The new year is here and with it comes a host of new opportunities and ideas. One way to celebrate the change of calendar is to do a home refresh and clear out the items you no longer use. Get started with transforming your home by tackling the following seven types of common home clutter.

7 Key Items in Your Home to Declutter This New Year

1. Unused Coats and Winter Accessories

January and February are the best months to assess which of your family's winter clothes get used and which are consistently pushed to the back of the rack. Go ahead and clear out the neglected items and consider donating them to those in need.

2. Holiday and Gift-Wrapping Supplies

Avoid shoving all your holiday and gift-wrapping supplies in a drawer or hallway closet. Instead, designate a spot and neatly pack away what you know you'll use again and throw away what you won’t.

3. Old Bedding, Throws and Towels

Just like your winter clothing, many people accumulate linens over the years. Take a moment to go through your inventory and donate items that no longer match or get used. Most animal shelters can use these items so you’re helping them as well.

4. Forgotten Toys

This applies to the adults in your household as much as the kids. Was your partner into model trains a couple years ago but now they're just in boxes? Have your children stopped playing with their Lego sets? Let go of the items the family has grown out of.

5. Expired or Unused Pantry Goods

It's time to purge the pantry of those items you used once for a holiday recipe and has since expired or foods no one in the family likes. Donate those still within their use date to a food pantry.

6. Mail and Magazines

It's easy to let incoming mail pile up. Don't let the stacks of paper overwhelm your countertop in 2018. Instead, use the start of the new year as a time to sort your current mail and create a better system to stay organized going forward. Unsubscribe from catalogs you’re not interested in and sign up for paperless statements to help with the influx of mail.

7. Bookshelves and Other Shelving Units

Make space for all of the must-read books on your winter reading lists by going through your bookshelves and giving away those books you aren't fond of. Take advantage of this time by rearranging items on all of your shelving units and do a thorough cleaning and dusting of everything.

Focusing on the above items and doing what you can to declutter and reorganize will give your home a nice new year refresh. Remember that proper lighting, meaning a combination of lighting fixtures and natural lighting, will enhance the warmth and openness of a room. To get the right balance of filtered light without UV rays or heat gain, contact us at 877-260-6110 to schedule a free, in-home estimation and find out which of our interior and exterior shades is right for you.