7 Organizing tips to try in your rental home

It’s not impossible to get and to stay organized in a temporary rental space. Here are a few tips to get you started.

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t There is nothing like clutter and mess to make me feel unproductive and overwhelmed. And when you rent your home, you have to make do with the storage that’s already there. I’ve got a few tips that will help you declutter and use the space that you already have to get organized.

1. Use a dresser as furniture

t These days, thrift stores are overflowing with old dressers. Don’t let the fact that it looks a little worn down scare you. A bit of elbow grease and paint and you’ll have a piece of furniture with tons of storage potential. Use dressers as TV consoles, entryway tables and even for shoe storage.

2. Ditch the junk drawer

t Believe it or not, the junk drawer just perpetuates a bad habit. Start throwing junk in a drawer and forgetting about it, soon enough that drawer overflows into a cabinet, then a closet and before you know it you’re on the next episode of Hoarders. But seriously, if you deal with the “junk” instead of tossing it aside, your space will thank you later.

3. Grab a storage cabinet

t There are tons of storage cabinet options out there. If you have the space, think about investing in one. Use it for whatever overflow storage you need for your rental. And you can take it with you when you move.

4. Use baskets

t Baskets are the best tool around to corral wayward objects. They can be used virtually anywhere and look good while hiding everything you don’t want anyone to see. Try using a basket for over-the-refrigerator storage or in the living room to hold extra blankets. They even work perfectly in the bathroom holding extra rolls of toilet paper.

5. Double-duty decor

t There is nothing I love more than something that looks pretty and holds stuff I want to keep organized. Use a glass cookie jar to hold those million little bottles of fingernail polish. That pretty mug you picked up on your last vacation can hold your earrings. And bonus: Hang dangly earrings from the side. And don’t forget decorative boxes. Use those to stash remote controls and other odds and ends that have no home.

6. Throw away old stuff

t Don’t fall into the trap of keeping every single piece of paper that comes through your door or that pair of jeans from high school that you swear you’re going to fit into again. We’re all guilty of holding on to some things longer than we should, but the golden rule in organizing is if you haven’t looked its way in a year, toss it out. Purging is also highly addictive.

7. A place for everything

t It’s amazing how much more organized things stay when they have a place to go. Honestly, organizing can be a waste of time if you don’t put the systems in place that will keep you organized. Take some time and figure out where everything is going to live. And at the end of the day, return your space to its original state. You’ll feel much better in the morning when you wake up to a tidy home.

t It’s not impossible to get and to stay organized in a temporary rental space. With a little thought and little effort, you’ll be well on your way to the home you want. And you’ll be able to find the remote when you need it.