5 ways to unclutter your home office

Home offices never seem to have enough space, but you can get more out of yours by using these 5 simple techniques to banish clutter.

Before making more space by moving items, take another look at your area.

• Get rid of any unwanted papers, equipment and other things that are no longer required.
• Scanning files and storing them electronically minimizes physical storage space in an instant.
• If there are items such as books that are no longer needed, take them to the thrift store or resell them online.
• Completed projects can be archived.
• The simple act of clearing out a cupboard or a drawer can open up more storage space for your use.

Using the office walls as a storage space can keep things tidy.

• Examples of good wall storage are hanging racks for filing and paper, pin boards and corner shelves. These can store a surprising amount of things, and they keep often-used items close at hand.
• Racks with pouches also work well in a home office to hold small stationery items.

Cables from electrical items can add clutter to an office, as well as pose safety hazards.

• Keep them tidy with under-desk wiring and cable ties, and this will go a long way toward making your office look neat.

A home office space can be tight, so each item of furniture needs to work twice as hard to be efficient.

• A small seat with a storage box underneath is perfect for keeping things tidy.
• A trolley on wheels can be used for storage and also to hold a printer or other equipment.
• Using fixed furniture units in an office helps maximize space.
• The area underneath a work space can be used for storage as long as it doesn't block leg space, and the space above cupboards is good for less frequently used items.

Coloured filing boxes look good and keep the office organized.

• Colour coding file folders and document holders is also a good way of keeping different projects organized and in one place.

Home offices are being used more and more for working remotely, as well as for studying.

Keeping them tidy is essential to having an organized working environment and one that looks and feels professional.

This can be done very easily by implementing small changes to create a well-functioning home office.