January is the ideal time to reset your home. Decluttering creates breathing room after the festive season, brings a sense of calm to everyday life, and if selling is on the horizon, helps your home feel more spacious, considered and appealing from the very first impression.
This simple checklist focuses on the areas that matter most – for living well now, and for showcasing your home at its best later.
1. Clear the Everyday “Drop Zones”
Kitchen benches, entry consoles, bedside tables and laundry tops are the most common clutter hotspots. Clearing these areas instantly makes your home feel calmer and more functional.
Edit these surfaces back to the essentials and contain everyday items neatly in trays, drawers or baskets. Visually lighter surfaces not only make daily life easier, they also help rooms feel larger, cleaner and more intentional – a key factor when presenting your home to others.
2. Declutter Drawers and Small Storage
Drawers are often ignored, yet they play a big role in how organised a home feels. Take the time to remove broken, duplicated or rarely used items and group what remains by function.
Well-organised drawers improve daily efficiency and signal care and order throughout the home. When storage opens easily and looks purposeful, it reinforces the feeling of a well-maintained space.
3. Edit Wardrobes
Wardrobes and cupboards should feel spacious, not stuffed. Remove clothing and items you no longer use, store off-season pieces elsewhere and aim for breathing room between hangers and shelves.
An edited wardrobe is easier to live with and visually communicates generous storage. This sense of space helps others imagine how the home will work for them – an important emotional connection, whether hosting guests or welcoming potential buyers.
4. Simplify Kids’ Spaces and Artwork
Children’s areas can quickly become visually busy. Streamlining toys, books and artwork creates a calmer environment that’s easier to maintain.
Rotate toys rather than displaying everything at once, and limit artwork to a few special pieces while storing the rest neatly. The result is a space that feels balanced and considered, allowing rooms to feel adaptable, peaceful and practical.
5. Tidy Hallways and Storage Areas
Hall cupboards, linen closets, garages and storage rooms often hold the most clutter – and they’re more noticeable than you might think.
Grouping items into clearly defined zones and removing excess makes these spaces easier to use and visually lighter. Well-ordered storage reinforces the sense that the home functions effortlessly, without feeling overfilled.
6. Finish with a Whole-Home Reset
Once you’ve worked through each area, do a final walkthrough of your home. Look at each room with fresh eyes and ask whether it feels open, calm and purposeful.
If an item doesn’t serve a clear function or enhance the space, it’s worth reconsidering. This final edit brings everything together, creating a home that feels lighter, more organised and ready for whatever the year brings.
