We’re all familiar with “Spring Cleaning,” but getting your home organized and decluttered before the holiday season is in full effect can be just as helpful! Your home will feel more manageable, you’ll reduce your own anxiety, and you may even find an extra burst of energy to tackle the weeks ahead. That sounds like a great feeling as we head into this busy time of year!

Whether you’re hosting the whole family or keeping it small this year, organizing your home is a great way to make the season feel more manageable.

If you’re starting to feel that seasonal stress kick in, take a deep breath and keep reading for tips to get you organized before the holidays.

Purcell 2-26 Floor Plan, Front Garage Collection, Chinook Gate Community, Airdrie, Alberta

1. Start Early and Make a Plan

Organizing and decluttering your whole home can feel daunting, and you may feel tempted to give up before you even begin. Don’t worry! The key is to start the process early and tackle your spaces in manageable chunks.

Break it Down

Instead of thinking you need to attack your home in its entirety to feel like you’ve accomplished anything, break it down into manageable tasks and create a schedule of when you can tackle them.

Tackle one room at a time to avoid feeling overwhelmed, and be realistic about what you can accomplish. If the kitchen feels like a mountain, start with the junk drawer or one shelf in the pantry. If you feel like you don’t have the time, set a timer for something that feels doable and see what you can get done.

Decluttering doesn’t need to be a monumental job for it to be successful. Start small and give yourself tasks you can tackle in 30 minutes or less.

Prioritize Your Guest Spaces

Even if you have the best intentions, there’s a chance you won’t be able to clean everything in your home before holiday guests arrive (and that’s ok!). Focus on the spaces where your guests will be and declutter those first.

The living room, dining area, and guest bathrooms are great starting points; having them cleaned and organized will make the biggest difference. Keep reading for our tips on tackling these spaces!

Focus on Categories

Once you’ve tidied up the main guest areas of your home, shift your attention to specific categories of clutter. Maybe you have winter coats hanging around, an excess of kitchen items, or the kids’ toys have taken over. Reviewing your home for these categories can help you zero in on what needs to be addressed rather than bouncing from room to room without a clear goal.

2. Use the 3-Box Method

The 3-Box Method is a tried-and-true system of organizing and sorting your belongings. The idea is straightforward: label three boxes (or bags) as “Keep,” “Donate,” and “Trash,” and use these as your sorting stations.

Each item must go into one of these boxes as you work room-by-room or through a specific category. This method helps eliminate keeping things “just in case” and ensures every item has a clear future – whether that’s staying with you, finding a new home through donation, or heading to the trash or recycling center.

The 3-Box Method works best when you decide what criteria you will use to determine which things stay and which things go. For example, if you’re decluttering your closet, you’ll likely keep items that are still in good condition and you still wear. If you’re organizing your kitchen, you might keep items you’ve used in the last 12 months and don’t have duplicates of, but donate the ones you hardly (if ever) use.

Most importantly, see the process through. Set a date to drop off your donations and properly dispose of or recycle trash. Don’t let your hard work fizzle out by letting everything sit around in boxes!

Claremont Floor Plan, Traditional Homes Collection, Easton Park Community, Austin, Texas

3. Declutter Your Guest & Gathering Spaces

The holiday season is a time to be with the ones we love, which means it’s time to prepare our homes for guests. The goal is to create an inviting environment so your home feels welcoming as soon as people walk through the door.

Start with the Entryway

First impressions are everything. Your entryway sets the tone for what’s inside, so make it feel just as inviting as the season itself. This area can easily become a clutter magnet with backpacks, boots, and coats piling up, making the space feel cramped and messy. Clear it out, tidy up, and create designated spaces for everyday items.

If you have a coat closet in your entryway, clear it out to make room for guests to hang their winter coats. It’s a thoughtful touch that will make your guests feel extra welcome.

Declutter the Kitchen

The kitchen truly is the heart of the home, especially during the holidays. Whether you’re preparing a full festive meal or hanging around the island for appetizers, it naturally becomes the place where your guests will gather.

Start by cleaning out the fridge and pantry. Get rid of expired food, take stock of what you already have on hand, and make room for new ingredients and leftovers.

Next, tidy up your countertops by putting away small appliances you won’t be using, like that bread maker or smoothie blender.

Do you have any drawers that are so full they’re hard to open? Or cabinets that you never open because they have things you rarely use? If you have time, clean these spaces out! Old spatulas that have seen better days can get tossed. Cookware you’ve collected but never use can be donated.

You’ll be amazed at how much space you actually have and how much less stressed you feel once you’ve decluttered your kitchen.

Tackle the Living Room

The living room is often the cozy setting for holiday gatherings. Maybe this is where you open presents, play board games, or simply watch holiday movies together. If your living room is cluttered, it can be hard to relax.

