A Fresh Start for Fall: 5 Ways to Organize, Refresh, and Prepare Your Home
Fall is officially here, and so is your home refresh! Maybe it’s the first hint of cool, crisp air, settling back into routines, or knowing that the holidays — and everything that comes with them — are right around the corner. It’s also a season when your home starts to feel especially important.
Would you believe there’s just a few, thoughtful changes that can make your home feel more organized, functional, and ready for the season ahead?
Here are five ways to give your home a fresh start this fall.
1. Focus On What Will Make Life Easier
Instead of asking, “What should I organize?” try asking: “What frustrates me every single day?”
Maybe it’s the garage that’s full of clutter and junk. Or maybe it’s the kitchen counter or an out of control junk drawer that somehow becomes the designated spot for mail, keys, bags, papers, and everything else.
Maybe it’s the pantry that annoys you every time you walk in to prepare a meal.
Those little frustrations add up, so simply start with one of them.
Creating designated places for the things you use most can make every day routines noticeably easier — and you don't have to change your entire home to feel the difference.
2. Let Go of What No Longer Fits Your Life
Clothes you haven't worn in years, kitchen gadgets you thought you’d use for that one special recipe, décor that no longer reflects your style, items kids have outgrown, and plenty of “I might need this someday” items are taking up valuable real estate in your home.
As you transition clothing, décor, and seasonal items, ask yourself whether each item still deserves the space it's taking up.
The goal isn't to get rid of all the things, just to downsize, declutter, and give value to what matters most.
The purpose is to make room for what you use, love, and way you want to live now.
3. Prep Your Home for The Season Ahead
The pantry is a perfect place to start. Before the festive holiday baking and entertaining begin, clear out expired items, donate unopened foods, and take stock of what you already have.
Group like items together. In doing so, you'll save time, avoid buying duplicates, and be ready when it's time for packing those school lunches or baking the first batches of fall treats.
Bring fall favorites forward. Move soups, hot chocolate, tea, baking ingredients, and other cooler weather staples into easy-to-reach areas.
Make room for holiday extras by leaving some breathing room for ingredients and entertaining supplies you'll be bringing home over the next several months.
4. Make the Seasonal Swap
As cooler weather moves in, give your closet a fresh start by transitioning out of summer pieces and bringing fall favorites forward. A seasonal swap is a great opportunity to create more breathing room while making getting dressed for the new season quicker and easier.
Move lightweight summer pieces out of prime space and bring sweaters, jackets, boots, and other fall favorites within easy reach.
As you make the switch, set aside anything that no longer fits, hasn't been worn, or simply doesn't reflect your style anymore.
Use the “last season” test. Before storing summer clothes, ask yourself, “Did I actually wear this? Would I choose to wear it again next summer?” If not, let it go.
5. Prepare for the Holidays Before It Becomes a To-Do List
A little preparation now can make November and December feel much less stressful and rushed.
Take inventory of your holiday décor before decorating. Open those bins, let go of pieces you no longer love. It’s the perfect time to donate those no longer loved decor items so others can use them THIS season. Check for items that needs replacing, and think about how you'd like your home to look and feel this year.
Are you looking for something different? Would you like a more unified look? Are there spaces you've never decorated, but would love to this year?
Planning now gives you the freedom to enjoy the finished project later.
And if you love a beautifully decorated home but don't love the hours it takes to make it happen, The Orderly Sort offers holiday decorating services too. We can help bring the vision together so you can spend more time enjoying the season.
Fall is a season of change and of letting go. It’s the perfect time to give your home a fresh start. Whether it’s clearing out a cluttered closet, creating better systems for the pantry, settling into a new home, refreshing a space, or preparing your home for the holidays, The Orderly Sort in Wake Forest, North Carolina is here to help.
The Orderly Sort offers home organizing, decluttering, unpacking and home set up moving concierge services, and holiday or event decorating. Let us create a home for you that feels organized, beautiful, and ready for the season ahead!