Our Blog

Ways to Declutter Your Home Office

February 16, 2020
Published by Grayhawk Homes

With more people working flex schedules and often working at least part-time from home, a number of builders like Grayhawk Homes are including office spaces in their new homes in Phenix City AL. Still, whether you’re in the office or at home, it’s important to keep your office space organized and decluttered to ensure nothing gets misplaced and you can easily transfer work between home and office when necessary. Here are some tips to help declutter your home office and make it a productive space.

The first place to start is all of that old tech that’s piling up, whether in your office or in storage somewhere. Go through drawers, closets, shelves, and even your desk and get rid of any machines that are broken, outdated, or simply no use. That means cords, keyboards, old monitors, broken printers, and even old clunky desktop computers that are gathering dust. If you’re not using it and haven’t used it in a year or more, recycle it. If it’s an old laptop or computer or other device that may contain sensitive information, it may be worthwhile to call in an expert wiper to erase all information or physically destroy the device. Just make sure you take all of the junk machinery and cords to an electronics recycler rather than just throwing it in the trash.

Next, it’s time to look at all the low-tech accessories you have. Do you need multiple hole punches, staplers, tape rolls and other old-school office supplies? Go through and organize what you want to keep, and toss what you know you’re not going to use in this digital age. Do you really need a glue stick? Give it to your kids for crafts. Also, now is the time to go through all of those pens and pencils and toss the tiny pencils, the pens that don’t work, and keep at it throughout the year. As soon as a pen gets temperamental, toss it. You shouldn’t waste time looking for a working pen when you’re trying to make important notes on a call. Don’t forget to recycle any old notebooks and notepads that you’re through with and won’t be using again.

When it comes to manuals, guides and similar paperwork that you do want to keep, consider going digital. In some cases, manufacturers may have digital manuals online that you can download and save. Alternatively, you may want to make the effort to digitize these documents yourself. There’s probably a lot of paperwork  you could scan and save digitally and recycle the original. If you’re not prepared to get rid of physical manuals, at least gather them all together, recycle any that you no longer need, and keep all of them in one designated spot so you can find them easily when needed. Of course, anything that you do digitize, make sure you have multiple backups in case of damage, theft, etc.

Finally, if you’re prone to having lots of toys and tchotchkes on your desktop, it’s time to scale back. You want to look professional if you have clients coming to your home office, but you also need to be focused and have room to work. Keep a few things that help you or give you enjoyment, but otherwise, keep your desk clear. You can also install shelving if you want to show off favorite figurines or sports memorabilia, but make sure it’s neatly organized and off the desk. Plus, the less clutter on your desk, the easier it is to clean. And don’t forget to clean! Don’t let dust, crumbs, and small spills stick around.

It’s always a good time to give your home office space an assessment and make sure you have what you need and aren’t letting unnecessary items clutter your space and potentially clutter your mind. Having everything at hand without having to dig through disordered piles helps you work more efficiently and ultimately gives you more time to make the most of working from one of the new homes in Phenix City AL.

Categorised in: Ways to Declutter Your Home Office

This post was written by Grayhawk Homes