If you’re unsure where to begin, leave the space and walk back in with fresh eyes. What do you notice first? Is it magazines and school paperwork? Knick-knacks lying around? Kids’ toys on the floor? Move it, trash it, or sort it neatly away, and you’ll have a much more inviting space for you and your guests.

Prep Your Guest Rooms

Guest bedrooms can become a catch-all for stuff throughout the year, so the holidays are a good time to pull everything out and sort through what you want to keep, donate, or toss. If you’ll be hosting overnight guests, declutter and organize your guest bedrooms and bathrooms so they have a more relaxing and comfortable stay.

Organization in your guest bathroom can make a big difference. Set out fresh linens, fill soap bottles, and make sure there’s plenty of toilet paper and clean towels within easy reach.

Whether they’re staying for a week or a weekend, you want your guests to feel welcome. Check out our blog “Tips for Creating a Comfortable Guest Space” for more!

4. Organize Holiday Décor

Holiday décor helps bring the magic of the season to our homes, but it can quickly become overwhelming if you don’t keep it organized. Before you pull everything out, take a step back to sort through your holiday decorations and only keep what you love. You’ll end up with a collection that feels intentional and special without cluttering up your valuable storage space.

By organizing and assessing your existing pieces, you may find items that can be used repeatedly and don’t have to be packed away when the holiday season is over. Invest in several basic décor staples that can be used repeatedly, like glass cloches or a coffee table bowl that you can style just by changing the fillers to create festive vignettes without breaking the bank.

Residence 2 Floor Plan, Dwell Collection, New Haven Community, Ontario, California

5. Invest in Storage Solutions

Make your post-holiday clean-up a breeze by storing ornaments, wreaths, lights, and knick-knacks in separate containers that are clearly labeled. Invest in storage solutions like baskets, bins, and drawer organizers to keep things tidy and easily accessible.

Clearly label each container with its contents. This way, you know exactly what goes where when you’re taking down decorations, and next year, it’ll be easier to find what you need without rummaging through endless boxes.

Gift bags, wrapping papers, bows, scissors, and tape take up more space than you think. Without the proper space to store these items, they can cause a real hassle when decluttering for the holidays. Rather than letting these gift-wrapping essentials litter your living room or home office, create a workstation to keep everything together.

6. Set Rules for New Items

While embracing the festive spirit is fun, it’s also important to have a strategy for anything new coming into your home (and the holidays often bring an influx of new items into your home!).

While you may have prepped for an avalanche of gifts, you should also prepare for some of the less obvious things like décor, entertaining supplies, and holiday clothing that sneaks in, too!

Before the holiday season is in full effect, make a list and check it twice by taking inventory of what holiday items you already have before you buy anything new. While buying the latest and greatest tableware, decorations, or tacky sweater is tempting, knowing what you already have can eliminate unnecessary clutter, duplicate items, and overspending.

After the holidays have passed and you have a better idea of all the new goods you’ve received, try the “one-for-one” rule: for every new item that comes in, remove one old one. If your kids received new toys, clothes, or books, encourage them to part with the ones they no longer use. If you received a new sweater as a gift, donate one you no longer wear.

7. Keep it Clean

We hate to say it, but decluttering isn’t a one-time deal. Unless you live in a museum where visitors and family members aren’t allowed, most of us have to keep up on clutter a minimum of every 3 – 6 months so it doesn’t get out of hand again. Fortunately, once you set and start with a solid foundation, you’ll find the process is less tedious than your first time, and it’ll become second nature.

Organizing isn’t an activity; it’s a lifestyle. By making decluttering part of your routine, you end up with a consistently tidy and inviting home. Make a maintenance schedule that includes regular check-ins of each room or area of your home. This way, everything stays in order, and you won’t have a monumental task every time you declutter.

If you help make the mess, you have to help clean it up! Assign specific decluttering tasks to your family members to speed up the process and make it a team effort. You might even playfully remind everyone that “Santa’s watching!” and that being helpful can keep them on the Nice List.

8. Declutter Your Mind

Not all decluttering tips are for your physical items! Mental decluttering is just as (if not more so) important. The holidays can be an extra stressful time, so embrace the idea that mental clarity is just as essential as a tidy home.

Take time for yourself to relax, recharge, care for your body, and calm your mind during the holiday season. Whether indulging in a bubble bath, journaling, practicing meditation, or setting clear boundaries to protect your mental space, you can avoid feeling overwhelmed and ensure your holidays are joyful rather than stressful.

As we head into the holidays, remember that getting organized and decluttering can transform the season from a source of stress into a time of joy and connection. By following these tips, you create a welcoming environment not just for yourself but all the loved ones who gather with you as well.

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