfy space.    

Quickly get settled into your new home and enjoy your retirement by keeping your safety and security top of mind. Maintain your property to prevent accidents, and turn to eco-friendly options to save money. And turn your workspace into a cozy haven to keep you engaged and motivated! 

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When you move in with your partner, your home furnishings and decor should showcase your individual styles and interests while also tying them together, forming a space where everything works in harmony. So how do you decide what pieces stay and go, and what new elements you need to add to turn your house into a home you both feel comfortable in? Let’s explore a few decorating ideas from for your new sanctuary.

In the Kitchen

Even if you didn’t cook much as a single person, you and your partner may start spending more time enjoying a relaxing meal at home after a long day’s work or a tasty brunch for two on the weekends. If your kitchen is near your backyard, create an indoor-outdoor dining experience by moving the dining area closer to the outside of the house. Not sure how to reconfigure the space? Consult with a professional interior designer who will come up with the perfect layout and will help you find and hire the right builders for the job.

In the Living Room

If you both have very different interests, your wall art and knickknacks may have a hard time coexisting harmoniously in your living room. Take time to select pieces that you both enjoy to decorate the room, and keep it simple and uncluttered for a more relaxing atmosphere. If you want to keep the rest of your stuff close at hand but out of view, there are clever ways to conceal items in your living room. A storage ottoman, a coffee table with a hidden compartment, or totes and baskets sitting on shelving units will help the space look tidy and polished.

In the Bathroom

Sharing a bathroom with your partner can be a challenge, especially if your space is limited and you have a lot of grooming appliances, personal hygiene items, and implements. In order to make the room work for the both of you, take advantage of vertical space: an over-the-toilet etagere is an elegant, yet practical way of storing your essentials out of view. Make use of dead wall space by adding shelves lined with baskets that can hide extra towels and other necessities. Replace the mirror over the sink with a medicine cabinet to hide products and pill bottles you use regularly in order to unclutter your countertop.

In the Bedroom

Give a romantic vibe to your bedroom by opting for comfy, plush bedding and inviting pillows. Choose a relaxing color you both love and repaint the walls. Add some wall art or photographs representing your love journey. And if you have to share a closet in the bedroom, make use of the space under the bed by storing out-of-season clothing and seldom-worn shoes and other items in underbed storage containers. 

In the Backyard

Revamping your backyard as you move in together has two major benefits. First, you’ll be able to create a relaxing space that the two of you can share. Second, you will add curb appeal to your house, thus increasing the value of your property. For those reasons, think about hiring

a backyard landscaping service. Search online for ‘landscaping near me’, read reviews left by real clients, and ask a few of them for a quote before you settle on the one you want to work with.

Some landscaping companies may offer special deals depending on the time of the year or in their off-season, so take advantage of that if you’re on a budget. 

Whether you’re dreaming of a cozy backyard for the two of you to gaze at the stars or simply dreaming of more closet space for your wardrobe, professionals in your area are available to help you turn your ideas into reality! So get ready to settle into the perfect home with your life partner.

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Whether you live in an apartment or a home, over time, you’re bound to build up clutter. From stacks of old clothes, utensils, and unorganized cabinets to excess decorations, you can find clutter in every corner of your home. While some of these items are valuable, it’s important to separate them from those that are unneeded. Living in a cluttered home can also lead to stress and other negative effects on your mental health. In this article, we’ll explore the best easy-to-follow strategies to get rid of clutter and keep your home tidy at all times.

Home Decluttering Tips

1. Set a Cleaning Schedule

The best way to keep your home clutter free is to clean up each day. Understandably, this can be hard as after a long day of work, cleaning up is the last thing you would want to do. Hence, the best method is to create a cleaning schedule and tackle one room at a time. If the whole house is in a mess, your strategy will be to start with the messiest room and go from there.

Small areas such as bathrooms and guest rooms can be de-cluttered in a few hours. However, give yourself ample time for larger spaces such as the living room and kitchen. While you’re at it, take the time to go through storage spaces such as the attic and garage as well. Oftentimes, these spaces are packed with unneeded items which can be disposed of to make the space usable for future storage needs.

2. Start a Sorting System

Clutter can be divided into three main categories:

• Usable Items: These can be new utensils, appliances, clothes, etc., which can be put to use but currently are simply taking up space around the home. If possible, let these items be where they are or store them in a box until you’ve disposed of unwanted items.

• Storable Items: Seasonal items such as space heaters, weighted blankets, inflatable garden pools, etc., should be sorted from the other items and stored safely in your attic or garage. Avoid storing them in your bedroom or living room, as they’ll simply collect dust and take up space.

• Unwanted Items: Old clothes, utensils, appliances, and unwanted decorations are the prime contributors to this category. Depending on their condition, consider discarding or donating them to free up space for the storage of seasonal items. If you have a host of unwanted items in good condition, consider selling them in a yard sale rather than dumping them in the trash.

Once a sorting system has been created, try to follow it as diligently as possible. For instance, if winter has ended, promptly store the blankets in the garage cabinet. Similarly, as soon as an item is deemed unwanted, discard it appropriately rather than keeping it in the house. 

Additionally, while sorting items, put on some music or your favorite podcast in the background to keep yourself entertained.

3. Make It a Family Activity 

Single-handedly decluttering a home will be a tedious and tiring activity. Hence, enlist the help of everyone in the household to keep the space clean. For instance, label three boxes based on the above-mentioned categories and instruct everyone to sort items from their rooms into the boxes.

It is often the case that individuals get attached to items and prefer not to discard them even if they’re damaged. In such cases, it’s best to assign someone else to declutter the space as they won’t have any emotional connection with items and can objectively sort them based on necessity and condition.

4. Don’t Ignore the Home Office 

If you’re working from home, it’s safe to assume that you spend most of your time in the home office. Clutter gets collected faster in an office compared to other parts of the home. This can include paperwork, mail, unused equipment, unconnected wires, and more. 

As reported by Thrive Global, working in a cluttered workspace can lead to reduced efficiency and higher stress levels. If you’re facing a space crunch, invest in vertical storage solutions such as shelves and cabinets. These will allow you to organize items neatly in a small space. 

Additionally, scan all documents and move your work to the cloud. Rather than having heaps of paper scattered across the office, all of it will be safely stored online and be accessible from your phone or laptop anytime, anywhere.

Benefits of a Clean Home 

Reading through these points, you may feel that decluttering is a lot of work. But, if you put in the effort, you’ll seek the following rewards:

• Increased Productivity at Work: Working in a clean office will help you to be more productive than before. Additionally, business owners will be able to use the space to meet with clients and grow their businesses. 

• Reduced Risk of Allergies: Large items scattered across the rooms can make it hard to clean the space thoroughly. In the long run, this can lead to the collection of dust and mold and invite insects into the home, which results in an increased risk of allergies or other diseases. Post-decluttering, you won’t need to worry about any of these risks and ensure your family is healthy.

• Happier Moods: As reported by Verywell Mind, maintaining a clean home leads to happier moods. This is because activities, such as making the bed, vacuuming, washing dishes, etc., promote mindfulness. The result is a clutter-free home which acts as a reward and promotes happier moods. 

Keeping your home clutter free serves as a great self-care activity. Additionally, decluttering is bound to make your space look bigger, cleaner, and usable for family activities, whether it be movie night, a get-together, or more. Cleaning an office can be challenging as important documents can be scattered across piles of clutter. Hence, first upload them to the cloud and then begin your cleaning process. While at the start, decluttering can seem tedious, but once it becomes a regular activity, it’ll serve as an integral part of your daily routine.

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