Welcome to 2024! With the holidays passing over and a fresh start ahead, we at The Spruce think the new year is the perfect time to give your home a (likely) much-needed refresh.

Think of how you used your home over the last year, or maybe how you underused some parts. Identify the items you didn’t need, and evaluate how to make your home work better for you in the coming months.

If you decide that your home needs a revamp, you’re in the right place. We’re here to guide you along that journey, sharing a few stories to lighten the way. Our 30-day decluttering challenge is sure to help start the year off right (and get your home incredibly clean), read on to learn about organizing methods we tried and loved, and finally, browse the home products that helped us achieve neat and tidy bliss.

Whether you want to update your home’s decor for a fresh look, need some organizing help after a chaotic holiday season, or need a DIY project to do in a weekend, our expert tips are just what you need to hit the refresh button on your home.

If your home is overflowing with clutter, getting started with the task of decluttering can be overwhelming. To help you, our experts have broken down the job into a 30-day method to get clutter under control.

Some jobs require less than an hour, others take a bit longer. Feel free to skip around according to your schedule but if you do one task per day, your home will be more organized in just a month.

January is the perfect time to get organized and give your home a mini refresh ahead of a deeper spring clean. We can’t get enough of all the ways we plan to tackle this exact thing come 2024.

With this in mind, we’ve rounded up a list of must-have items for making small but meaningful upgrades in your home that will help usher in a happier, comfier new year. 

Whether you live alone, with a roommate, or with a family, homes and apartments get cluttered. It’s easy to build a collection of stuff over the years or quickly stash belongings that slowly build into a disheveled mess.

By the time you realize it, there’s so much to organize and get rid of that it can feel overwhelming to handle. You have no clue where to start or what to get rid of, and frankly, it’s hard to feel motivated to give your home a restart.

We spoke to Megan Ludvinsky, a professional organizer in Arkansas, for her best tips and practices for tackling this necessary home clean-out task, plus how to beat the stress. For the best guidance on how to start decluttering when overwhelmed, check out these helpful tips straight from a professional.

“Swedish death cleaning” may sound morbid, but the concept is less doom-and-gloom and more existential and sweet. Think of the decluttering style this way: if the KonMari Method and hygge had a baby, it’d be Swedish death cleaning. 

The idea is simple, yet astounding. Swedish death cleaning is a Scandinavian method of organizing that focuses on decluttering your home before you pass on to lessen the burden on your grieving loved ones.

Author Margareta Magnusson coined the phrase in her 2017 book The Gentle Art of Swedish Death Cleaning, and the concept has been gaining traction ever since. 

My space was in serious need of tidying, so I tried out the method in my own home. By taking on the Swedish death-cleaning mindset, not only did I earn a tidier, more minimalistic space, but through the process, I gained a deeper appreciation for life, too.

While the holiday season can be a time of excess, once the season has ended, it’s a great time to declutter. Whether you’re making space to store holiday decor or eager to do a full clean-out once the festivities close, it’s a time to make your home feel cozy and comfortable. 

We’ve seen our fair share of decluttering methods here at The Spruce. But, just when we thought we’d tried them all, a new one came along.

The latest decluttering trend to catch our eye is called the “Move-Out Method,” and we have to say: we’re into it.

How do you know exactly when it’s time to clean your home or take on an organizing project? It turns out that many common signs indicate that your home has seen better days and needs a little care, experts say.

We spoke with cleaning and organizing professionals from across the country who share seven main indicators that it’s time to grab those spray bottles and trash bags and get to work improving your home.

While spring cleaning gets all the glory, we believe in consistent decluttering sessions here at The Spruce. It’s much easier to keep on top of clutter with regular cleanouts, and this is especially true if your primary goal is to maintain a minimalist aesthetic at home.

Even if you’re not creating a wholly minimalist space, there’s much to be learned from the people who do. We turned to a few of our favorite designers and home decor pros to find out which minimalism principles are best for anyone looking to do a major declutter.

Turns out, their top tip was the same across the board.

As much as we’d all love to totally transform our homes, it’s not always easy to find the resources to allocate to such a big project—especially right after the holiday season.

If you’re looking to give your space a makeover but don’t have the time (or funds) to dedicate to a big renovation, we’ve got you covered. These are 15 small-scale renovations that are sure to refresh your home in a weekend.