The short answer
Handle every piece of post once, at the door, with the recycling bin in reach. Most of it never needs to enter the house at all.
- Open post standing by the recycling bin. Junk and envelopes go straight in.
- Anything needing action goes in one single tray, never on a worktop.
- Anything needing keeping goes into one of a small number of folders: house, car, money, medical, warranties.
- Do the action tray once a week at a set time.
- Go paperless on everything that offers it, which removes most of the volume at source.
What will ruin it
Keep the originals of anything relating to property, pensions, qualifications and immigration status. Almost everything else can be a scan, and bank statements are available from the bank for years.
Why it works
Piles form because a decision was deferred, not because there is nowhere to put things. Handling each item once removes the deferral, which is the actual mechanism.
Tipking is general household information, not professional advice. Test anything on a hidden patch first. Full disclaimer.
More organising
How to declutter without spending a whole weekend on itThe rule that stops clutter coming backWhere to actually store things you use rarelyHow to make a cleaning routine you will actually keepHow to organise cables and chargers so you can find themAppliance Running Cost CalculatorWhat any appliance costs per use, per week and per year, plus eighteen worked out for you at today's rate.Open the calculator →