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It is an exciting time now that you have moved into your new Brandywine Home. All the boxes are unpacked, and everything is in its place. Everything looks brand-new and spic and span. You want it to look like this everyday. However, no matter how hard you try, it always seems that clutter creeps back into your life. From a stack of books on the coffee table to the junk drawer in the kitchen, you seem to always have more to put away. Here are a few ways to avoid clutter in your new home.

Don’t Bring It with You

The best way to avoid clutter in your new home is to leave it behind when you move. When you are in the process of packing, you should take the time to sort through everything and get rid of items you no longer need or use. For some examples, see this article on www.webmd.com: dump duplicate items, beware nostalgia and weed out your wardrobe. Packing up everything in your home when you move forces you to look at almost everything. A good rule to follow is that if you have not used it or missed it in a year, it is time to donate it or throw it away. This will allow you to move into your new home with very little clutter.

Avoid Buying New Clutter

You know how it happens. You are at the mall, and you spot a darling knick-knack or a cute throw pillow. It might even be on sale. You should question whether it is something you really need before buying it. If you find something hard to resist, consider not purchasing it and waiting a week to see if you still want it. Many items that clutter up your home are simply impulse buys – Psychology Today shows you how to resist the urge.

Going Upstairs? Take Something with You

In a two-story home, it is easy to leave things downstairs that belong upstairs. Overtime, these things will become clutter. You should have a place by the stairs to keep things that need to be returned upstairs. As each family member goes upstairs for some reason or another, they should take something from the designated area up with them. Once everyone is in the habit of taking these items upstairs with them, you will notice a lot less clutter both downstairs and upstairs.

Evening Clean

You and your family should get into the routine of doing a quick straightening of the house every evening, as suggested in this article by Becoming Minimalist. It does not need to be a deep cleaning like scrubbing tubs or dusting furniture. After dinner or an hour before bed, take five or ten minutes where everyone in the house tackles picking up and putting away the clutter in a particular room or area. If you do this every evening, you will find it takes less and less time as you tackle the existing clutter. It will also cut down on the time you spend giving the house a thorough cleaning on the weekends.

A Place for Everything

If you have a lot of knick-knacks or enjoy craft projects, you should consider adding shelves, baskets and bins to your home to keep everything organized. Once everything has a place, it will be a lot easier to make sure these items do not become part of a problem known as clutter creep. You will be able to put these things away as you work to ensure they do not end up scattered around the house.

Believe You Can Do It

The first step to living in a clutter-free home is to take heart and believe it is entirely possible. Realize that you will never get there if you do not resolve in your mind that you can accomplish it. So find some hope and take one small step. Then, take another… and another… and another…

Are you looking for a new home in Orange County, Long Beach or the Los Angeles metro area? Brandywine Homes is opening six new communities this year offering a combined 265 single-family homes and townhomes. Click here for more information.