Staging Zones

Have you ever heard about staging zones for your home? No? Well, you should. Having a set location to put pending tasks in will tremendously streamline your homemaker process. 

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What are staging zones?

A staging zone is defined as an intermediate storage area used to gather similar items. They are common in ports and used by the military. Staging Zones are commonly referred to as Staging Areas.  The Staging Zones I am referring to are dedicated areas in your home for items that need to be moved to somewhere else.

When you are picking up all day every day, you do not want to be running up and down the stairs, into bedrooms, or out to the garage every time you find something out of place! Rather, you want to set up staging zones so that when you are picking up you can gather like items together and then disperse when everything is picked up!

Why do I Need Staging Zones?

Staging zones simplify the picking up process and help keep pending tasks organized. You simplify so many processes by predetermining where you will place certain items. 

Are There Different Types?

Yes! There are endless areas to implement a staging zone. Some of the most common ones are:

• Items to go upstairs
• Items to go downstairs
• Laundry to be washed
• Laundry to be put away
• Immediate Action Items
• Items to be dispersed (returns, donations, etc.)
• Items to file

Another use for staging zones is as part of your organizational strategy and seasonal items. I will cover those in future posts.

What Should the Area Look Like?

Basic. You do not need to go out and purchase totes and bins. Staging zones are dedicated areas to assist with organization. Literally, a countertop, bottom stair, or a separate laundry basket will work. 

How Do I Keep Staging Zones Organized?

Staging areas should not be used as permanent storage. The point of a staging area is to know that an item is in limbo. Staging areas, for the most part, should be picked up daily. Sounds crazy? Head over to my organization page and see why it's not.

Are There Other Benefits to Staging Zones?

Glad you asked! After you get your areas staged and successfully use them, teach your family what each zone is! Yes, tell them if there are items in these specific areas where they are supposed to go. If your house is chaotic, your family is less likely to know where to put things. Once you provide the directions, it will streamline so many processes!

My husband often clears out a staging zone for me. If he sees that there is laundry folded in a basket on our laundry room counter, he takes the initiative to put it away, knowing that it's ready for the next step since it's in the staging zone. 

Where Should I Put a Staging Zone?

Your staging zone should be set up most conveniently. Staging zones that take a little longer to go through should not be on the kitchen counter. Items that need to exit the house should be staged by an exit. Items for upstairs or downstairs should be near the stairs. Make them logical so that you use them! The more you see these tasks that need to be completed, the more likely you will keep on them.

Examples

Here are the current staging zones I have at my house:

• This is my staging zone for the boys' laundry. I always fold laundry and stage it to be put up.

• Here is my to-do staging zone. I have items to be filed and a notebook that I use often. Also, there are folders for me to put pictures in for the extended family. Always best to be prepared!

• In our laundry room, I store items that need to be dispersed. Here we have clothes to be taken to my cousin, a container to be returned to my MIL, and some cars that my mom requested—properly staged by the garage door so I can easily remember to grab them.

• I had one little toy in my upstairs staging zone when I wrote this post. Can you see it? Typically I place toys that the boys have brought down, towels for the upstairs bathroom that have been washed and need to be put away, or even seasonal decor items that need to be put in the attic.

• Lastly, here is my immediate action staging zone. I leave items that I need to complete quickly on the corner of our kitchen island. Here I have Bodie's school folder and order forms that I need to turn in for soccer pictures.

Conclusion

In conclusion, I hope you will consider adding staging areas to your home. These are simple to implement and provide many benefits for you and your family. I recommend trying some of my Organization Boot Camps if you don't currently have any clean areas to set up a staging area. Any feedback or questions? Let me know below!