Moving into your apartment can be stressful. You pack your whole life up in boxes and inevitably forget where you packed your phone charger, and then you have to reorganize your life in a new place with a new layout. Sometimes moves come with major life changes that constitute downsizing or combining households, majorly changing the amount of stuff you have. That’s stressful!

Even if you haven’t moved recently, the warmer weather may light some desire to do some spring cleaning. Don’t know where to start? We’ve put together a few of our favorite tips and tricks to help keep your apartment so organized, even Marie Kondo would approve.

Purge regularly. We’ll start with the obvious one; the easiest way to keep your stuff organized is to have less stuff. You may want to subscribe to Konmari method of keeping only those items that spark joy (as detailed in the popular Netflix show, Tidying Up with Marie Kondo), or you can stick with regular goals of getting rid of a certain number of items a month. Moving is also a great time to get rid of items you don’t need by making careful note of what you use on a daily basis. If you won’t be looking for it within the first few days of your move, do you really need to keep it?

Keep an organized entryway. Start your organization from the moment you step in your front door. If you have a place to put down the items you always walk in your home with, you’re less likely to misplace them or leave your purse and coat out in the middle of your living room. Instead, your go-to items will have a neat home in a set place. You’ll be thanking yourself on the morning you hit snooze a few too many times, or when Fido your four-legged roommate demands a middle-of-the-night stroll.

Make use of space. Small closet? No problem! There are endless affordable options to make use of tight rooms or limited storage, which is especially helpful if you’re downsizing. Free up floor space and grab every inch of closet space by adding an over-the-door storage system – add it on the inside of the door and guests won’t even notice it. If you don’t know where to start, we recommend taking measurements of the space you have and taking those over to The Container Store to explore what products will best serve your apartment.

Use a system. For those seasonal items that you want to store away, make sure to use a system to effectively sort them. Keep items that you use together in the same place, and items that you use less in the bottom or back of storage areas. When possible, use clear or easy-to-open containers so you can quickly see what’s inside. Watertight storage bins are also a great investment for valuable or treasured items that you would want to be protected from the natural dust and wear of your home. These bins are easy to label, so the most methodical of residents may even want to invest in their own label maker.

Make it a habit. It’s easier to refresh your space as you go than it is to do a deep clean after weeks of misplacing items. Start small, with goals like wiping down your kitchen counter once a day or making your bed in the morning. While these tasks may seem arduous at first, in the long-term you’ll be enjoying your apartment more than ever. Studies show plentiful mental and physical health benefits living in an organized home and also from doing the actual cleaning and organizing.

Good luck with your spring cleaning! Here’s hoping it sparks joy. Use #liveoakwood on your social media to show us how you organized your place!