Why Is It So Hard to Keep a Big House Organized?

As a professional organizer, I work with homes of all shapes and sizes. Over the last 20-plus years, my clients’ homes have typically been between 800 and 4000 square feet. Interestingly, I discovered that larger homes become cluttered more easily – and more often. Let’s delve into some reasons why it is so hard to keep a big house organized.

There Is Too Much Stuff

If you live in a large house, you have lots of space. If you have lots of space, you can continue to accumulate possessions. In fact, your home never really seems to fill up until… you can no longer find things, and you start to lose control of the number of items you own. It eventually becomes too much to manage.

However, just because you can store more doesn’t mean you should. Ideally, you should assign a certain amount of space for specific possessions, and once that space is full, it’s time to declutter, not expand. For example, if your linen closet is almost overflowing, declutter sheets, blankets, and towels before accumulating more.

It is equally important, no matter how large or small your home, to regularly edit and declutter. Additionally, consider reducing (or stopping) things from coming into your home. This is especially true if things are out of control, you spend hours downsizing your belongings, and you never want to do it again. Decluttering is exhausting, and there are so many more fun things to do.

It’s Too Difficult to Designate the Best Location for Things

In a home with more space, members of your household might create their own storage areas in different parts of the house. You probably have similar items scattered across multiple locations, so you can’t find anything when you need to. For example, you might store extra batteries in a basket in the pantry. Unbeknownst to you, your partner stores extra batteries in the toolbox, and each child stores some in their bedroom. It leads to duplication, inconsistency, and confusion over where items live.

In larger homes, more cabinets, closets, drawers, and rooms make it more challenging to decide where to store things. With so many possible places, it’s hard to choose the “right” place. In fact, it often takes more thought and planning to establish the best “home” for your items because you have multiple storage options.

Ideally, store things close to where you use them, especially daily and weekly items. The things you use every day should be the easiest to access, no matter how much space you have. Of course, there may be exceptions. Sometimes, for ease of use, you could store towels in each bathroom and sheets in each bedroom. Remember, when you consolidate items in one area of the home, you may end up with empty shelves in other areas. That’s okay!

Also, please involve all household members when planning where to store things. People have different needs, so a storage location that might be convenient for you might not be convenient for someone else.

The Storage Areas Are Poorly Designed

Over the years, I have worked in many larger homes. One of the reasons why it may be difficult to keep a big house organized is poorly designed storage. For example, some open-concept homes have tiny closets. Even the large closets have only a rod for hanging clothes and no shelving. Some homes have large bathrooms without cabinetry, cupboards, or counter space. And more than once, I’ve seen cavernous four-car garages with zero shelving!

So, I advise you to take the time to designate homes for things and then customize your storage solutions to help keep items where they belong. It will make it easier to maintain a tidy house.

It might seem counterintuitive, but a large home can benefit from clear, consistent labelling even more than a small space. This is especially true when multiple people are removing and returning items. Labels reduce clutter hotspots and increase the chances that everyone will return things to where they belong.

There Are Spaces Without Purpose

Big homes often have one room (or more) that becomes a dumping ground. Sometimes, it will be a guest room or the toy room the kids have outgrown. Instead of allowing this to happen, designate a purpose for each room. If you have an extra room (or extra space in a room), convert it to a proper storage area. Install shelving and use bins and labels so people don’t dump things to deal with “later.” Establish a purpose for the space, create boundaries, and stick to them.

You Don’t Dedicate Enough Time to Maintain an Organized Home

Unfortunately, it takes much more work to keep a big house organized. However, once you declutter, assign homes, design great storage areas, and label everything, it should be quick and easy to maintain a level of organization.

A daily tidy-up involving all members of the household is essential. Set aside at least 30 minutes every evening before or after supper to return things where they belong. Consistency is key. Do not skip one day and then another by telling yourself you’re too busy or it can wait until tomorrow. Often, tomorrow never comes!

Keeping a large home organized requires consistent effort and thoughtful planning. However, by designating clear zones for your belongings, creating efficient storage, and dedicating regular “tidy time,” your home will feel calm and under control. Remember, it’s not about how much space you have but how well you use it.

Are you thinking that perhaps these points make a case for downsizing your life and moving into a smaller, more manageable home? We can help you with that, too.