When you’re spending anywhere from 10-12 hours in a space, it’s bound to get cluttered from time to time. However, the management of one’s home, and creating an area that positively impacts you mentally, physically, and even spiritually is important. After all, your home is your sanctuary, and all too often, we can forget that fact. While it’s easier to leave that pile of clothes out overnight or leave your dishes in the sink to ‘soak’ – really we’re going deeper than that. Taking control of your home life means a little more than a spring clean. Here are a few simple things you can do to make your house a home that benefits your life every day you spend there.

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Break Down Your Bills

Nobody likes them, but getting on top of your ingoings and outgoings is step one of taking control of the household. Budgeting apps and comparison sites have taken off in the last decade in a major way, leading to more people being able to not only gain visibility of fixed costs, but also where they could easily cut back. This isn’t purely focused on your utilities either. 

Platforms like Plum or Bulb will allow you to quickly find alternative suppliers who might offer improved rates, ideally shaving a fair few off a monthly bill. However, something as large as your mortgage payments if you’re a homeowner, are by no means off-limits to negotiation. You can easily compare mortgage and remortgage rates on a number of free platforms and potentially hundreds of dollars off your repayments. While some of our tips will tackle physical items and open space in the home, the monetary aspect of home-living can be a huge stress factor – simply being able to find a fairer rate, a more suitable mortgage arrangement, and have a clear knowledge of where your paycheck is going each month will be a huge weight off your chest and a little kinder on your bank account. 

Clear the Closet

Second-hand selling isn’t just about turning unworn clothes into cash. It’s a greener option too, re-selling clothes onto someone else means less waste getting thrown out, too. A host of platforms support safe and secure selling of second-hand clothes, some of the best known include Vinted, Depop, or eBay – although you’re always able to drop them off at a charity store too if you prefer. 

We will accumulate a lot of clothing over our lives, and there’s nothing wrong with having a lot of options when you’re deciding what to wear, but living lightly has its benefits. Keeping only the clothes you really love or feel good in means more room in the home, and a happier you heading out to face the day each morning without those jeans that are too tight, or that shirt with the stain on the sleeve. 

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Make Your Home Work For You

This one is a little more introspective but can have a huge amount of benefit to an individual. Feng Shui and the ‘KonMari’ method made popular by Marie Kondo’s Netflix show all take inspiration from the idea that your house should be organized with a purpose. Every space should have a theme or meaning and clear use. It really means thinking about the things in your home now, and your interests or hobbies. Is your living room centered around the TV, but you enjoy reading? Do you love to exercise, but you’ve kept a spare bedroom instead? Is your bedroom a mess of random closets cluttered around your bed? While managing your money and the sheer amount of ‘things’ you have can have the benefit of giving you some breathing space, actually having a house that reflects your life and allows you to unwind, rest, and recharge is equally important. 

The best way to go about this is decluttering before looking at the space you have available to you. From there, decide what you really value in your everyday life, and the sorts of things you either see or do that bring you particular enjoyment. Whether you find yourself putting up a new spice rack because you love to cook, or hanging potted plants on your balcony because greenery makes you feel peaceful – it really doesn’t matter. You live in your house, but it’s up to you to make it your home.