During the height of the COVID
pandemic, many of us passed the time with online shopping. Now that we’re
starting to venture out and do more, we’re looking around our homes wondering,
where did all this stuff come from? If you’re like many people, you realize
that you probably don’t need ten Ninja Foodies, three juicers, or half of the
workout equipment you bought but don't use.
Some things you probably do want
to hang on to. Perhaps you’ve run out of room and are drowning in the chaos of
stuff. Here are 10 tips to help you tame the clutter monster in your house.
Take Baby Steps
Yes, it’s tempting to start
throwing everything out and jumping headfirst into the mayhem. After all, you
want an organized house, and you want it now. Trying to do it all at once is a
surefire way to get overwhelmed and burn out before you barely begin.
Instead, take baby steps and set
mini-goals for one area or set of items at a time. You might concentrate on
your bedroom closet or one area of your laundry room or inside your fridge (how
long has that been in there?). Don’t start on a new task until you’ve
completed the first one.
Pace Yourself
Even when you’ve broken your
organization overhaul into small, manageable chunks, you can run out of steam
if you try to complete tasks in unreasonable amounts of time. Choose your
project, then divide it into small time chunks. Take frequent breaks, and set a
timer if you need to so that you stay on track and don’t get sucked into an
organizing abyss.
Don’t assume anything when it
comes to the stuff in your house. Things have an uncanny way of multiplying in
secret, and before you know it, you’ve got 10 of the exact same pair of yoga
pants. If you’re working in a particular place, pull everything out of it, down
to the smallest of items.
If you’ve decided to organize by
item, say all of your clothes or all of your kitchen supplies, then bring out
each and every one of those items. The point is to assess precisely what you
have so you know exactly what you need to let go of.
Gather Like Items
Together
Once you’re looking at
everything, it’s time to break the big pile into more specialized categories.
For example, if you’re organizing your kitchen items, place all of the serving
trays together, all of the utensils in another pile, and all of the dishtowels
and linens in yet another heap. You get the idea. This more detailed and
precise look at what you have will help you make more informed decisions about
what you should toss, donate, and keep.
Be Realistic and
Honest
When making decisions about what
should stay and what should go, don’t play games with yourself. You know the
ones; telling yourself you’ll fit it in one day or you’ll make that soufflée
one day, etc.
Anything can happen one day, but
you want to be comfortable in your home today. If you really have an honest
goal for an item, then put a deadline on it. If you haven’t used it by that
deadline, it needs to go.
Recruit Help
If you find yourself struggling
with letting go of things, recruit the help of someone you trust who can offer
an unbiased eye. For example, your friend who won’t bat an eye telling you a
dress makes you look 20 years older. Plus, decluttering with a buddy can help
make the whole process more fun and less daunting.
Go Digital
Paper accounts for a huge chunk
of most clutter in people’s homes. It’s astounding the number of receipts, old
files, and outdated documents we hold on to thinking they’re important. While
some records are critical, you don’t have to hold on to every piece of
paper.
And in many cases, you can opt
for digital versions instead, especially for things like bills and bank
statements. Simply file them away digitally and print them if you ever need a
hard copy.
Organize for What
You Have
Many people make the mistake of
starting their organizing and decluttering process backward. They go out and
buy a bunch of fun bins and baskets that undoubtedly look beautiful and useful,
then try to make all of their stuff fit into these containers. The problem is,
this doesn’t work.
You end up wasting a lot of time
and money on things you can’t use, or you end up with a storage system that
ultimately doesn’t work well for you. Instead, go through all of the above
steps first, and don’t decide on your storage solutions until you know exactly
what you have to store.
Function Over
Fashion
When it comes to choosing your
storage solutions, while pretty is nice, function is vital. If your
organization system doesn’t work well for you and your lifestyle, you’ll end up
right back where you started.
So, choose items that work
within your space, and fit your personality and how you do things. Besides,
there are so many options out there nowadays that you can find something
functional and aesthetically appealing.
Follow the One-In,
One-Out Rule
Once you’ve tamed the clutter,
keep it at bay with the one in, one out rule. Quite simply, if you get a new
pair of shoes, say goodbye to another pair. This little tip can help you from
losing control of your stuff. At the very least, it will make future organizing
sessions much easier to deal with (and they’ll take up less time, too).
Article courtesy of Coldwell Banker Hearthside,
July 2021
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See Annette’s articles on related real
estate topics. If you’re planning to buy or sell a home, contact Annette at
(610) 247-7892 or annette@preferredhomes.com
#realestate #housing #decluttering
