If you’ve finally reached the long-awaited goal of moving into your beautiful new home, the next step is keeping it clean and simple so that the people who actually live there-primarily you and/or your family-can get the most enjoyment out of it.

Messy roomHow to keep clutter at bay is probably a little more challenging than keeping things clean, because when it comes to knowing if something needs a cleaning, it’s usually not too difficult to determine, whereas de-cluttering involves emotions, attachments and/or the fear of needing something in the future.

  • Ask yourself if you would buy a certain object again if the opportunity came up.
  • Compare one object in question to another one that you are absolutely sure you love with all your heart, and determine if you love the object in question as much as you think you do.
  • If you have more than one of something remember that someone else might really need it and consider donating to any organization that helps people.
  • Keep in mind that everything you own does not have to be out at all times. You’ll really appreciate a cherished picture or sculpture if you only see it at certain times of the year, thus enabling you to keep more of the things you love.
  • Taking photographs of different areas and vignettes of your home makes it easier for you to see how cluttered they are.
  • You might consider the rule of three in interior decorating.  Groups of three have a nice balance to them.
  • It helps to never leave a room without taking anything that doesn’t belong there.

Implementing just a few of these tips will help keep your beautiful new home, well, beautiful!