Living a life without clutter is a dream for many. The minimalist lifestyle has never gone out of fashion, and as modern homes adapt for a life with less, now is a great time to start decluttering.
I am constantly decluttering, but I still seem to have and endless stream of possessions. I blame having kids as the number one reason I’m so swamped with clutter right now. Despite this, I’m always making efforts to downsize my life. With a big family, you have no choice, unless you want your house to be bursting at the seams. As a result, I’ve tried all sorts of methods for decluttering and can share some secrets that really work.
Downsizing Tips for a Clutter-Free Life
Below are some of my tried and tested downsizing tips. No matter the the size of your decluttering project, you’re bound to find something to help you get started.
Don’t be too ambitious straight away
One of the common mistakes people make when they’re decluttering is to set unrealistic targets. If you try to get rid of 70% of your possessions, you’re never going to be able to do it. Chances are, if you’ve got a lot of clutter, you’re the sort of person who hangs onto thing – not a natural declutterer. This means you’re unlikely to be ruthless when it comes to getting rid of things.
My advice is to start small. Get rid of what you’re absolutely certain you don’t want, then move onto a ‘maybe’ pile when you’ve cleared the first load.
Keep Seasonal Items Out of the House
If your living space is small, or doesn’t lend itself well to internal storage, then it’s time to look for external storage options. Lots of people use places like Magenta self storage to keep things like Christmas decorations in when they’re not in use. Another great use for a storage unit is for keeping hold of all your baby items. If you want to hang on to it for future children, but don’t need bulky items like cribs, strollers and high chairs just yet, then putting them in storage until you’re ready can be really handy.
Try to Donate What You Don’t Want
One of the biggest stumbling blocks people have when it comes to decluttering is that they don’t like getting rid of useful things. I’m naturally a bit of a hoarder, so I have the urge to hang onto anything that I think could be useful in the future. I hate to throw anything away.
A good way to overcome this is to think about how useful it actually is. If it’s an item that has been very useful but after a lot of wear and tear doesn’t have much life left in it, then it might be worth discarding. Items that are as good as new and you would consider buying second hand (if you needed them), are great to donate to local charities. That way, you can be pleased that something useful isn’t going to waste, provide someone with the chance to buy it second hand, and the money made from selling it will go to charity. An all-round great decision!
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4 Ways to Keep Your Home Clutter Free
5 Reasons You Should Clear Out the Chaos
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