Spring is a great time for changes and new beginnings. Maybe this spring you could finally make some changes in your home. The COVID-19 pandemic left us all with little or no choice for outdoor activities and socializing. Instead, we became more oriented to private, stay-at-home entertainment. Since this is the case, we might as well use this time to make our personal space, where we spend most of our time, more pleasant. Whether you are relocating your home or just redecorating, the art of downsizing can come in handy. Of course, not everyone practices this art regularly, so we bring you some of the expert tips for clearing the clutter in your home quickly and easily.
Choose a starting point for clearing the clutter
Every endeavor needs a starting point. Similarly, if you are preparing your terrain for clearing the clutter in your home, you need to know where to begin. You could, of course, start decluttering randomly as well. In fact, some people believe that the most important thing is to start as soon as possible and that coming up with the right strategy in this kind of work doesn't matter much. One can even perceive it as an unnecessary waste of time. However, that depends on the amount of your clutter. If you only need to clean one room, cleaning randomly might work. But, if we are talking about complete home organization, you are risking losing track of what you were doing, when, and where. So always choose a specific room to begin with.
Expert tip: If you have an attic or basement, this is an ideal starting spot. You can clear and clean it first and then utilize it as temporary storage until you take care of the rest. Alternatively, start from the most spacious room in your home.
Make an inventory list and precise selection of all items
Besides being in control of where you are decluttering, you should also be careful about what you are throwing away. Or even more importantly, what you aren't. Making an inventory list of all your belongings can help you a lot with this, especially if you are organizing for seniors, or anybody else, as a favor. You may not be aware of what are items they possess and how important any of them are. But once you put everything on paper, the selection becomes more straightforward. It is even better if you can divide your inventory list into categories for easier reference.
Some suggested categories are:
Jewelry, art, and other valuables
Electronics
Personal effects
Items suitable for charity or give-away
Clutter - the only category of things to be disposed of
Don't get too emotional when it comes to disposal
Once we start browsing through our dusty collections of god-knows-what all kinds of scrap, suddenly all the memories rush back. Unfortunately, this feeling doesn't last long. As soon as we continue with our everyday activities, we again forget about those items. And so, piles get larger and larger. Just imagine what a waste of space this is. Of course, this doesn't mean you should throw away all your memories. Instead, try to select them the best you can and keep only the dearest ones.
Expert tip: There is no point in keeping your emotional valuables in the basement away from everyone's eyes. Alternatively, you can give them some life back by using them to personalize your bedroom.
Use all the help and tools available
One of the most common beginner's mistakes is underestimating your opponent. In this case - the clutter. Yes, you are a real hero if you manage to take care of the whole clearing process alone. But is it worth the trouble? Especially nowadays, with so many tools and professional cleaning services available. Virtual organizing is one of the latest break-through in this field, and it is certainly worth considering. Think of the time and effort you could save. An alternative, more old-school way is to get your friends and family to help you. This may not be the most effective way, but at least, it is the cheapest. And at least you don't have to do everything entirely by yourself.
Expert tip: If you don't want to deal with the heavy lifting when moving out your items, you can call a local relocation crew for help. Reliable movers can be great allies in the process, as they have the tools and the skills to handle this task without damage or injury.
Organize your home in a way to prevent piling of clutter in the future
Maybe you are done clearing the clutter in your home, but your job is not over yet. The next thing is to clutter-proof all your rooms. Only this way will all your effort pay off. What are all the sweat and sore muscles worth if your house looks the same as before after a week? Once the first pile of clutter reapers, it is already too late, so start thinking about this on time.
Here are some practical and creative ways to promote downsizing from the first day of your new life:
Place bins around your home - many of them, everywhere, and in different colors. This can motivate you to recycle and be more responsible about clutter.
Get new boxes, crates, and labeling material for easier categorization of stuff.
Dedicate a part of your basement or house for uncategorized items. Everybody needs an organized multipurpose space in their home.
Select one day a month for decluttering.
Stay disciplined. Motivate yourself from time to time by imagining a spotlessly clean home.
Even though the minimalistic way of living and decorating has been around for some time, not everyone is practicing it. Some people dedicate a lot of time to create a perfect downsizing strategy, while others prefer a more free and spontaneous approach. Still, for those who are about to embrace this new lifestyle, we hope that our expert tips for clearing the clutter in your home will be of great help.
