Living in a cluttered home can be really stressful, and with the minimalist style becoming so popular, more and more people want to clear their homes. If you don’t know where to start, this job can feel impossible, which is why We Buy Any House have outlined their favourite tips to help you!
1. Make a plan
Having a strong plan will keep you on track and make sure that you’re making progress. Decluttering is an intense job, and if you aren’t seeing progress, it’s really easy to just give up. By making yourself a plan of what you want to do and what you want to achieve, it will keep you motivated to reach your end goal of a clutter-free home.
When you’re making your plan, give yourself plenty of time. Decluttering takes time, and rushing yourself will only put you off, resulting in you giving up. It can take weeks, sometimes months, to achieve this goal, so don’t put pressure on yourself to try and clear the entire house in one weekend – think realistically and give yourself the time that you need to get things organised.
2. One room at a time
A big mistake that we often make when decluttering is trying to clear the entire house in one go and then losing interest before any real progress gets made. The best way to avoid falling into this trap is to focus on one room at a time to avoid getting overwhelmed.
Fully clearing one room helps to keep you motivated as you’ll be able to see the work that you’ve put in paid off, encouraging you to continue throughout your home. For those who only have one room that really needs tackling, you can break it down into sections and work through them to get the same sense of achievement. Deal with one set of drawers or one bookcase, and work through this until it’s complete. Always finish one area before you start a new one, as this is how things get left unfinished, and the clutter creeps back in!
3. Get rid of duplicates
Most of us are guilty of having multiples of things that we don’t really need, so starting here can be an easy transition into the decluttering process, especially for anyone who struggles to let go of their items. You can pick the best one out of the multiples to keep for yourself, and then look at what to do with the rest; you can throw any away that aren’t in the best condition, or if there’s anything in good shape, you can give to charity.
This is a great way to start, as depending on the amount of stuff you’ve got, you can make a lot of space in a short amount of time and get yourself ready to tackle more of your home. It can still be difficult, especially if you’ve got some emotional attachments to the items, but when you see what you’ve managed to get rid of, you’ll be incredibly proud of yourself.
4. Stay on top of at-risk areas
We all know that our homes have problem areas, and being aware of these will help you stay on track. Whether it’s a table, a bookshelf, or that junk drawer in the kitchen, staying on top of those areas will reduce the risk of more clutter creeping back into the home.
Often, we don’t realise just how much we’ve acquired, so being aware of it early on will help you stop it from building up and mean that you stay on top of the house. Flat surfaces are a common spot that sees clutter building up, starting with just a few things and then in no time at all, the space is covered. To avoid this, make sure that everything has a home and that you put it where it belongs every time you use it. At first, this will feel like a right hassle, but it will quickly become second nature, and you’ll see a huge difference.
Decluttering is a long process, but when you face it head-on and organise yourself, you’ll see incredible results and achieve that stunning home that you’re dreaming of!
