Top 7 Benefits of Working Remotely From a Home Office

One of the notable by-products of advancements in technology in the past decade is that working remotely has become easier than ever.

What is working remotely? It simply means doing your job from home, either on a part-time or full-time basis. This type of working arrangement is also referred to as:

  • telecommuting
  • virtual commuting
  • teleworking
  • remote work
  • virtual work

Woman in a home office designed by Organized Interiors.

More companies are embracing working remotely

There’s a direct correlation between more jobs becoming computer-reliant, technological advances, and the growing trend of working remotely.

There have been sizeable increases in broadband speeds and improvements to WiFi and video conferencing technology.

Advancements in mobile and cloud collaboration technology are also driving the digital shift in workplace structures. And, of course, the number of tech-savvy millennials entering the workforce is another factor.

Forbes reported that in 2016, “43% of Americans spent some time working remotely”. The World Economic Forum’s employment trends forecast cited telecommuting as one of the main factors affecting changes in the workplace.

Each year, more and more companies offer an option to telecommute to their employees. Studies show that some of the benefits to businesses include:

  • reductions in office and overhead costs
  • longer retention rates of higher quality employees
  • better quality work is produced (and at higher productivity levels)
  • their employees have lower stress levels

7 reasons working remotely can work for you

As attractive as working from home may seem, it’s admittedly not for everybody. There are challenges, such as maintaining a productive balance between home and work.

Less social contact and not being able to network in person with co-workers may also prove to be a difficult adjustment for some.

For most of us, however, the idea of working remotely from a home office is very appealing. Whether you’re working remotely or self-employed and working from home, there are definite benefits to having your workspace where you live.

Some of the benefits (like saving time) may be obvious, but there are a few other ones you may not have considered. Here are seven key benefits of working remotely from a home office.

1. Set your own hours

Being able to set your own hours is the most obvious benefit of working from home.

As mentioned, it can be tricky finding that healthy balance between your home life and your work responsibilities. Once you do find a good balance, however, the flexibility and freedom that comes with working remotely can be liberating and empowering.

Along with setting your own hours, you can also manage your non-working life much easier. You’ll love being able to take care of tasks like grocery shopping when the stores are less busy. Appointments can be scheduled at times that are more convenient to you.

Or maybe you’re a night owl who does their best work after the sun goes down. If so, you’re tailor-made for telecommuting.

Some adjustments to your work schedule may need to be made to accommodate phone or video conference calls or occasional visits to the office. But for the most part, you can dictate when your work gets done.

2. Say goodbye to commuting

While setting your own work hours is a nice luxury, those with longer commutes to the office might just consider saying “so long” to that part of their daily routine the most welcome aspect of working remotely.

The national average for commute times is 26 minutes (that’s each way, to and from work). In Toronto, that average jumps to 34 minutes, the highest in Canada.

If you happen to live a significant distance from where you work and need to travel during peak traffic times, you could be spending a dozen hours or more per week commuting. We all need to make a living, but at some point, you have to ask yourself exactly how much your time is worth.

Working remotely virtually eliminates this stressful, unpleasant part of the working experience. All of that time you’ll reclaim from not sitting in your vehicle for several hours every week can be spent on more worthwhile things.

If you’re able to work from a home office, you’ll also have a little more flexibility with where you can live. You won’t be as tied down to being located within a short commute to your office…because your office is just a few steps away from where you woke up.

3. Save time getting ready for work

The time you’ll save from working remotely doesn’t just add up by eliminating your commute. Since your home office is now your workspace, you can spend less time on getting prepared for work.

That doesn’t necessarily mean you’ll want to start each workday still dressed in your pajamas, mind you. Getting showered and at least putting on some decent day clothes helps to get you in a working mindset.

This helps to maintain that healthy balance between your professional worker self and your casual at-home self. But if you wake up and feel like getting right to work, working the occasional time in what you wore to sleep is at least an option you never had before!

Being able to telecommute allows your day to get off to a start that’s a little less rushed, which sets a better tone for the rest of your day.

