Clutter causes confusion, confusion leads to stress, and stress can develop into avoidance and procrastination. It’s unnecessary and makes you unproductive. Clutter can stress you out and lead to a cumulative negative effect on your mental health and lifestyle.
It doesn’t take long for clutter to build up in your immediate surroundings, your home, and eventually your mind and body, so it’s easy to understand how it can be a challenge when you’ve lived in your home for many years.
When it comes to clutter, it’s usually more about your mindset than the actual piles of ‘stuff’. Your affinity and attachment to things can make you hoard unnecessary items thinking they might be of use in the future.Â
Clutter is also caused when you’re unable to let go of things that were expensive, that you received as a gift or inheritance, or that are attached to memories from your past.Â
Does any of these sound familiar to you?
If yes, we are here to assure you that you’re not alone. Many people face the same challenge, but downsizing is the perfect opportunity to reframe how you think about decluttering.
There are massive benefits to decluttering your home, including:Â
Reducing stress and anxiety - you may not realise it, but clutter can weigh on your mind
Rediscovering items you really valueÂ
Making the home sale process easier (you’ll need a clear home to take photos and conduct open for inspections)
Gaining control and organisation in your lifeÂ
Reducing stress and anxietyÂ
Finding things immediately when you need them (especially helpful when you go on to pack up your home)!
Gaining a better idea of what you have versus what you’ll need in your new home
Decluttering is a great way to reduce stress and can instantly result in a more relaxed state of mind. It doesn’t have to be difficult; you can simplify the experience by following a few basic tips.
Set aside some time every day without any distractions to start decluttering your home. It won’t take long to start and you’ll feel more motivated to continue once you overcome the initial hurdle.
If you feel overwhelmed with the clutter then start with one room at a time - without worrying about the rest of the house. Start small with a cabinet or a shelf. Clear that space and move on.Â
It can also be helpful to start with a room that is less emotional, such as a bathroom or laundry. Once you’ve worked through these spaces, you can move onto areas with items that hold more sentimental value.
Set a timer and don’t stop until the time is up.
Create categories for sorting items like Keep, Donate, Repair, and Throw Away.
Get boxes or rubbish bags to fill with items to donate and throw out. Just imagine doing this every day for a week. So much rubbish would be cleared out!Â
When you’re moving house or downsizing, you may be in a situation where you simply cannot take everything with you. This is the perfect time to declutter and prepare yourself for a fresh start.
Instead of taking everything with you, choose only what’s necessary and will comfortably fit in your new home.
When you are decluttering to downsize your home, you have to be a bit more ruthless. Plan ahead, start decluttering early and tackle one room at a time.
Here are some tips to declutter as well as downsize your home:
Selling your house and moving is a stressful and overwhelming process. It’s best to start sorting your belongings early on to manage the move easily. Homesuite has helped hundreds of clients move and our number one tip for making the move easy is to start early.Â
Kitchen shelves and cabinets tend to collect a lot of stuff over time. Often because of the clutter, you might not find certain items in the pantry. You end up going out and buying extra grocery items thinking you need them. All this duplicate stuff is put in the pantry on different shelves and it starts to build up after a while.
If you’re moving to a smaller space, take a look at the kitchen drawer and pantry space you’ll have compared to your current home. Too many appliances or pieces of crockery that will make downsizing impossible. Instead of keeping multiple sets, reduce it to a minimum essential number.Â
Get rid of old electrical appliances, cables from electrical items you no longer use, warranty manuals written in foreign languages, cookbooks you never use and complicated recipes you will never cook.
It’s common to have duplicate items but you either don’t need them or you only need one. If you sit and check, you will be amazed at just how many duplicate items you have. Purge down to one set of everything —colander, measuring cups, tongs, spatula, etc.Â
Keep only your favourite wall hangings, pictures, refrigerator magnets and minimal knick-knacks.
Handpick and keep only the things that you can’t live well without. Be ruthless if you have to, but don’t keep any items that you cannot display in your new home.Â
Based on the available furniture space, determine which items will and won’t fit and which items you need to get rid of.
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Remove hangers from the dry cleaners and the plastic shopping bags that are environmentally hazardous. Remove shoes and clothes that are old and don’t fit.
Don’t hoard books you will never read again (you can always get an eBook). Get rid of junk mail, old newspapers and expired medicines.
Instead of throwing everything in the bin, try to recycle, reuse, sell or donate your stuff. It’s easy to pitch the wire hangers, clothes and furniture in the bin but try to be environmentally responsible and find a home for everything.
Consider a garage sale or eBay for a lot of items. Designer clothing can be resold to consignment shops. You can find such stores listed in your local online directory. Be sure to shop around and compare prices as some stores offer better rates than others. You can also donate items to your favourite charity store.
If you complete this list of things to declutter now, you’ll be setting yourself up for a stress-free downsizing experience. Remember to have a plan of attack and stay focused.Â
If you need more support, Homesuite has an expert decluttering partner we’d be happy to introduce you to. They’ve been in the business of professional organising and decluttering for more than 15 years and can help you implement systems to make this process a breeze.
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