Your living space should be an environment that you are comfortable in, and having plenty of space to relax and unwind is all a part of that. How you style your interiors can also help you feel happier in your home, which is why redecorating every few years to keep the space fresh can be beneficial. Before you do this, however, you will need to make sure your furnishings will match your new décor scheme and create enough space to work in. This is when a big decluttering is necessary, and the following tips can help you do this efficiently.
1. Give Yourself Plenty of Time
Decluttering your home can be time-consuming, so make sure that you allow yourself plenty of time to do this before your decorating project. You might find that splitting this process into stages can make it easier if you have a busy schedule or allocate a weekend to go through everything that you need to.
2. Be Ruthless
One of the reasons you might have collected a lot of clutter in your home is that you convince yourself you will use an item at some point, even if it’s unlikely that you will. Other objects might have some sentimental value to you but no real practical purpose. While you certainly don’t have to part with belongings that are special to you, if you want to make more space in your home truly, you will need to be a little more ruthless. If you haven’t used or worn something in the last year, or at least the last few years, it is time to let it go.
3. Donate, Sell, Upcycle
Of course, you’ll need to find somewhere to place all of your unwanted belongings to get them out of your house. Donating to charity can be an excellent option as it will be a way to give back to the local community and support a cause you’re passionate about. Make sure that any items you donate are in good condition and that the clothing is clean. Alternatively, selling your items online could be preferable if you could use some extra money. If you are going to do this, you will need to consider shipping items once you have made a sale. You might want to use a courier service for this, like Shiply, which handles eBay deliveries.
If the items you have left aren’t in a good enough condition to sell or donate, another option you could explore is upcycling. This could be a fun project for those who enjoy arts and crafts or if you would like to try and live a more sustainable lifestyle. Some examples of what you could do are transform box shelves into planters for the garden, reupholster an old chair, or turn glass jars into small vases or candle holders. Anything else you can’t refurbish can be taken to your local waste center.
4. Organizing Your Kitchen
It’s true that the kitchen is often a space to accumulate clutter; from mail on the counter to cook books lining shelves, it can be hard to keep your kitchen organized. A clear working space will make cooking and cleaning up faster and less stressful. Start by taking everything out of cupboards and drawers so you can see what items you have, this also creates an opportunity for cleaning any crumbs or dust you may find around.
Creating storage areas for food products, cookware and other supplies will help with organization. Shelves should be placed at eye level so that items are easy to reach when needed. Baskets or wire racks on walls provide additional storage while leaving valuable counter space open. In addition, using bins or boxes on shelves ensures that everything has its place in cabinets and drawers, keeping items together makes them easier to locate when needed.
Organizing your kitchen pantry is essential when it comes to decluttering – if you don’t use it regularly, consider getting rid of it! It’s also beneficial when organizing your pantry to create zones; this is especially important in small spaces where everything needs a home. Categorizing products such as canned goods, baking supplies, snacks and paper products into customized zones allows for an easier flow of traffic in the kitchen as well as more efficient meal prep times.
5. Decluttering Your Living Room
Decluttering your living room may seem like an overwhelming task; however, with a plan of action and some hard work, it can be done! Start by determining which items are easy to part with and those that you would like to keep. Then begin sorting through the items that you wish to keep and decide how they will be organized and stored. Allocate areas for specific items—books, movies, toys—so that when you’re done decluttering your living room will remain clutter-free.
Next, look at everything else in the room: move furniture and rugs around for better flow; get rid of extra throws and pillows; consider new decor or furniture pieces if necessary. Donate or discard items no longer needed according to your plan. Also be sure to create storage solutions that can help you maintain order in the future: these can be baskets, magazine holders or decorative boxes. Finally, dust off surfaces, launder throw pillow cases and vacuum carpets for a clean finish! With these tips in mind, decluttering your living room will become more manageable.
Final Thoughts
Now that you have gone through the process of decluttering your home, take some time to reflect on the results. It can be liberating to free yourself from a lifetime of accumulated possessions that have become out of date, unnecessary or simply unwanted. It’s important to resist the temptation of replacing all these items with new purchases. Instead, consider recycling and donating items where possible.
As for long-term maintenance, it’s key to create new habits that balance addition and subtraction in your home. Routinely setting aside dedicated time for disposal or donation of items will help you avoid a buildup in the future. Additionally, look for creative solutions like multi-use furniture to minimize clutter and make cleanup easier. Most importantly, allow yourself time to appreciate your newly decluttered home. You’ve put in the hard work – now enjoy it!