Working from home and the time saved by doing so can be devoted to just about anything. You can spend more time with the family, pick up a hobby, start exercising regularly, or invest it right back into your work schedule.

4. Working remotely can boost productivity

Think about how many interruptions and distractions you get at work. There’s the constant operational noise of the office, co-workers dropping by your desk to chat or ask a question, water cooler conversations, and meetings to attend.

A busy office environment can restrict productivity, which is a problem you won’t have when working remotely. A survey by Staples found that 86% of telecommuters feel they’re more productive working from a home office.

A 2013 Bank of Montreal (BMO) poll of Canadian businesses found that 65% of them saw increases in productivity from their remote workers. Other studies and surveys show that telecommuters are largely more engaged with their work and miss fewer days than those working in a shared office space.

Developing a productive work regimen and blocking out the distractions that are unique to a home working environment may take a little work at first. Once you do have them figured out, you’ll wish you had been able to work from home years ago.

5. Shape your own workspace design

Designing your home office space for maximum productivity is one key part of developing and maintaining a productive home working routine.

One of the great benefits of telecommuting is you can shape your own workspace design any way you want. Most shared office spaces are sterile and have lousy artificial lighting. That type of working environment can make it harder to focus and get the most out of your workday.

A bespoke home office space that’s tailored to your work needs and offers more flexibility should result in better productivity and a higher comfort level.

Start by choosing a good spot for your home office, preferably a room with plenty of natural light. You’ll also want to pick a room that’s separated enough from the rest of your home to avoid interruptions and encourage a consistent workflow.

Your custom home office should be designed to make your most frequently done work tasks as easy and as convenient as possible. Keeping office clutter to a minimum will boost productivity, so ensure your home office design makes it as effortless as possible to stay organized.

working remotely home office

Have your home office designed for maximum productivity and comfort.

6. Working remotely can reduce stress

With all the conveniences that come with working remotely, it won’t come as a surprise that telecommuters feel less stressed than those working in a shared workspace.

Study after study shows that those who work at home have lower stress levels than workers in office environments. For starters, you won’t need to deal with any aggravating office politics and drama.

That Staples survey found that on average, employees who transitioned from working in an office to working from home reported their stress levels were 25% lower. 73% also felt that they were eating healthier since they started working remotely.

A 2017 Flexjobs survey of 5,500 workers shows that 78% of the respondents felt that a job with work flexibility (like telecommuting) would result in them being healthier. 86% said they believed they would be less stressed.

The survey also found that stress from commuting was the fourth most popular answer (45% of respondents) as to why someone would seek a job that allowed them to work from home.

7. Save money

Another benefit of working remotely is it allows you to save money. You may be able to write off your home office space, office furniture, and office supplies as a tax deduction.

How much you can claim will depend on your employment status. Those that are self-employed will have more flexibility with tax deductions than those who are considered full-time employees with a business.

The money saved on gas costs alone from commuting will add up to a substantial amount. You’ll also put far less wear and tear on your vehicle, which will extend its life.

CNN reports that the average American spends $2,600 yearly on commuting costs. You could take those savings and put them toward a relaxing family vacation.

Let us design your home office space

Whether you’re working remotely, want an office space for doing taxes or work on the computer, or need a home study space for your kids, Organized Interiors specializes in designing fabulous bespoke home offices.

To plan how your home office space can be designed to get the most out of how you need to use it, book a free in-home design consultation with us.

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5 Reasons a Custom Closet Makes the Perfect Mother’s Day Gift


This year, you’re really looking to come up with the perfect Mother’s Day gift that’s guaranteed to make a lasting impression on mom.

Traditional Mother’s Day gift ideas like flowers or a spa treatment are just that – traditional. While thoughtful, they don’t exactly stand out for their originality.

For all mom does, she deserves something truly special this Mother’s Day. Let’s get creative.

Give a Mother’s Day gift she needs (and won’t expect)

Any gift is nice to receive. One crucial element that makes some gifts more memorable than others, however, is the recipient really needing what they’ve been given.

Combine that with the element of surprise and you have a winning formula that adds up to the perfect gift.

