Preparing your home for the colder months as winter approaches involves more than just checking the furnace and sealing drafty windows. With summer gear taking up valuable space and holiday decorations waiting in the wings, now is the perfect time to assess, organize, and streamline your living areas. Let’s explore some practical tips on how to prepare for winter so you can make space for what matters in the months ahead. 

Why Preparing Your Home for Winter Matters

Preparing your home for winter goes beyond basic comfort. It’s about creating a functional, organized space that enhances your well-being during this time of year.

A cluttered home can increase your stress levels and make it harder for you and your family to find the winter things you need the most during this time of the year. Clearing out your summer gear and organizing your winter essentials will also help you maximize your living space. You will have more room for indoor activities and holiday gatherings (if you plan to host). 

By learning how to prepare your house for winter, you will create an organized, clutter-free space that can significantly improve your home life and mood during shorter winter days when you and your family spend more time at home. 

Assessing Your Space: Decluttering Essentials

Figuring out how to prepare your home for winter can feel intimidating, especially if you haven’t decluttered in a while. Take a deep breath. You’ve got this. Instead of looking at your home in its totality, with all its rooms, closets, and shelves, refocus on a room-by-room approach. This systematic approach will make your winter decluttering more manageable and ensure no space is overlooked.

Room-by-Room Decluttering Tips

Ready to get started? Here’s how to declutter your home one room at a time.

  • Living room: Look for summer decor and lightweight throws. Replace them with cozy winter blankets and warmer accessories. 
  • Kitchen: Review everything in your pantry and reorganize your cabinets to make room for winter cooking essentials. Now is a great time to clear your countertops of rarely used appliances to create space for holiday baking and meal preparation.
  • Bedrooms: Pack away your spring and summer clothes and bring out your winter wardrobe. Organize your closets to make your sweaters, jeans, and cold-weather accessories more easily accessible. 
  • Entryway: Create a dedicated space for winter gear, like coats, gloves, and scarves. Pack up summer items, like beach bags and sun hats.
  • Garage: Move your summer tools and garden supplies to the back of your garage and bring your holiday decorations to the front. 

Choosing What to Store and What to Keep

A big part of winter decluttering will be deciding what to keep in your home and what to store. If you live in a smaller home, the more things you can tuck away or even store offsite, the more organized and roomy your home will feel.

As you begin your room-by-room assessment, make a point to categorize every item into one of three categories:

  • Daily winter essentials: These are the items you plan to use (or keep using) during winter. Keep them out and make sure they’re easily accessible. 
  • Seasonal items: These are items you won’t need during the winter season.
  • Items to donate or discard: Decluttering during any time of the year is a great opportunity to identify items you no longer want or that no longer serve you. Donate or get rid of damaged items, clothing you have outgrown, or things you and your family simply no longer use.

Self Storage as a Solution for Seasonal Clutter

If you live in a smaller home or your in-home storage spaces are already at capacity, you may struggle with where to put your out-of-season items. Resist the temptation to shove them into your already overburdened storage areas. Packing your closets and garages to the gills will make those spaces less functional and more stressful to manage. 

Instead, consider renting a self-storage unit near your home. Place anything you won’t need for the season in clearly labeled containers in the unit. This will free up more space in your home so you can optimize every square inch.

Tips for a Smooth Decluttering Process

Let’s break down the decluttering process even more. If you don’t have time to declutter an entire room in one sitting, that’s fine. Set a timer for 30 minutes and work up until the timer. Repeat this process until each room is complete.

Consider implementing a “one-in-one-out” rule. This rule works well for children. Whenever you bring in one winter item, you must take out something else. This ensures you won’t bring more into your home than you store or pack away. 

Another great way to stay motivated is to take photos of each room in your home. This will allow you to track your progress, especially in the middle of the project when it can be hard to keep up the decluttering momentum. 

Common Winter Decluttering Mistakes

It’s easy to get sidetracked or lose motivation while preparing for winter, especially as the holidays creep toward you. By avoiding common decluttering mistakes, you can stay on track and hit your decluttering goals.

  • Don’t try to tackle your entire winter home transition in one day. It will only lead to burnout.
  • Avoid creating “maybe” piles of things that will end up living in permanent storage.
  • Don’t forget to label your storage boxes. Good labeling will make it easy to find your spring and summer items.
  • If you haven’t used something in two years, chances are you won’t use it next year. Give it away or toss it.
  • Don’t store your summer items in damp environments or anywhere that isn’t fully enclosed, as your things could easily get damaged. 

Final Steps: Preparing for Winter After Decluttering

Once you have successfully decluttered your home, take advantage of your newly organized space to prepare for winter living. Not sure how to prepare for winter? Start by positioning furniture to create cozy conversation areas. Make sure all your heating vents are open for optimal warmth. Set up special winter areas of the house, like a cozy reading nook or a hot drinks station in your kitchen. 

What about those items you decided to store until spring? Price Self Storage offers the perfect solution. We have storage facilities throughout California where you can keep your seasonal items secure without sacrificing valuable space in your home. With many different storage unit sizes to choose from and month-to-month leases, we make storage easier than ever as you learn how to prepare your house for winter. 

Enjoy a clutter-free home for the holidays. Find a Price Self Storage® near you.