September can feel like a turning point for your home. Summer is winding down, the weather is beginning to change, and the busy holiday season is just a few months away.
Before the calendar fills up with school activities, work commitments, holiday shopping, and family gatherings, September is a good time to give your home a reset.
This doesn’t mean you need to deep clean every room or spend an entire weekend organizing. Instead, focus on the areas that tend to become sources of stress later in the year.
A little organization now can make the next few months much easier.
Start With the Entryway
Your entryway has probably been dealing with summer shoes, sandals, outdoor toys, beach bags, and other warm-weather gear.
Put away the things you won’t need again until next year and make room for the items you’ll use during fall and winter.
Think jackets, boots, umbrellas, hats, and bags.
If your entryway tends to become a drop zone, this is also a good time to give everyone in the household a designated place for everyday items. A few hooks or baskets can make a surprisingly big difference.
Give Your Pantry and Kitchen a Fresh Start
Fall brings its own cooking and entertaining routines, so take a look through your pantry and kitchen cabinets before the holiday season begins.
Check expiration dates and toss foods that are past their prime. Look for ingredients you’ve been meaning to use and make room for the staples you’ll need during the coming months.
This is also a good time to check your baking supplies and entertaining items. If you’re likely to host Thanksgiving or other holiday gatherings, you’ll have plenty of time to stock up.
Tackle the Closets
September is an ideal time to switch from summer clothing to fall and winter wardrobes.
As you bring out sweaters, coats, and other cold-weather clothing, ask yourself what your family actually used last year.
If something no longer fits, hasn’t been worn in years, or is simply past its useful life, consider donating or discarding it.
Don’t forget to check shoes, coats, gloves, and other cold-weather necessities. Finding out that a child’s winter coat no longer fits is much easier to deal with in September than the first time the temperature drops below freezing.
Get Guest Spaces Ready
If you expect family or friends to visit during the holidays, don’t wait until the week before they arrive to think about the guest room.
Check the bedding and towels. Clear some closet or drawer space. Make sure the lighting works and that guests have somewhere to put their belongings.
Take a look at the guest bathroom, too. Make sure it’s stocked with basic supplies and that everything is working properly.
Getting these things done now means you won’t have to add them to an already long holiday to-do list.
Organize Your Home Information
Fall is also a good time to take stock of the information you’ve collected about your home.
Have you purchased new appliances or electronics this year? Completed a renovation? Made repairs? Added valuable possessions?
Make sure receipts, warranties, manuals, maintenance records, and other important information are organized and easy to find.
Your home inventory should be updated, too. You don’t necessarily have to photograph and document everything again. Just add the things you’ve acquired or changed since your last update.
Keeping this information together can save you considerable time when you need it.
Don’t Forget the Storage Areas
The garage, basement, attic, and shed can easily become holding areas for things you don’t want to deal with right now.
Before you put away summer equipment, take a few minutes to decide what is actually worth storing.
That broken lawn chair you’ve been meaning to repair? The outdoor toys nobody uses anymore? The gardening supplies you have three of?
This is your chance to deal with them before they’re buried beneath another season’s belongings.
Make a Holiday Prep List
Finally, look ahead.
Are there home repairs you’ve been putting off? Does the dining room need a fresh coat of paint? Is the guest bathroom faucet leaking? Do you need additional seating for holiday gatherings?
Write down the projects you’d like to complete before the holidays and divide them into three categories:
- ⬥ Must do: Things that need to be completed before guests arrive.
- ⬥ Would be nice: Projects that would improve your home but aren’t urgent.
- ⬥ Can wait: Things that can easily be moved to next year.
Then start with the first category. Choose two or three areas that need attention and tackle them now. Once they’re done, move on to the next items on your list.
The holidays will arrive before you know it. Getting organized now means you can spend more time enjoying the meaning behind each of them.
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