The Mother’s Day gift that checks both boxes for many moms is a custom closet makeover. Here are five reasons it will make the perfect gift idea this coming Mother’s Day.

1. Mom’s existing closet could use some help

What are the most disorganized areas in your home? If you’re like most homeowners, it’s probably your garage, medicine cabinet, kitchen cupboards, home office, and bedroom closets.

In a OnePoll survey of 1,000 American women, 25% of respondents admitted that they’d describe their closets as being disorganized. In that same survey, 10% of the women actually said they felt depressed when they opened their closets.

For the mom or wife whose closet is a perpetual disaster, a Mother’s Day gift that addresses an area she needs help with will be greatly appreciated.

Perhaps mom has mentioned that she’s been meaning to look at ways to improve her closet, but has never had enough time to follow through. She’ll love the fact you’ve taken the care and initiative to help transform her closet space.

Mother’s Day gift closet organizer

Is mom’s closet a disaster? Transform her wardrobe storage space with a reach-in closet makeover that will make the perfect Mother’s Day gift.

2. Maximize mom’s closet space and functionality

Buying too many clothes contributes to closets becoming disorganized. While there’s no disputing that fact, one of the main reasons a closet becomes a mess is because it’s simply not designed properly to maximize storage space.

With the expertise of a custom closet professional, mom’s closet can be designed to provide an optimal level of storage space and functionality.

Consider these statistics:

  • women’s closets contain an average of $550 worth of unworn clothing (10 Yetis survey of 2,137 American women)
  • 47% of women struggle when it comes to deciding on which work outfit they should wear (OnePoll survey)
  • an estimated 80% of our clothes are only worn 20% of the time (National Association of Professional Organizers study)

Clearly, clothes that aren’t even being worn, yet are taking up valuable closet space and limiting its overall functionality isn’t ideal.

Gifting mom with a reach-in closet makeover that’s supplemented with helpful closet accessories will transform a dysfunctional closet space into a functional one.

3. An organized closet helps simplify mom’s life

Moms deal with more than enough stress. Maximizing her closet storage space and the ease with which it functions helps to alleviate just a little bit of that stress and simplify her daily routine when it comes to choosing an outfit.

She’ll reclaim a lot of the wasted time that results when your closets are in a perpetual state of chaos. Disorganized people waste a few hours each week looking for lost or misplaced items. Messy closets are a major reason much of that time is wasted.

Using a tidy, well-lit closet that features a pleasant décor makes for a much nicer start to anyone’s day. Everything will have its place. This enables you to maintain order within the storage space.

Wouldn’t it be nice to eliminate the daily stress mom experiences because her disorganized closet is limiting her ability to find a particular item of clothing?

4. A custom closet provides long-term value

A Mother’s Day gift of a custom closet makeover may admittedly require a bigger financial commitment than flowers or a nice restaurant dinner.

Unlike most Mother’s Day gifts, however, there’s a lot more long-term value in a closet upgrade that will be used every single day for many years to come.

For the ultimate custom closet for mom, you could even consider treating her to a new large walk-in closet. It’s a shame to have a wasted spare room in a home, especially in a major city where real estate prices are so high.

Putting that empty room in your home to work as a walk-in closet gives mom a wealth of wardrobe storage room. It also functions as a private, soothing space that will quickly become her favourite room in the house.

Upgrading mom’s reach-in closet space or adding a walk-in closet won’t just be valuable to mom on a daily basis. Ample and functional closet space also adds value to your home. A majority of realtors agree that it’s one of the most coveted features homebuyers look for.

Mother’s Day gift dressing room

A spacious walk-in closet is the ultimate in luxury and space management for mom.

5. Mom can personalize the closet design

A personal closet space should have a personal touch from the person who will be using it. That’s why it’s a good idea to include mom in the design process for her dream closet.

Organized Interiors offers complimentary design consultations, but we understand maintaining the element of surprise with this Mother’s Day gift may be important to you.

Whoever is giving the gift could set up a consultation with us to get the makeover process started. In addition to our website, our Idea Book (which you can download here) can help you find some inspirational home organization and storage ideas.

