A recent survey from Kijiji found that the average American parents spent $2,577 on baby-related items when their child was born. Additionally, the survey found that nearly four in five parents (77%) said that after their child was born, their baby accumulated more stuff in a year than they themselves accumulated in five! In fact, nearly half of parents (44%) have converted an entire room in their house or their garage to store baby items!

Since the summer months are most common for new arrivals, many expectant parents are now looking to purchase their baby-related items, and find the space in their homes to store them.

To provide relief for expectant parents, Kijiji and has partnered with professional organizer Chris McKenry, of
Get it Together LA!, in Los Angeles to provide the following tips for preparing your home for your new little ray of sunshine!

• Write It Down: Develop an “action plan” for making room for your bundle of joy by writing down your organizing goals. This could include outlining how you would like the nursery to look and which items you need to purchase and how they will function in the space.

• Make a Commitment: Commit to spending 20 minutes a day identifying what you don’t use in your home anymore. If you have no immediate use for an item, turn your unwanted clutter into cash. List those items on LosAngeles.Kijiji.com to help finance your new nursery.

• Picture This: Letting go of the past allows you to make room for your future and in this case a growing family! If your closet or attic is full of items that are meaningful to you but not useful, take a picture of them to create an album of “Treasured Clutter.” This way you keep the memory but not the clutter. The picture album will take up much less space and still hold your treasured memories of family and friends.

• Mommy Connection: To decorate the nursery on a budget, visit LosAngeles.Kijiji.com to find gently used cribs, rocking chairs, changing tables, and drapery. In addition to saving money on baby items, you can connect with other mothers in your neighborhood.

• Zone the Home: Keep items where they are used. Just like your favorite store, have departments throughout your living space. At your baby-changing table have necessary supplies like diapers, baby wipes, and onesies at an arms reach.

• Build Up: When space is limited, people often overlook the vertical. Shelves are a great use of untapped space. Use labeled containers on your shelves for quick access.

• Unexpected Use: Inexpensive over-the-door shoe organizers can be used on the back of closet doors to organize baby toys or diaper changing needs. A small chest from LosAngeles.Kijiji.com can also provide extra storage in a closet under hanging clothes.

• Keep Inventory Low: Don’t overstock for your needs. Keep on hand only what is needed for your baby at their present age. When space is limited it is amazing how much room toys and clothes take up that won’t be used for months or even years.

• Book It: Before baby arrives, create a “Baby Manual” to store important contract information of your child’s pediatrician, grandparents, neighbors and babysitters. Keep your Baby Manual near the main phone for easy reference.

• In & Out: Once you’ve decluttered your home, keep it from coming back. Commit to setting aside an hour each month to list the toys and other baby items you child has outgrown on LosAngeles.Kijiji.com. By doing so, your child will grow up knowing how to be clutter free too!
  

* Average resale values based on eBay market data, as reported by TurboTax ItsDeductible.

Kijiji wants to ensure all products listed and sold on the site are completely safe for your child. Visit the government’s recall site at www.recalls.gov or the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission Web site before purchasing any baby-related item to keep from purchasing a product that does not meet the proper safety standards.