Decluttering your home
A new year has now arrived and for many it is a great time to take a look around you and decide if you need all the items you have accumulated over the years.
You may have had your Christmas decorations up, but now all packed away your home may look a little different – have a look around and do you see more items in your home than you really need? Do friends and family ever comment on the amount of stuff that you have? Do you feel that you simply do not have enough space?
If so, then it may be time to de-clutter and take back the space in your home.
If you are planning on selling your home this year, then as many home improvements shows tell you, a tidy house makes a better proposition to a buyer so could sell your home quicker if you take action and de-clutter.
If you are moving house and using a house removals company, then why pay to have unwanted items moved? So by decluttering you can save your money on your house removals quote too.
So here are some handy tips to help you start your new year with less clutter:
Make a plan and take your time
Some people have amassed huge amounts of items over the past years, so the task of decluttering in itself can be a huge task, which to some seems too big to even start. Don’t try to do everything all in one go as you may get frustrated then give in. Start out with the smallest room first and make a plan to declutter this room over a weekend. This will give you the satisfaction and drive to move on to the next room.
You have started now
Your underway and sometimes there may be that much stuff to declutter that you may get confused as to what to do with the stuff. This may cause you to give in abandoning your plan and giving up on your mission to tidy up your home. Stick with it, focus on clearing one room at a time until your finished. After all, it is easier to complete a project in small steps.
Make the most of your time
If you get some downtime in the evening or day and want to get on with the de-cluttering then a few minutes here or there will add up and help get the job done quicker.
Get help from family and friends
If you are living in a family home the get everyone involved. If you are the key contributor to the clutter then others in the household may enjoy getting rid of some of the items and helping clearing out the home.
Let your children help
If the kid’s rooms is full of toys which are rarely used and simply gathering dust, then encourage the kids to box up the unwanted toys in a good condition and take them to a local children’s charity or children’s hospital – this will give your kids value and the feel good factor, which is always pleasant for them to experience.
Have a system to know what to keep or get rid of
There are a number of options when faced with household items in a room. ‘Keep it’, ‘Store it’, ‘recycle it’ or ‘bin it’. In each room decide which category the items and put in boxes according to what you want to be done with them. Of course, if you want to ‘Store it’ then make sure they are packed well to prevent any damage.
If your getting rid of your stuff, then do it!
Once you have made the decision to throw something out then do it, don’t hold on to it and decide at a later date. Be ruthless, live by the rule if you have not used an item for the last 12 months then do you really need it. Do you need those old Christmas cards, worn pair of jeans that you no longer wear or those old trainers? Get rid of it!
Take back your space
Now you have have made a plan and followed through with the plan. You now have some space. It is so easy to fall back into the trap of acquiring new clutter. Get organised, get cupboards, smart storage and places to put items so your house now remains tidy. After all, you do not want all your hard work go to waste, do you?
Storing your items
Not yet decided if you want to keep, sell or bin your items? Then store them! Contact a Removals & Storage company (like ourselves, Movingeverywhere) to send over a couple of helpful men to remove the items and place into our secure storage warehouse. The cost of storage can be as low as £10.00+VAT per week (excluding the cost of collection). Your items are now out of your house, so you have the space and the time to decide what you want to do now.
Leave it to the experts!
Movingeverywhere have a declutter service. If you are moving house and want a tidy property to present to prospective buyers or simply need to tidy up, our men can pack any items you need cleared from your home then deliver into our furniture storage warehouse until you have decided what to do with them. If you need access to your stuff then you can – just let us know and we can make all the arrangements for you.