You could even get the design process started with us by choosing a closet layout. Mom can then put her personal touch on the project after Mother’s Day by weighing in on certain design decisions. For example, she could choose finishing touches such as which types of closet accessories and decorative hardware to include.

Or you could simply let mom be fully involved in the whole process with one of our closet design experts.

Give the Mother’s Day gift she’ll never forget

Make this year’s Mother’s Day gift of a custom closet makeover the one that attains “legendary status”.

And if mom’s closet happens to be in good shape and you’re looking for other special Mother’s Day gift ideas, here are a few more suggestions for the home:

Don’t hesitate to schedule your free design consultation with Organized Interiors in order to have something special to give to mom on her special day!

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How to Choose the Right Decorative Hardware for Cabinets

New custom cabinetry makes a world of difference in how a room looks and functions.

The creation of a home office, a dressing room, a new closet, or any other project involving custom cabinets requires a lot of decisions to be made about what will be included in the design of the cabinets.

Choosing the right decorative hardware for cabinets that are part of your home improvement project is just one of those many decisions.

decorative hardware for cabinets pulls

Decorative hardware for cabinets: why finishing details matter

The type of decorative hardware used with your custom cabinetry might seem like a minor detail in relation to the wider scope of what may be a big project. But you can be sure, every detail matters when you’re having something designed that you’ll be using and looking at every day.

The decorative hardware for cabinets you choose will be right there, front and centre, on the finished product. The right choices of cabinet knobs, pulls, and hooks can add character to a room, in subtle or more pronounced ways.

Poorly chosen decorative hardware, on the other hand, can have a similarly negative effect on the visual appeal of a room. Your decorative hardware choices also put a personalized stamp on your custom cabinetry.

So exactly how do you make smart choices when it comes to decorative hardware for cabinets? Here are a few tips.

Give yourself plenty of options

Psychologist Barry Schwartz’s 2004 book The Paradox of Choice argues that having an abundance of choice is a bad thing. We think he couldn’t be more wrong, at least when it comes to having custom cabinets designed.

The whole point of choosing custom cabinetry over a big box store’s limited selection of off-the-shelf furniture is that you get the ability to have it designed to your needs (and let’s not overlook its higher quality, either).

A key element of that customization includes choosing your decorative hardware.

The more decorative hardware choices you’re presented with, the better chance you’ll have of finding the perfect hardware accessories to beautifully accentuate your custom cabinetry or closet space.

An abundance of choice with custom-built products brings you that much closer to complete satisfaction with the finished product.

Organized Interiors knows the benefits and importance of giving our customers plenty of decorative hardware for cabinets options. Our showroom has hundreds of samples of the industry’s best designer decorative hardware, including the largest selection of Richelieu decorative hardware in the GTA.

decorative hardware for cabinets samples

Organized Interiors’ showroom has hundreds of samples of the industry’s best designer decorative hardware.

Complement your bespoke cabinetry and home décor

In addition to complementing your bespoke cabinetry, having a wealth of decorative hardware options has other benefits.

Cabinets that are designed to your specifications also make it easier to complement your home’s décor and its flow from room to room. Regardless of whether a room’s style is classic, contemporary, or transitional, there’s a decorative hardware style available to effectively complement and enhance any room’s look.

Should you go with a trendier style of decorative hardware that might not be as pleasing to you several years from now? Does your room’s existing décor style make the choice more obvious?

How about hardware sizes (meaning how prominent of a role do you want your knobs or pulls to play in the cabinets’ profile)? How much of your own signature do you want to put on your bespoke cabinetry?

There are many questions to consider when making your decision about decorative hardware for cabinets, so be sure to leverage the expertise of a knowledgeable professional.

Get a hands-on experience

A big part of your research when choosing decorative hardware should include getting a hands-on experience with it.

The tactile experience of sampling potential pulls, knobs, and hooks you’ll be touching every day will give you a more personal connection to them.

An up-close sampling of important factors like the hardware’s comfort and functionality will give you a better sense as to whether they’re the right choice for your custom cabinetry or closet.

