How to Organize Paperwork at Home

A Simple Guide on How to Organize Paperwork in your Home

Piles of paperwork taking over your home? If unopened post and piles of documents sound familiar, you need a paper decluttering system that works. Often, home organisation systems fail because they’re overly complicated or require too many steps. The key to success is simplicity.
One tool that has proven invaluable for effortless organising over the years are Bisley Multi-Drawers.

Filing in chronological order means that when a drawer fills up, you can simply remove the contents, keep what’s necessary, and archive or shred the rest. This guide offers professional solutions for decluttering and organising household paperwork efficiently so it never builds up again. Find our step-by-step strategy and practical tips to reduce clutter below.

Sources of Household Paperwork Clutter

Paperwork has a habit of creeping up on you. All it takes is a few months of letters tossed to the side or kept loose in a drawer and the next thing you know the mess is overflowing! Finding a paperwork decluttering system that works for you means evaluating which kinds of paperwork are most responsible.

Here are some of the common sources of household paperwork clutter:

• Insurance
• Health
• Education
• Magazines
• Bank statements
• Legal documents
• General mail
• Advertising and promotional materials

If your home is cluttered with too much paperwork, especially if you’re someone who runs a business from home, you can benefit from professional home organising services.

Step-by-Step Home Paperwork Organization Tips

1. Gather Your Paperwork

Sorting through massive piles of paper can be a daunting task. You should start by collecting all your paperwork from around your home and office space. This can then be brought to a new room where there’s enough space for sorting, ideally on a large table or floor area. Depending on the amount of paperwork, you may need to prepare the room ahead of time to make it easier to organise.

Tools You’ll Need:

• Recycling bags
• Shredding bag
• Post-it notes
• Marker pen
• Coloured A4 thumb-cut files

2. Start Sorting

Once you have everything you need, it’s time to make a start sorting paperwork into piles. Begin with a small pile of paperwork and go through each piece quickly. The best way is to look at the sender and subject of each piece to decide which category it belongs in without spending too much time on it.

To avoid getting bogged down, we advise using simple labels like:

• Bills
• Car
• Health
• Personal(names)
• Bank

If necessary, you can create subcategories later. For now, aim for broad groupings to make sorting more manageable.

3. Categorise Everything

Continue sorting until every piece of paperwork has been categorised. Create new categories as needed, but keep them simple. If you’re unsure about certain items, place them in a “Miscellaneous” pile.

It’s recommended that you create an ‘Action Pile’ for anything requiring immediate attention. This should be for any deadlines which are coming up, important correspondence, late fees, or anything that’s been missed or delayed. Here is a good stage to use markers and post-it notes.

4. Organise and Dispose

Once everything is categorised, it’s time to declutter. Go through each pile and discard what you no longer need by shredding or recycling. If you’re unsure about how long to keep certain documents, refer to trusted resources like Money Saving Expert for guidance.
Archive Uncertain Items: For documents you’re hesitant to throw away but unlikely to need, create an “ARCHIVE” pile. Store these in a clearly labelled box away from your daily living space.

5. Label Your Storage System

Use your categorised piles to create drawer titles. Keep categories broad to ensure simplicity, e.g., “Bills” instead of “Gas, Electric, Water.”

Tips for Labelling:

• Use coloured A4 files for important documents that need to stand out.
• Ensure labels are neat and clear.
• Place new documents at the top of the correct folder to keep the most recent information accessible.

Additional Home Paperwork Organization Tips for Success

• Work in Stages: If you have a large volume of paperwork, don’t overwhelm yourself by pulling everything out at once. Tackle it in small, manageable chunks.
• Avoid Distractions: Resist the urge to focus on individual documents during sorting, as this can slow you down.
• Keep it Tidy: Maintaining neat piles throughout the process helps prevent feelings of overwhelm.

Note: Shredded paper usually isn’t accepted in household recycling bins due to its short fibres. Check with your local council for proper disposal options.

A Simple Household Paperwork Organizational System Works Best

Following a straightforward approach like the one outlined here ensures that organising your paperwork is both achievable and sustainable. Whether you have a busy home office or you’re living in a rental property, paperwork clutter can affect us all.

For those who find it challenging to declutter on their own, professional organisation services can help simplify the process. You Need a Vicky has helped people across the country with advice, high-profile collaborations, press and media surrounding decluttering and organising.

By following these tips, you can create a more organised, stress-free, and happier home office environment. If you feel you could do with our help to declutter your paperwork and reduce your stress levels, get in touch with Vickys’ team below.

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