Many people decide to have a custom closet professionally installed because their current closet simply isn’t working for them.
Maybe the existing closet system doesn’t provide enough storage, the layout isn’t functional, or they want to add features like custom drawers, shelving, cabinets, or more hanging space.
For others, they may simply want their closet to look and feel better and create a more organized, aesthetically pleasing space.
But before having a custom closet installed, one question we often recommend thinking about is: Should you declutter your closet first?
As professional organizers in New Orleans, our answer is yes.
Decluttering first gives you a better idea of what you actually need to store before designing and installing your new closet system.
Of course, decluttering takes time and energy, especially if you have a full closet or haven’t gone through your belongings in a while, but it can make a huge difference in how functional your new closet is and how well the finished closet works for you long-term.
Instead of designing a brand-new closet around items you may not even want, wear, or use anymore, decluttering allows you to first figure out what you actually need to store.
From there, you can create a custom closet that is designed around your current belongings, your storage needs, and how you actually use your space.
In this post, we’ll go over some of the biggest benefits of decluttering before installing a custom closet and why we recommend doing it before your new closet system goes in.
Reasons to Declutter Before Installing a Custom Closet
There are many benefits to decluttering your closet before having a new custom closet installed. The biggest one is simple: the less stuff you have, the easier it will be to organize your custom closet and keep it organized.
Here are a few other reasons we recommend decluttering first:
- There’s less to unpack and put away. Once your new closet is installed, you won’t have to find a place for clothes, shoes, and other items you don’t really want or use anymore.
- It makes it easier to find what you need. When your closet isn’t packed with unnecessary items, you can actually see what you have and maintain the organizing systems you put in place.
- You’re not wasting your new storage space. If you’re holding onto clothes, shoes, or other items you no longer want, need, or wear, they’re really just taking up valuable space in your new closet.
- Someone else may be able to use what you don’t need. Donating clothes and other items gives someone else the chance to use things that were just sitting in your closet.
- You have room for new items. Whether you buy something new or receive clothes or accessories for birthdays or holidays, you’ll have space available instead of having to squeeze more in.
- Your hanging clothes won’t be packed so tightly together. When you have too many clothes on the rod, it becomes harder to take things down and put them back.
- Your drawers will be easier to use. Overstuffed drawers can make it frustrating to put clothes away and keep everything organized.
- You can more easily see what you already own. Having fewer items makes it easier to see what you have and can help you avoid buying duplicates.
How to Declutter Your Closet Before a Custom Closet Installation
If you decide you’d like to declutter your closet before having your new custom closet professionally installed, we highly recommend doing it as you’re taking everything out of the closet before you pack everything up.
Instead of pulling everything out and immediately putting it into boxes, go through your belongings by category. For example, start with all of your shoes, then move on to hanging clothes, folded clothes, accessories, handbags, and anything else you keep in your closet.
As you go through each category, decide what you want to keep, donate, or toss. This is also a great time to notice duplicates or items you forgot you even had.
We recommend decluttering by category because it allows you to see how much you actually own of one type of item at a time.
If your closet isn’t currently organized by category, you can still gather similar items together as you take them out. Seeing all of your shoes, sweaters, or handbags together can often make it much easier to decide what you truly want to keep.
Once you’ve finished decluttering a category, you can pack up the items you’re keeping and clearly label the boxes.
By the time your closet is ready for installation, you’ll likely have fewer items to store, your belongings will already be sorted by category, and unpacking everything into your new custom closet will be much easier.
How a Professional Organizer Can Help You Declutter Your Closet
Did you know you can hire a professional organizer to help you declutter your closet before your custom closet is installed? If you have a lot to go through, having someone there to help can make the process go much faster.
When we help a client declutter a closet, we bring boxes and trash bags with us, so you don’t need to worry about getting everything together beforehand.
We usually start by asking how you’d like to go through your items. Some clients prefer to stay in the closet and hand us things as they go. Others would rather have us pull out items and show them one by one. Either way works. We want to make the process as easy as possible for you.
From there, we’ll usually work through the closet by category. This might include:
- Shoes
- Purses
- Hanging clothes
- Folded clothes
- Handbags and accessories
- Items stored on shelves
- Items stored in drawers
If you have a lot of things sitting on the closet floor, we may recommend starting there first. Clearing the floor gives us more room to work and makes it easier to see how much you actually have.
As we go through each category, we’ll help you decide what you want to keep, donate, or throw away. You still make the decisions about your belongings. We’re there to provide guidance, ask questions, keep things moving, and help you avoid getting stuck on every single item.
Another benefit is that we handle a lot of the physical work for you. We pull items down from shelves, bend, lift, sort, fill boxes and bags, and get everything ready to leave your home.
And when we’re finished, we can take your donations with us and drop them off at a local donation center in New Orleans.
Need Help Getting Your Closet Ready?
We hope this helped you decide whether it makes sense to declutter before having your new custom closet installed.
If you’d like help getting your closet ready for the process, our team at Professional Organizer New Orleans can support you with as much or as little of the process as you need.
We offer decluttering services to help you go through your clothes, shoes, accessories, and other items before installation. We can also pack up your closet so everything is out and ready when your closet installers arrive.
Once your new closet is finished, we can come back and help unpack and organize everything or provide closet organizing services to help you figure out where everything should go in your new space.
If you’re getting ready for an upcoming closet project, you may also find our guide on how to prepare for a custom closet installation helpful.
If you have any questions or would like a quote for help with your closet, give us a call at (504) 321-6792 or fill out our online contact form.
We service New Orleans, Metairie, Kenner, the Westbank, Northshore, and Greater New Orleans areas.
