January is a time when many of us set goals for ourselves and think about ways to make our lives healthier and more efficient. Perhaps one of these goals is trying to declutter your home to make it a more relaxing space to live in for all the family? If so, we have some useful ideas to help you along the way.
Decluttering your home might seem like a daunting task, but it’s worth it in the end. Not only will it make your living space more organised and visually attractive, it can also help improve your mental and emotional wellbeing too.
Here are some tips to get you started…
- One step at a time. It’s best not to try and tackle your entire home at once. Instead, start small – with one room or even just one area of a room. This will make the task feel more manageable and you’ll be able to see progress more quickly in bite-size chunks.
- Create a plan. Before you start decluttering, take some time to plan out your approach. Decide which areas of your home you want to focus on first, what items you’re going to keep, and what you’re going to get rid of. This will help you stay on track and avoid getting overwhelmed.
- Set yourself a time limit. Decluttering can be time-consuming, so set a time limit for each area you work on. This will help you stay focused and prevent you from spending too much time in one area before moving on.
- Use the one-year rule. When deciding whether to keep an item, ask yourself if you’ve used it in the past year. If not, it’s likely that you don’t need it and perhaps someone else can find better use for it. You could also use the advice of decluttering guru, Marie Kondo, who says that if an item you own doesn’t ‘spark joy’ when you look at it, it’s time to find it a new home!
- Involve your whole family. Decluttering can be a great opportunity to involve your family members in the process. In fact, it can be a satisfying and bonding experience when you complete the task together. Assign each member a specific area to work on and have them go through their own belongings to decide what to keep and what to get rid of.
- Donate or sell items. Instead of throwing away items that are still in good condition, consider donating them to a charity or selling them at a car boot sale or online. Not only will this help you get rid of items you no longer need, but it will also benefit others who might get a lot of joy out of your unwanted items. Before you start decluttering, make up a few cardboard boxes and label them for either charity, long-term storage, or to sell – this way you won’t get items mixed up along the way.
- Organise what’s left. Once you’ve decluttered your home, take the time to sort out what’s left. This includes putting items in their proper place, sourcing good storage solutions, and labelling boxes and folders so you know where to find everything. This will help you maintain the organisation you’ve worked so hard to achieve. Remember a decluttered home has minimal items on display – most things should be stored away neatly in cupboards and drawers until needed.
- Make it a habit. Decluttering is not a one-off event. To maintain a clutter-free and organised home, be sure to make a habit of regularly going through your belongings and getting rid of anything you no longer need or use.
Hopefully, by following these tips, you can declutter your home and create a more structured and peaceful living space. Remember to take it one step at a time, create a plan, set a time limit, involve your family, and most importantly, maintain it, and you’ll be on your way to a clutter-free home in no time.