People have a tendency to collect clutter, whether it be books, clothes, or a hundred souvenirs that we have collected along the years. As a result, we lose track of what we have and end up buying more. When the time comes to move to a smaller house, the amount of clutter we have hits us like a ton of bricks! Decluttering is a difficult process, but it is essential if you are thinking about moving to a smaller place.
Human’s are sentimental, we get attached to things. We reason that we might need that thing that we haven’t thought about for a year ‘one day’. But sometimes, you need to be honest and ruthless with yourself and get rid of things you know you won’t need. Decluttering takes time, patience and consideration, which is why we’ve got some tips and tricks for you to make the process easier!
DOES IT SPARK JOY?
As the queen of organisation, Marie Kondo says, does the item spark joy for you? Does that item improve your life? A classic decluttering technique, Kondo says, is to first put your hands on the item, ask yourself if it sparks joy, and if not, then thank the item for its service and get rid of it. This is a great technique to use on every item in your house, from your old clothes to old tools in the garage. If you haven’t worn that shirt in a year, be honest with yourself, are you ever going to wear it again? Once you start to get rid of clothes, you’ll be able to see what you usually wear and don’t. A clean and organised closet also makes it easier to get ready in the morning’s as you won’t be wasting time trying to decide what to wear!
Image Credit: Kismet House
THE ONE YEAR RULE
Getting rid of items that you own can make you feel sentimental, which is why this is the golden rule – have you used it in a year? If you haven’t used an item in a year, chances are that you do not need it. This decluttering technique is great before moving to a smaller house as you do not need to take clutter that you don’t use to your new house. Donate the items that you haven’t used in a year to a charity of your choice.
DECLUTTER IN CATEGORIES
Decluttering in small, focused categories, rather than just taking on a room full of stuff can make the process easier. Make a plan, list or a schedule of what you are going to tackle first and come up with a specific order to do it. Allocate yourself time limits that you will be spending on each category, for example, thirty to forty-five minutes only on jewellery. This way, you won’t waste too much time getting caught in the nostalgia of getting rid of things. As Kondo, thank it for its service and say goodbye.
Image: Sarah Shanahan
BROKEN? PUT IT IN THE TRASH
Ever clung on to a something that’s broken with the idea that you’ll get it fixed one day? Chances are if you’ve had it for a while you probably won’t, sorry! It is important to throw away items that are broken or cannot be repurposed as they will just be taking up unnecessary storage space that you could be inhabited by something else.
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