Closet Organizing Systems - 6 Steps To Finding The
Perfect One
There are many different kinds of closet organizing systems. The
challenge is finding or making one that fits your budget, needs, and
personal style. Here are some suggested steps to help make the process
easier.
Step
One in Closet Organization: Budget
Decide on a budget. This is included as the first step because what your
budget is will affect all other areas of your decision making process.
You need to know how much you can or are willing to spend on organizing
your closet before you go looking at closet organizing systems. It can
be very tempting to justify the cost to yourself of buying a top of the
line closet organizing system and then have buyer’s remorse after
you look at your credit card statement and realize that you really
couldn’t afford it. Decide on a budget and stick to it.
Step
Two in Closet Organization: Make or Buy
Decide if you will be making it yourself, buying a pre-made closet
organizing system and installing it yourself, or buying a
professionally installed system. If you’re not sure which way you want
to go, start shopping around. The easiest way to find a closet
organizing system company to professionally install your system is to go to www.dexonline.com and
do a search in your area for closet organization. If you’re going to
be buying a pre-made system that you install yourself, shop around at
local stores (The Container Store, Target, Home Depot) and/or online. If
you want to make it yourself, check out the pros and the pre-made closet
organizing systems in order to get some ideas about how you want to
make your system.
Step
Three in Closet Organization: Features
Figure out which components you want in your closet organizing
system. You’re going to want to sit down and really think about how
you use your closet. How can you organize your closet so that it makes
the most sense with your lifestyle? How can you organize your closet in
order to make your life easier? Which features do you really want? Where
will those features go in your closet?
Step
Four in Closet Organization: Measurements
Take measurements. So why didn’t I tell you to measure before you
started shopping around? To help prevent impulse buying. Shopping around
is just to give you an idea of what is available to you and to help you
decide which direction you want to go with your closet organizing
system. Now that you know what is available, take measurements of your
closet. Buying a closet organizing system that is either too big or
too small for your space will leave you frustrated and probably angry
with the company that sold it to you. Get measurements of everything
that you want to come with your new closet organizing system and make
sure to measure where each piece will go.
Step
Five in Closet Organization: Visual Aids
Get a visual aid. If possible, you’ll want to get a virtual “tour”
of what your closet will look like with the closet organizing system
that you want to buy. A virtual “tour” of your new closet organizing system can go a long way in helping you really visualize
how the system will look in your space. Draw out your space and what
your new closet organizing system will look like in that space. Empty
out the closet and use things around your home to help you get a clear
visual. For example, if your ironing board is about as big as a cabinet
piece that you want, put your ironing board in your closet where you
want the cabinet to go. If you have a shelving unit that you want to
install in a specific area, put masking tape on the wall to represent
where you want your shelving system to go. Masking tape can take paint
with it so be sure not to press the tape on the wall too hard or leave
it on for very long.
Step
Six in Closet Organization: Time to Buy or Make It
Buying or making your closet organizing system. You should now be
ready to buy or make your closet organizing system. If you are buying
a system, make sure that you know what the warranty is on the system and
the return policy. If you are having a closet organizing system
professionally installed, make sure you know the length of the warranty
on the labor.
After you get your new closet organizing system installed, make
sure that you go through everything before you put it back into your new
closet. You don’t want to be filling up your new closet with clutter
so make sure that everything you are putting back are things you
actually use on a regular basis. A good rule of thumb to follow is that
if you haven’t used it within the past year, you’re probably not
going to use it again so toss it or give it away.
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