If you’re sick and tired of having a home that’s overflowing with so much stuff that you can’t actually relax and enjoy your own space, it might be time to think about decluttering the place.
If you’re groaning right now thinking about all the time and effort it will take, relax. It is totally possible to declutter your home in the space of a day, and here are a few things that will help you do exactly that.
Hire a storage unit
Before you even think about decluttering your home, get yourself a flexible secure storage unit where you can keep some of your stuff. Surely, you’re saying, the point of decluttering is well getting rid of your stuff. Yes, it is, but Rome wasn’t built in a day, and you probably won’t be able to part with all your stuff in a day either, so compromise and have a place to store it for as long as you want instead.
Take it room by room
If you want to declutter your home as efficiently as possible, it makes sense to take it one room at a time. That way, nothing is missed, and only when one room is completely clear can you move onto the next. This avoids cross-contamination and things getting missed as you all move around.
Have three big boxes
In each room you’re decluttering, have three big boxes available. Mark one ‘Trash’ one ‘Keep’ and one ‘Donate,’ then you can just throw each item into the corresponding box quickly as you sweep the room. You can go as fast as you like because you know you can store the boxes marked donate and trash in your storage locker for a while before making the final decision, but they’ll still be out of your home and your space will be transformed.
Take pictures
One thing that can hold your decluttering effort up is those sentimental items that you just can’t bear to do anything with. A good way of overcoming your paralysis around them is to take pictures of them. That way, you can still look back and remember those past times gladly, but you won’t have to wade through a whole lot of clutter in order to do so.
Invest in vacuum bags
Vaccum storage bags are a marvel. They take a huge volume of stuff and compact it until it’s so small it can fit in a tiny cupboard or shelf. They’re great for those things you do want to keep, but which you don’t want to have on display or in your way all the time.
Bribe friends and family
If you want to get it done as quickly as possible, you need as many hands-on the deck as possible, so why not throw a decluttering family? Get a few beers in and have everyone help you go through your clutter. Once you’re done, you can treat them to a barbie or whatever delights will convince them to come and help you, and instead of being a drag, decluttering your home will be great fun.