What is a Home Edit + Why Your Home Might Need One

Have you ever thought about editing your home? Me either, until recently. Today I am sharing what a home edit is, and why your home might benefit from one.

What is a “home edit” and how can my house actually benefit from it, you may be wondering. I recently heard of the concept of editing your home a few weeks ago, and it has been such a help in decluttering and simplifying our living spaces. Essentially, a home edit is exactly what it sounds like. Editing your home so it’s the best possible place for your family.

Can you imagine sitting down with a book that the author never took the time to edit? They simply wrote it, and printed it for you to read. Completely unedited. They didn’t refine the characters or the story line. They just slapped some words on a paper, and call it finished. Everything is haphazard, and ill thought through. It’d be a disappointment. The characters would lack depth, and the events would be less than engaging. Simply by editing the text the author creates an engaging environment with characters who feel like old friends by the time you’ve completed the book.

That’s what we should do with our homes. Edit each space to perfectly reflect the purpose and the people who live inside.

How to Effectively Edit Your Home

• Evaluate Each Room’s Function. Determining what each room NEEDS to do for your family is the very first step in editing your home. For example, our dining room’s primary function is to serve as the place our family eats three times a day. It has secondary purposes of being my “office” and Eli’s “school room”. Primarily though, it’s the room we eat in. Go through each room in your home, and determine each primary and secondary purpose. Either write them down, or make a mental note of them. (I’m big on writing everything down. I love to see my plans on paper.) You may think this seems silly, but trust me, determining it’s actual function will help you decide what needs to stay in the room, and what you can part with. You’ll be surprised how many secondary functions one room can have.
• Decide on how the room should feel. How do you want each space to feel when after they’re edited? Calming, peaceful, tranquil? Fun, bright, cheerful? Sterile, cold, sleek? Cozy, comfortable, relaxing? How you want the room to “feel” will also help determine what gets to stay, and what you should part with. For most of our home I want a mix of calming, peaceful, tranquil, and cozy, comfortable, and relaxing. I also like things to be bright, and clean. I want clear surfaces, and little to no visual clutter. I’ve learned that seeing things sitting around can raise my stress level. Definitely not how I want to feel when I’m trying to enjoy family time. Each space can and will have it’s own unique feel, but keeping the same general goals in mind will help your home feel cohesive.

Your home should be a reflection of what’s important to you and your family.

• Determine what stays. If you’re like me, you’ve got things in your rooms just because they’re your things. You don’t love them. You don’t use them. Let’s be honest, you probably don’t even really clean them. They’re just there because you bought them, and put them there. They don’t help the room fulfill it’s purpose, and they’re not really in line with how you want the room to feel. Those are the things we “edit”. We should remove them from the space without ANY guilt because they no longer serve our family. Think of every single thing in your home this way. Does it help the room achieve it’s function, and does it help our home feel the way we want it to? Your home should be a reflection of what’s important to you and your family. It shouldn’t be a stressful environment, but a safe haven for you and the ones you love most. Holding onto objects “just because” doesn’t help create that haven. It usually just creates stress. At least that’s what I’ve learned through purging and minimizing. Editing the things in your home helps you create an intentional space that is functional and beautiful.

I remember not so long ago feeling like an utter and complete failure. The house was always a mess, and I was stressed. All. The. Time. I felt like if I could just stick to a cleaning routine things would be better. Turns out, if you’ve got too much to clean, you’ll never be able to keep it clean. Once I started editing our home, and really taking a hard look at the things we own, I realized that our house didn’t have to be a stressful place. I wasn’t a failure, I just needed to have a manageable amount of things.

Maybe you’re feeling overwhelmed with your home too…

Maybe walking into a certain room in your home is instant stress. Maybe your whole house makes you feel that way. Or maybe you already loves the way the home feels, but you know it could function better. If so, I would encourage you to try a home edit.

I am definitely not done with the editing process. Actually, I’ve not finished a few rooms I’ve started, but the key is I’ve started. Possessions have been pared down, and the whole house feels like a happier place to be. I’ve removed the items that caused me stress. (like the big rug in the living room. It was my favorite rug, but it had been stained beyond reasonable cleaning. Seeing the stained rug made me feel like the house was filthy. It had to go.)

If ‘ve learned anything while I’ve been pursuing minimalism, it’s that it doesn’t happen overnight. I keep reminding myself it’ll be worth it in the end.
Thank you so much for spending a tiny part of your day with me, and always being so supportive! I appreciate you all.

Here’s an image to pin for later…