Does a weathered, rustic finish on a brass pull feel nicer to the touch than a smoother polished chrome finish? Maybe the feel of an antique glass knob compared to a metal knob with a satin nickel finish is more to your personal taste. Which size of pull or knob feels more comfortable?

Actually touching the hardware will also give you an idea of what kind of quality your product has. Organized Interiors’ decorative hardware collection is manufactured to strict quality guidelines and features hardware created by world-renowned designers.

We actually call it Artware. Why? Well, we felt the hardware was so beautiful that calling it “art” only seemed fitting!

And there’s one more great reason to get an up-close view of the decorative hardware you’re considering – you’ll get a better idea of how it looks than you will from a picture on a computer screen or from a catalog book.

decorative hardware for cabinets

Sample the GTA’s best selection of decorative hardware for cabinets

Spending the time to make the best choices when it comes to important finishing touches like custom cabinetry decorative hardware is well worth it.

Organized Interiors has the best selection of decorative hardware for cabinets in the GTA, just waiting to be sampled in our 10,000 square foot showroom.

If you’d prefer to have an Organized Interiors design consultant visit your home, book a free in-home consultation with us today.

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Top 7 Canadian Wines You Need To Try

Canadian wines in a wine cellar
When you think of the countries who produce some of the world’s finest wines, names like Italy, France, Spain, and Portugal immediately come to mind.

Canadian wines may not have the history or prestige that the top winemakers from those countries have, but we do produce many outstanding varieties of wine. Obviously, Canadian icewines are now world-renowned.

Here are a few interesting facts about the Canadian wine industry:

  • Canada and Germany are the world’s largest icewine producers
  • approximately 75% of Canada’s icewine is produced in Ontario
  • in 2016, Canadian bottled wine exports were valued at $34.7 million (icewine accounted for 55% of that)
  • the wine and grape industry is responsible for more than 37,000 Canadian jobs
  • between 2011 and 2015, the national economic impact of the Canadian wine industry grew from $6.8 billion to $9 billion (a 33% increase)

7 Canadian wines that won’t disappoint

Clearly, our wine industry is robust and Canadian wines are receiving more and more international attention for their high quality.

We thought we’d spotlight just a few of the fine Canadian wines you owe it to yourself to try at least once.

2012 Limestone Vineyard Pinot NoirRedstone Winery

Ontario’s Redstone Winery was named Winery of the Year at the 2017 WineAlign National Wine Awards of Canada. That’s an impressive achievement for one of the relatively newer Canadian wineries.

Redstone’s sustainably farmed 38-acre estate vineyard in Beamsville (located between Hamilton and St. Catharines) produces award-winning Chardonnays, Rieslings, and Rosés.

Last month’s issue of Vintages magazine recommended Redstone’s 2012 Limestone Vineyard Pinot Noir ($25), citing its “elegant floral, raspberry, and wood spice notes”.

2014 Reserve MerlotMission Hill Family Estate Winery

B.C.’s Mission Hill Family Estate Winery helped put Canada on the international wine map when they took home the Best Chardonnay in the World award at the 1993 International Wine & Spirit Competition.

More recently, their 2011 Martin’s Lane Pinot Noir won the top award in the under £15 category at 2013’s Decanter World Wine Awards. Even more impressive is the fact they were competing against 14,000 other wines. That same year, Mission Hill was named the Canadian Winery of the Year at the National Wine Awards.

Earlier this year, respected Canadian wine publication Vintage Assessments recommended Mission Hill’s 2014 Reserve Merlot ($30).

2014 Okanagan Riesling IcewineInniskillin Wines

Inniskillin Wines, Ontario’s first icewine maker, is Canada’s largest icewine maker and exporter. Based in Niagara-on-the-Lake with a second winery in B.C., Inniskillin might be best known for their superb icewines, but icewines actually only account for about 10% of the winery’s annual output,

One of the most internationally well-known Canadian wineries, Inniskillin also attracts more than 250,000 tourists to their wineries each year.

Icewine lovers can’t go wrong with Inniskillin’s 2014 Okanagan Riesling Icewine ($53). It was a Silver Medal Winner at last year’s WineAlign National Wine Awards of Canada.

