You love living in your Harford County, Maryland apartment but the signs that you need to better organize it are becoming quite clear. If you regularly lose track of personal items and stress mundane tasks, such as putting laundry away, the organizational system in your living space has broken down somewhere.

5 Easy Ways To Organize Your Apartment to reduce stress and make apartment living more efficient.

#1. Have a Designated Spot

Place keys and other small possessions in the same place within the apartment all the time. Having a designated spot for these items will prevent running around, late for work or an appointment, searching for them. Buy or re-purpose something nice to hold these personal belongings, such as an antique telephone table or a pedestal, and place it in the entryway to your Residences of Summerlin apartment.

#2. Take Inventory     

Sometimes items in an apartment are so poorly organized that inhabitants can’t find something when they need it or don’t even remember they have it. Decluttering and organizing belongings, especially those stashed in the walk-in storage area, and taking inventory will clarify what’s there and whether residents are unintentionally accumulating duplicate items within the apartment space. Another helpful tip—“shop” in your spacious closets before making online or in-store purchases.

#3. Regularly Clean Out Closets

The walk-in closets in the Residences of Summerlin are quite big. So before opening the closet doors, find a few trash bags or bins to help sort items into piles of those to keep and those to donate or throw away. When the closet space is completely empty, take every item you intend to place back inside and ask if it has been used in the last 12 months and if it will be used again. If the answer to either question is no, put that item into one of the discard piles instead of back into the closet.

Prior to filling the closet back up with items to keep, take a few minutes to organize them into related groups—e.g., by use, size or color. Then, take out the trash and donate the other items so they aren’t left cluttering the apartment space. Clean the closets every season and the task will take less time every time you do it.

#4. Invest in Organization Products

If the cabinets or closets are cluttered and disorganized, pare down the items in these storage areas and invest in organization products. Make the most of every inch of space in the apartment by using over-the-door organizers for everything from cleaning supplies to shoes. Don’t forget to make use of the floor space once the items in the closets have been arranged. Get creative and use an umbrella stand or a large wicker basket to hold odd items like yoga mats. For something totally different, a rolling cart can be pulled in or out of the closet and used for clothing or miscellaneous storage.

Put the inside of the kitchen cabinet doors to work, too, by storing pot lids on them with pot lid organizers. Save counter space in the kitchen with a roll-up drying rack that sits over the sink. Hang multiple shower caddies on removable adhesive hooks to straighten up the bathroom.

However, don’t expect a myriad of storage accessories alone will resolve apartment organization woes. First, sort through all of the disorganized items in the living space and get rid of things not being used. Then, use organization products to store what remains.

#5. Declutter Workspace

Clutter isn’t just unattractive—it can also be a distraction and negatively affect productivity. Those who work from home and can’t seem to get anything done should organize the workspace in the apartment and see what happens. Remember that clutter—e.g., mail or paperwork waiting to be sorted—can drain mental energy.

Begin by removing anything from the workspace that belongs somewhere else and then buy some organizers for everything that is needed but is currently in disarray. While putting things back, make sure paperwork is placed in labeled folders, larger items are stored in labeled containers in a closet and that everything worth keeping is rehomed out of the way in a neat, orderly and accessible fashion.

Clutter builds over time, so develop the good habit of keeping everything in the workspace organized moving forward. Always put things back after use and take some time at the end of each day to clean up. When this area of the apartment starts getting disorganized again, it’s time to schedule another decluttering. It will be easier to work from home when the workspace in the apartment is kept organized. And remember, clutter doesn’t just hinder concentration on work. It can also be an obstacle to relaxation in your apartment.

Don't worry about organizing every inch of the apartment all at once. Try tackling a little section every day and before you know it, apartment living will be more organized and even more enjoyable.