Sometimes the idea of something seems far better than the reality. That is often the case with having a clutter-free home, you may desperately want to have less to clean, less to stress about and more space in your home, but getting there is the problem. Don’t be put off by the thought of spending days clearing out the attic or the garage, plan your attempt and you will find it won’t take too much effort at all.
Make a Plan
Before you start to declutter your home, you need to identify where the problem areas are and how bad things really are. It might be that you just have one room that’s the problem, or you might think the whole house needs attention. That is why having a plan can make things easier, you can also check things off as you do them and it will feel like an accomplishment.
Spend Five Minutes a Day
One way to declutter without it being painful is to make time for five minutes of clearing a day. To make it easier choose rooms that need attention and designate a day to tackle them. Then, start with one drawer or cupboard and spend a full five minutes clearing it out. You might think that this will be ineffective, but you will soon have effortlessly decluttered your home.
Fill One Trash Bag a Day
Another simple way to declutter is like the five-minute plan, though instead of five minutes, you need to fill one trash bag per day. You don’t have to choose a specific room, just spend some time filling the bag with all the things you don’t want. You may find that you simply collect a whole bag of trash, but, if what you have is a load of unwanted clothes, then they could go to a good cause. Anything that you don’t want can be donated or thrown out, and the rest can be boxed up. You may even find items that you can sell; just make sure that you don’t use the proceeds to replace the clutter with newer versions of what you have sold!
Tackling Clothes
Probably one of the most difficult areas to clear is the wardrobe. Not because of the time it takes, but the fact you probably don’t want to throw anything out. One way you can tackle this is to try the six-month rule. Have all your clothes facing the same way and each time you wear something, turn it the other way. After six months, you will see the clothes you haven’t worn. If you didn’t need them for the past six months, you wouldn’t need them now. Even if you think that you will fit into something soon, you can always buy new things when that time arrives. You can then donate all the things that no longer fit.
Give Away One Thing a Day
By simply giving away one thing from your home a day, you can clear 30 or more things per month from your home. Over a few months, you will start to see a huge difference in how your home looks and it will also make you feel good. If you don’t want just to give things away, then try selling one thing per day. Go to the auction sites and put many things you no longer need on there. It will help you to declutter and raise some cash as well.
Put Things in Storage
You may think that putting things into storage is just moving the problem. However, there may be things you don’t want in the house that are too valuable or important just to give away. It might be some family paintings or some collectibles; these things can be safely stored elsewhere instead of in your home. If you have a lot of things, you can hire a company like smallmovinginc.com to move it all for you. That is an especially good idea if you are transporting valuable things so that they are moved correctly without breaking them.
Change Your Thinking
Trying to declutter your home is as much about your thinking as it is the actual effort involved. It can be easy to convince yourself that something is useful or even essential when it isn’t. Try to think differently about the things you are working through, ask yourself ‘When did I last use this?’ and ‘When will I need it again?’ If you cannot answer these questions, then the item is good to be removed. There are other ways you can achieve this, start taking photos of your home and see if the image makes you feel that there is too much stuff in there. If there is a specific room that causes you worry, that’s where to start.
Ask a Friend for Help
If you are struggling to declutter effectively, then why not ask a good friend to help you. Choose a friend that will be honest with you and ask them to help you sort through a room. Then, when you become stuck, they can rationalize things for you by telling you it isn’t needed or that you never use it. Sometimes another person’s opinion can make all the difference. It can also be a good time to catch up as well as spend some quality time with them.
Don’t Give Yourself Time to Think
When you are trying to declutter, time can be your worst enemy. If you have the time to look at something and talk yourself into keeping it, then that won’t help you. Think about arranging a charity to pick up some things, but make it within a day or two. That way, you won’t have the time to think about anything too much, and it will make the process easier.
Having a plan of action and sticking to it is the way to declutter your home. When you have finally finished, and you have a nice spacious house, remember to keep it that way. Spend a few minutes each day going through the house and clearing out things before they stay too long.