Burrowing Owl 2014 Cabernet SauvignonBurrowing Owl Estate Winery

Burrowing Owl Estate Winery was started in 1993 in British Columbia’s Okanagan Valley wine region.

Considered one of the leading Canadian wine wineries, Burrowing Owl Estate recently picked up awards for several of their 2014-2016 vintages at the 2017 National Wine Awards of Canada.

One of those award-winning wines is Burrowing Owl’s 2014 Cabernet Sauvignon ($46).

2012 Cuvée Catharine Estate Blanc de BlancHenry of Pelham Winery

Henry of Pelham Winery produced their first vintage in 1988, in the early days of Niagara’s wine production. The winery produces an assortment of well-regarded red and white wines, as well as various icewines.

Toronto Life magazine praised their 2015 Chardonnay Estate ($20) as “one of the LCBO’s best bottles of Ontario wine”. Just last week, the Toronto Star spotlighted the winery’s 2015 Henry of Pelham Speck Family Reserve Baco Noir ($25) on a list of recommended wines for Easter dinner.

Sparkling wines are another award-winning specialty of the winery. Henry of Pelham’s 2012 Cuvée Catharine Estate Blanc de Blanc ($45) was a Gold Award winner at the 2017 All Canadian Wine Championships.

2015 Boswell SyrahQuails’ Gate Winery

Founded in 1956, B.C.’s Quails’ Gate Winery produces more than 50,000 cases of wine each year and is one of the most well-known Canadian wineries.

At the 2017 National Wine Awards of Canada, Quails’ Gate was named sixth on a list of Canada’s top 25 wineries.
Five Quails’ Gate wines also collected awards.

A November 2017 Globe and Mail article also singled out the winery’s 2015 Boswell Syrah ($55) as one of B.C.’s top red wines.

2015 Small Lot Wood Post RieslingThirty Bench Wine Makers

Celebrating its 25th anniversary next year, Thirty Bench Wine Makers is another Niagara-area winemaker receiving great acclaim for their premium wines. Here are a few recent awards they’ve received:

  • runner-up as Canada’s top winery at the 2017 National Wine Awards of Canada
  • Thirty Bench winemaker Emma Garner named “Winemaker of the Year” at 2015’s Ontario Wine Awards
  • “Best Performing Small Winery in Canada” award at 2015 National Wine Awards of Canada

Thirty Bench’s award-winning 2015 Small Lot Wood Post Riesling ($30) is one big reason for the winery’s popularity and high regard among Canadian wines.

Store the finest Canadian wines in style

If you’re someone who appreciates some of the top Canadian wines, you’re clearly someone who appreciates the finer things in life.

And fine wine deserves to be stored in the highest quality custom wine cabinetry available. Organized Interiors specializes in wine cabinetry designs that provide a stylish home for wine collections of all sizes.

If you’re looking for a more upscale wine storage solution for your wine collection, schedule a free in-home design consultation with us.

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5 Ugly Truths Your Cluttered Life Reveals About You

Cluttered life showing a messy room
No one sets out to live a cluttered life. It just sort of…happens.

A family moves into a new home, unpacks their things, and there’s initially a satisfying degree of order and tidiness within their surroundings. The slow creep of clutter eventually works its dastardly magic, however.

That once-organized abode gradually morphs into a messy, stress-causing space that becomes increasingly difficult to function in.

The reasons for a home’s descent into a disorganized, clutter-filled state are many. One of the main culprits is a lack of time invested in home cleaning and organizing. This may be due to having a cluttered life in other ways, such as being consumed by work responsibilities.

Or maybe it’s more about priorities. A 2015 study by Moen (North America’s top faucet brand) found that almost 20% of respondents didn’t prioritize keeping their home organized.

Anyone looking in at your life from the outside can make a few assumptions about how your cluttered life is affecting you. Here are five examples.

1. Your cluttered life has you stressed out

The most serious way in which living with too much clutter affects us is the toll it takes on our health. Anxiety and stress are unfortunate by-products of living with a lot of clutter.

