Decluttering Your Home
One of the most important aspects of a spring clean is getting rid of the clutter. We're all guilty of hoarding items we simply don't need, so it's good to declutter from time to time and make better use of our property space. Here are 5 tips to make the decluttering process as smooth as possible.
Split the work up
By splitting the work up, we don't mean offloading the work onto someone
else, although getting a friend or partner to help is never a bad thing! We're
advising you to divide the job into more manageable sections. Don't take a
scattergun approach because before you know it, you'll have items everywhere
and an overwhelming mess to deal with. It helps to section things off, one room
at a time, and work your way around little by little.
Sort your items
Throughout these tips, you'll see the importance we've placed on
organisation and when it comes to sorting through your things, it's no
different. Create a minimum of two piles: keep and bin. It's a good idea to add
another pile for items you don't want to keep yourself but could bag up and
donate or gift to others or even sell. Finally, it's normal to feel some doubt
about some of the objects and although we encourage you to be ruthless with
your selection, you may want an undecided pile that you can revisit at the end
when you've got a better understanding of your final inventory.
Discard first
This approach helps create space. If you've got through the sorting process
and have a collection of items you want to get rid of, don't wait. Get them out
of your home and make use of the extra space without them around. It's also a
good way to take a breather and assess your progress. You might find after
discarding the unwanted pile that you've ended up with more room than you first
imagined, which may influence your decision and allow you to be a little more
lenient with any items you're on the fence about.
If in doubt, throw it out
It's natural to be sceptical when having a clear-out, but people often mistake
this scepticism as a reason to hold on to things. Generally, if you've not used
something in the last year, allowed it to gather dust or forgot about its
existence entirely, it's best to discard it. After all, you've survived without
it, so it's no great loss. It can be hard but you have to be ruthless. Make an
exception here and there, and you'll find yourself
clinging onto things you have no reason to cling onto. The one
exception is items of great sentimental value. Sometimes, despite logic saying
otherwise, we're not quite ready to part with items that mean the most to us.
This is where the aforementioned revisit pile comes in useful. As a rule of
thumb, if you've put it to the side for later, revisited it and still can't
muster up the courage to throw it away, it's probably best you don't.
Take a longer-term approach
You've done the hard work, but now it's about making sure you don't have to
do it again for some time. Instil good habits now and you'll reap the rewards
of a tidy home for much longer. Consider the most effective storage
arrangements, assessing items you'll need regularly and those you'll use far
less. Invest in storage solutions in the form of boxes, shelves, or smart
solutions for inside your wardrobe or under your bed. It's about keeping things
organised for the foreseeable future, so you can reduce the need for a big
clean and enjoy your freshly decluttered home for as long as possible!
