Are you sick and tired of all the clutter you have around your home? You are not the only one! We all feel like we are drowning in stuff. So, if you found yourself in a similar situation, you probably already know what to do – downsize and declutter your home! But how does one do that without losing its mind and spending too much time, money and energy on it? Do not worry, doing this task is not as hard as it seems. Thus, if you are interested in some tips and tricks on how to downsize and declutter your home effectively, keep on reading for some guidance.
Have a Family Meeting
People decide that it is time for downsizing and decluttering when there is a big change in sight. For instance, there is a new family member on the way, residential movers have been hired and the big move is approaching, or somebody just got tired of all the stuff and wants to live a simpler life. All these reasons, and many more, call for downsizing and decluttering. But, before you start decluttering each room in your home, it is of key importance to have a family meeting first. Trust us, you do not want to throw away your wife’s favorite shoes or your child’s favorite toy. Just call everybody in your household, and discuss this project. It would also be a good idea for each member to clean and declutter its own room. That way, there will be no confusion, nor wasted time and energy.
Start Small
Then, after the family meeting is over, it is time for action. But, do not make the mistake of doing everything at once. Many people feel enthusiastic and have the motivation to finish everything in just one day. However, this is when they realize that that can not be done. Trust us, downsizing and decluttering is a big project, and you will certainly need a couple of days for it.
If you do not want to get overwhelmed right at the beginning, you should start small. As previously mentioned, go room by room. Declutter all the smaller items first, and then move to bulkier pieces. This is especially important if you are decluttering all by yourself.
While you are sorting things out, do not keep them in the room. Instead, place some bigger boxes in the hallway, for example, and place the stuff there. That way, you will have a clear layout of the room and everything inside.
Decide What is Really Worth Keeping
If you are having difficulties decluttering and getting rid of some of your stuff, maybe you should try a different approach. That is, go into each room and make a list of all the things you have in there. Then, sit down and really think through what is worth keeping. Yes, this is not an easy thing to do, as we all get attached to our things. But, you should keep in mind that everything you own is just material. And, all material things can be replaced. Just think about it – will you really miss that 20-year-old lamp that has been collecting dust? Not really!
However, if you are still undecided, there is a solution for that too. You can, for instance, put the items you are not currently using inside boxes and place them in a storage unit. See how living without all those things will work out. If you missed them a lot, bring them back. If you forgot about them, you know what to do – sell, donate or throw away. Moreover, if you have a lot of stuff, feel free to call Zippy Shell Columbus to help you relocate them to a storage unit or somewhere else.
Donate, Sell or Throw Away
Hopefully, by now, you have decided what items are not worth keeping. For them, you have three solutions, as mentioned before. The first thing you can do is donate some of the things you no longer need. That can be old clothes and shoes, toys your child is not using anymore, pieces of furniture you have replaced and similar. Just make sure that the items you are planning to donate are in good condition. You can not donate something broken or ripped off. Then, visit your local charitable organization and tell them about the things you are willing to donate. Do not hesitate to do this, you will see that you will make somebody really happy.
The next option is to sell your unwanted things. That is a great way to downsize and declutter, but also to earn some money too. The easiest option would be to organize a yard or garage sale. Just bring some tables outside, put your stuff on them and watch them disappear. Just do not forget to advertise your sale. However, if organizing a yard sale is not an option, you can always sell the items you do not need online.
Lastly, if some of your items are in a bad condition, that is, they are broken, damaged, or simply useless, do not even think about selling or donating them. Let them hit the bin. Do not get over-sentimental about these things. Keep only what is valuable, expensive and irreplaceable.
Clean Your Home
After you have finished with selling, donating and getting rid of the stuff that was cluttering your space, it would be a good idea to thoroughly clean your house. That way you will have another chance to check every corner and see whether you missed an item or two. Do not skip on this step. After all that furniture moving and dragging boxes and different items from room to room, your house will be in a desperate need for a spring cleaning. There are probably a lot of things hiding in your uncleaned carpets and in the corners of your home. Thoroughly clean everything! But, after all these steps are complete, you will be surprised to see how peaceful, calm and harmonious your home will look.
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