Even if you don’t think your clutter is stressing you out, your subconscious self might disagree. Whether you’re aware of it or not, the brain interprets one’s messy surroundings as something that needs to be dealt with. Clutter also impedes our ability to focus on things.

For those more troubled by the cluttered state of their home, the stress can become to feel inescapable, energy-draining, and even lead to depression. A Huffington Post survey found that the fifth most common stress trigger for Americans was worrying their home wasn’t clean or organized enough.

Whichever camp you fall into, the conscious and subconscious stress your cluttered life is causing is also probably affecting the quality of your sleep. Naturally, poor sleeping habits can contribute to other health problems.

2. You have low self-esteem

A cause and effect of clutter-related stress may also involve a decline in your self-esteem level. Depression and low self-esteem go hand in hand.

In homes where clutter problems have become particularly debilitating, the mere thought of how to address the issue can become overwhelming.

Letting the problem escalate to a seemingly unmanageable level can lead you to feel ashamed and guilty for not being more in control of the situation. 

With a messy home, you’ll be less inclined to entertain guests. Even just letting visitors into your front doorway might not be something you’re willing to do if the clutter problem is completely out of control.

After all, who wants a visitor to leave with a bad impression of your home and you after getting a glimpse into your cluttered life?

3. Your cluttered life causes friction in the home

clutter life fingers pointing

Adding two or more people to a living situation can lead to friction in the home over how much effort others spend on keeping the space tidy. It’s almost inevitable there’ll be a butting of heads at some point over this issue.

That aforementioned Moen study stat about 20% of respondents not prioritizing home organization undoubtedly has ripple effects. For those who consider themselves to be the most organized person in the home, the indifference of other occupants towards keeping their shared space clean is viewed very unfavourably.

Animosity grows and relationships can deteriorate. Even if an exasperated neatnik does make an effort to clean up someone else’s space, they might alienate the messy person by throwing something out that should have been kept.

And how many times have we heard about someone being annoyed that they can’t find anything after someone straightens up for them?

Another study of 3,000 adults in the UK for Esure Home Insurance found that 40% of respondents argued regularly with their partner over lost items.

4. Your clutter costs you money

Clutter doesn’t just have a mental and emotional cost, there’s an actual financial cost you need to consider. Organization expert Peter Walsh examined this in his book Lighten Up: Love What You Have, Have What You Need, Be Happier with Less. 

Walsh points out that living with clutter costs you money in the following ways:

  • valuable square footage in your home that’s occupied by unnecessary junk
  • duplicate purchases made because you lose items or can’t find things in the clutter
  • wasted money on renting a storage unit for items that can’t fit in your home

Walsh lays out a scenario to illustrate his point about how much money is wasted in home square footage with clutter. His example takes a $250,000 home (clearly, he doesn’t live in Toronto or Vancouver) that has 2,500 square feet.

It’s easy enough to determine that one square foot in the home is worth $100. Now consider, how many square feet are wasted in the average home with useless clutter? The literal cost of clutter can add up quickly.

5. Your time at home is less productive than it should be

Clutter’s effect on your health and finances is sobering enough. You also can’t ignore the toll that clutter takes on your time and productivity at home.

Trying to find things in a disorganized home can consume a ridiculous amount of your time. A 2017 survey by Pixie (who make an iPhone app that helps you find lost items) found that the average American wastes 2.5 days each year searching for things at home.

That Esure Home Insurance survey produced similar results. It estimates Britons spend about 10 minutes each day looking for misplaced items. That works out to a little under 2.5 days each year.

In addition to the wasted time spent looking for things, a cluttered home also limits your ability to be as productive as you should be at home.

For example, a chore like vacuuming takes more work because there’s clutter you need to navigate around. Maybe working out on your treadmill is less likely to happen because you’d have to clear off all the clothes that are draped over the machine.

Liberate yourself from the negative effects of living a cluttered life

For help when it comes to dealing with your cluttered life, Organized Interiors has the know-how and right products to restore order to your home’s organization.

Schedule your free in-home design consultation with us today.

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