When you no longer have space in your house or are finding it difficult to locate items, it may be time to declutter your home. There are many benefits of having a clean and clutter-free home: it gives you peace, helps you become more productive, and helps you save time as you won’t have to spend hours looking for a specific item. Here are some tips on decluttering your home:

1. Start Small: Choose an Area to Focus On

You may not be able to finish decluttering your entire house in a day, and that is alright. In fact, you may divide your work across days or months. It’s not necessary for you to allocate an entire day to decluttering either. You can choose to spend 30 minutes or an hour and still get some results.

When decluttering your home, you can start small by choosing an area to focus on first. You can start with smaller rooms or spaces, or areas that need attention (such as areas full of clutter).

Focus on one room and work in that room until it is finished. You can also start with small areas such as a closet to help you build momentum. Also, don’t forget to take breaks while you declutter.

2. Sort Your Items

Sort your items and decide which ones to keep and which ones to let go of.

Decide Which Items to Keep

Items that you still need or use regularly should be kept. Go through all your items and think about which ones have sentimental value. You may also have items that you can still recycle, so keep them.

Let Go of Things You No Longer Need

You may have things in your home that are no longer working. Maybe you have some appliances that are beyond repair. These things still take up a lot of space in your home, so you might as well throw them away. For clothes, let go of clothing you no longer wear. If you have clothes that are still in good condition, donate or sell them.

Methods to Try

You can try the following decluttering methods when sorting your items:

• The Four-Box Method

  In this method, get four boxes and label them: trash, give away/donate, keep, and storage. Go to rooms in your house and check all your items. Put items in the box where they belong. Trash items that are damaged. Give away or donate items that are still in good condition.

  Keep items that you still need. The storage box is for items you cannot let go of but don’t use regularly. These items may be seasonal decorations or seasonal clothing. A storage unit will also be helpful for these items.

• The KonMari Method

  This method, popularized by Marie Kondo, involves determining whether your items spark joy or not. If the item sparks joy, keep it. For items that are still worth keeping, but you don’t have enough space for them at your home, consider renting a storage unit.

3. Give Your Belongings a Permanent Home

All your items should have a spot where they live. Accumulation of clutter usually happens because items don’t have an assigned place, so you may tend to just put them anywhere in your house, especially on flat surfaces. Remember that small items can pile up and create a mess.

To avoid such situations, choose a specific home for your items while decluttering. You will later get into the habit of putting items in their assigned place and avoid dumping them anywhere.

4. Clear Flat Surfaces

Tables, counters, and other flat surfaces are a magnet for clutter. Surfaces such as kitchen countertops are more useful when decluttered. It’s also nice to look at tidy surfaces rather than ones full of clutter. Cleared flat surfaces will also give a spacious atmosphere.

You can keep items frequently used on surfaces (for instance, appliances on kitchen countertops), but those rarely used should be given away or stored somewhere else.

5. Make Use of Baskets and Plastic Storage Bins

Baskets and bins can help keep your home free from clutter. From toiletries to toys, you can store anything in them so that you can have more places at your home for other items. Baskets and bins also help in keeping your place organized. Just do not forget to label them so that it will be easier for you to locate your items.

6. Call a Friend or Family Member

If things get too heavy for you, call a friend or a family member. When you are sorting items, they can give you a second opinion as to what to keep and what to give away. Friends or family members can also help you when clearing out spaces. Decluttering can be a way for you to spend time with your loved ones, so if you need help, call them.

7. View Your Home as a First-Time Visitor

Enter your home as if you are visiting it for the first time. View your home through the eyes of a visitor and take note of areas that need decluttering. Viewing your home as a first-time visitor will help in identifying areas that need attention. It will also help you think about changes that need to be made.

8. Don’t Let Things Pile Up

Don’t let items get piled up. For instance, don’t pile up clothes on top of a table in your bedroom or pile up small items on countertops. This will only create more mess. Additionally, get rid of items quickly.

After sorting your items and deciding which to let go of, don’t let those “donate” or “throw away” boxes pile up in your home. Drop the “donate” boxes to donation centers as soon as possible and throw away the boxes with things you no longer need.

9. Item-In, Item-Out: Get Rid of One Item for Every New Item

If you bring a new item to your house, get rid of an old item. This will help manage the number of items in your house. For every new item, another item has to be given away, sold, donated, or thrown away.

10. Store Items in a Storage Unit

Decluttering involves letting items go, and that means giving or throwing them away. However, as mentioned earlier, there may be some items that are still worth keeping, but you just don’t have enough space for them in your home. You may also have items that you do not regularly use, such as seasonal items.

A storage unit will help in keeping your home organized and spacious. Your items will also be safe and protected. Are you interested in renting a storage unit? Contact us today!