Tidying up is easy, it’s maintaining tidiness that’s the hard part. It’s even more challenging when you live with children and pets. They’re skilled little creatures when it comes to turning an organised space into an impressive mess in just the blink of an eye. In most homes, the hallway tends to be the biggest red zone for this sort of disorderly conduct. Bags and jackets are tossed to the floor, shoes are kicked off, rain and dirt are dragged in… it can be a real pain in the proverbial! To help minimise this sort of mess, here are some simple ideas and solutions for a tidy, organised hallway that should make your life a little easier and minimise the time you have to spend clearing up after everyone.

Coat rack or hooks

A free-standing coat rack or wall-mounted hooks are essential for a tidy hallway. If there’s a dedicated place for everyone to hang up their jackets, bags and scarves, it will make such a big difference to the organisation of your hall. Whether your coat rack or hooks are placed in a vestibule, in a corner of the hall, or along one of the walls in the main hall area, this is a simple solution that yields excellent results. If your children are very young, you could colour code the hooks to remind them where to hang their things. Get everyone into the habit of hanging things up as soon as they enter the house and it will soon become second nature.

Shoe racks and cabinets

If you live in an apartment or tenement building, you may have a bit of space in the main hallway outside your front door where you can place a stylish shoe rack. If you live in a house, this can be placed in the vestibule or to the side of the front door as you enter the hallway. Depending on the space, you may wish to use a simple rack or a shoe storage cabinet. Whatever you choose, making sure everyone removes their shoes as soon as they enter the house and places them there will minimise the array of strewn footwear and dirt in your hallway. A place for everything and everything in its place is the key to minimising clutter and maintaining your sanity!

Storage baskets

A large storage basket or storage bench is a great solution for a tidy hallway. If there are lots of people living in the home, you could have a dedicated basket for each person to keep their items. Things like bags, school gear, outdoor kits, umbrellas, hats and gloves, toys, and dog leads and accessories can be kept in this type of storage solution so that everything is out of sight and everyone knows where to put and find their stuff. If you have a storage bench, it also doubles as a place where people can sit down to put on and remove their shoes when they’re coming and going. Sitting on the floor is not always comfortable or ideal!

Hall table

If you’re like most of us, you probably misplace your keys more often than you’d care to admit, and your mail organisation skills may also need a little work. Placing a stylish console table, desk, dresser, or some other kind of practical yet aesthetically pleasing unit in the hallway will provide a practical place for a key dish and a mail rack, and you can also put a beautiful vase of flowers or plant and some other decorative accessories atop to create an inviting, homely feel when you walk through the front door.

Good door mats

In certain households, the standard door mat is not sufficient to clean wet, muddy shoes and paws. The rough, bristled mats are great to have outside the door to remove excess dirt and debris, but it’s also a good idea to have an absorbent mat within the porch or on the floor in the inner hallway. Usually made of microfibre, these smooth, thin mats are great for soaking up extra water and mud from shoes and furry paws, thus minimising the dirt that is transferred to your hall floor. They’re typically machine-washable, too, so you could get a couple of them and alternate when one is being cleaned.

These simple ideas and solutions for a tidy, organised hallway are also incredibly beneficial if you’re selling your home and about to start inviting potential buyers for viewings. First impressions are so important because people usually make a decision about a property within 30 seconds or less. When you walk up to a home and the front door is opened, you’ll either get a welcoming and homely vibe or you’ll feel a bit uncomfortable and not drawn to the property, simply due to the way the space is presented. But even if you’re not planning to sell your property, a lovely tidy hallway will make you much happier and relaxed every time you come home.

As one of the West of Scotland’s longest-standing estate agents, we have had lots of experience managing the ups and downs of the housing market in recent times, so you can be confident you’ll be in safe hands when working with us. With an expert team by your side and a variety of properties on offer, including both property to let and homes for sale, Caledonia Bureau are confident that we can match you with the right home. Give our friendly team a call today, choosing from our offices in Clydebank, Helensburgh, Dumbarton and Paisley.