*This is a collaborative post
Do you find yourself with so many possessions that you can’t keep track of where everything is? Or maybe you constantly find yourself bumping into furniture that seems to fill up a room.
Well, if you have said an onerous ‘YES!’ to either or both questions, then perhaps it's time for a declutter!
For those who have lived in their home for a good few years now or are a bit of a hoarder, there is a good chance you have more personal effects and belongings in your residence than you actually need.
However, it goes without saying that the more jumble you have in your home, the longer it's going to take to cut through it. And possibly, the more daunting a task it might seem.
But if you feel like this, don’t worry; we’ve got you covered!
No matter how big or small your home is, if you need to declutter your space without feeling overwhelmed, here is how you can do it.
1. Don’t Add to the Mess!
Perhaps the most important starting point for decluttering is to make a conscious effort not to add to the mess.
There is no point expending a lot of effort in streamlining the interior aesthetic of your home if you are only going to replace the spaces you created with a whole bunch of new items. You’ll only end up finding yourself back at square one.
Therefore, you’ll need to adopt a change of mindset to move towards a more minimalist approach that showcases parts of your home that are currently hidden by disarrangement.
2. Give People Their Stuff Back
In any given home that needs decluttering, there is a very good chance that some of the stuff doesn’t even belong to you.
For instance, friends who once stayed over might have forgotten to take their coat or bag, while children who have flown the nest years ago could have all manner of possessions under your roof.
Instead of leaving them to take up valuable space in your home, try to give them back to their rightful owner if you can. If not then get rid of it in the most appropriate way (more to come on that later).
3. Make a List
One of the easiest ways you can make the task of decluttering a little less overwhelming is to write a list of all the areas you want to clear up.
The great thing about doing this is that it will help you break down the overall job into a series of small tasks, which you can then set about tackling in a strategic order.
By ticking them off as you’ve done them, you will also be able to track how much more of the project you have left to do.
4. Start Small
The famous philosopher Lao Tzu famously said, ‘a journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step’, and the same concept applies to decluttering.
Arguably, one of the major reasons why people tend to feel overwhelmed by the prospect of a big decluttering job is that they try to do it all at once.
Instead, they should start off small by focusing their energy on one room at a time. This could either be a room that is quickest to complete or one which will make the most difference to the overall look and feel of your home once it is done.
By concentrating on one space and doing it well it will provide you with a sense of achievement and motivation to move on to the next room.
5. Use the Four-Box Method
When you are decluttering your home, one of the best things to do is use the four-box method to help you decide what to keep and what to let go of.
Essentially, this involves labelling four boxes or bins into the following categories:
Keep (items you need and use regularly)
Donate to charity (items in good condition that you no longer need)
Sell (items that have value but you no longer use)
Trash (items that are broken or unusable)
By doing this, you will quickly be able to organise your possessions in a strategic way that will help you streamline the look and feel of your home.
For the donation pile, many charities will come to your place to pick up the items for you.
Additionally, for the sell pile, Facebook Marketplace or Gumtree is a good place to offload your possessions.
Moreover, with regards to the trash, hiring a rubbish removal company will save you a trip to the tip and can ensure it is disposed of in the most responsible way possible.
6. Enlist Help
Decluttering is not something you should do alone, so don’t be afraid to ask for help.
You can extend your invitation to family or friends, and if you have older school-aged children, they should be roped in to provide you with assistance.
If you are having trouble persuading anyone to pitch in, you can always hire the services of a professional company that can clinically remove anything you don’t want any more in the house without any emotion attached to the process.