7 Simple Steps to De-Cluttering Your House
Everyone wants to live in a clean and organize space, even those that tend to hoard and hold on to the stalled items feel somewhat free and revitalized when even just one space in their home gets clean and clear. Whether you're looking at moving and selling or just want to get a jump on spring cleaning for next year, organizing and decluttering your home can really bring a breath of fresh air to your house and your lifestyle. So how can you do that without the project appearing overwhelming? Here are seven simple steps to decluttering your house.
#1. Schedule and plan.
You shouldn't just wake up on a random Saturday without anything to do and assume you're going to organize your entire house in three hours. You can start that Saturday by making a plan, choose which room to start with first, and what you want to do with the items moving forward. Are you packing up items to move or just getting organized? Once you know your motivation and you make a list of which rooms to start in first, you can help plan your process in sizable chunks.
#2. Start simple.
How do you eat an elephant? One bite at a time. When you look at your entire house it can be very overwhelming, which is why a lot of people don't even start decluttering or organizing. Don't think of the house as a whole just yet. Start with one room, and make that room the easiest, perhaps it's just a hall closet or linen closet, walk-in closet, playroom, office, or even a utility room. Give yourself manageable goals such as one room a day. Take that Saturday and just work on the utility room or mudroom, organizing, throwing things away, labeling items, and doing a real deep clean.
#3. Make four boxes.
Have a box or container for recycling, one for garbage, one for donating or selling, and one to keep. Once you remove everything out of a room or a closet then carefully put things back one at a time deciding which box the item goes in.
#4. Give yourself a reward as a goal.
Perhaps you will enjoy a glass of wine once the room is done, or give yourself a walk in the fresh air after tackling a basement. Whatever it is, there needs to be some tangible goal and reward, more than just the feeling of organization, although that is a pretty good feeling.
#5. The snowball effect.
Once you get going, the momentum and motivation will start to roll in on itself. For instance, once you have completely Declutter the kitchens, it might make cooking even easier. If you've organized your closet, getting dressed and ready in the morning might take you less time, making you earlier for work and potentially a raises in your future. Once you tackle small items and small rooms, you feel more confident to take on larger spaces such as the kitchen, living rooms, garages, or basements.
#6. Adopt a clutter-free mindset.
Don't start this process thinking you're automatically going to have this habit right off the bat. Decluttering is not a one time project. It will happen over and over because we're constantly bringing more items into our house so adopt a clutter-free mindset. When you buy a new article of clothing donate, throw away, or sell another one. If you find yourself needing more hangers, it may be time to get rid of a few items that you haven't worn in 6 to 12 months.
#7. Make it an annual project.
That's why they say spring cleaning is so important because you're literally meant to do it once a year. If you keep a mindset of clearing out items the first day of spring and then the first day of fall, you will start the habit of a Decluttered mindset.
Keep this motto in place, "any mess you make should be able to be cleaned up in 30 minutes or less."
Decluttering takes work, but you have to start somewhere. Starting small and giving yourself small goals is really the key to getting it all done. Most people think of it as such a big project that they never get started. Even if you can only tackle one or two small rooms a week, you'll feel good about those spaces and when it comes time to sell, your home will be half ready.
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