January is the perfect time to re-organize and declutter your home. It is likely that you have collected extra things over the Christmas period, and you are now falling short of storage space.
Useless items in the home not only take up space, but the clutter that accumulates on our desks, in our wardrobes, on our bench tops and throughout the home also collects extra dust. Clutter makes it more difficult to find things, makes a small space look even smaller, and takes up valuable living or storage space that you may need.
A thorough declutter is the best way to instantly refresh your home, so to help make the process easier, we’ve compiled some useful tips on how to declutter your home:
1. Make a plan: Make a list of your rooms and the order you want to work on them. Know how you’re going to move unwanted clutter out of the house and know where it’s going to go.
2. Give yourself time to sit and visualise the finished look.
3. Start small. The act of sorting even one area free from clutter can help to get the ball rolling. Break up the work so you aren’t feeling too overwhelmed, frustrated, or confused about where to start. Instead, break your goal into smaller goals. Start with one pile, one shelf or one drawer.
4. Make your designated storage spaces beautiful. Think about your solutions to organize the items you’ll have left. Unsightly cardboard boxes or shoe boxes may look unsightly and make you feel as though your house doesn’t look any neater.
5. Get rid of duplicates. We double up on many household items that we no longer use or need.
6. Remember what is really important to you? If you haven’t worn or used an item for several years, give it to a charity, sell online or bin it.
7. Ask for help. Decluttering the home can be a huge task and can feel overwhelming not only physically, but emotionally. Get your family or friends on board and make it a fun.
8. Declutter regularly. Once a month or quarter, commit to a mini-declutter or clean up. Mark it on your calendar to ensure you home stays mess-free.
A friendly reminder: “We don’t need to increase our goods nearly as much as we need to scale down our wants. Not wanting something is as good as possessing it.” – Donald Horban.
