Decluttering Made Easy

DIY Decluttering Made Easy: The Best Strategies for an Organized Home

This is the year you finally get your home in order and keep it that way. Or, at least that’s what you’ve been telling yourself, but you don’t know where to begin. Below are some handy tips to help eliminate the clutter inside your home and bring about a sense of peace that will affect you in a number of different ways, both mentally and physically.

Smart Strategies for Home Decluttering

Although it’s tempting to immediately get to work, decluttering really isn’t something you dive into without a strong game plan in place. So, to transform your messy house into a clean and organized space, you need a good strategy.

Declutter one zone at a time

Don’t attempt to declutter the entire house in a weekend. Two days isn’t enough time to deal with years of clutter, and if you try, you’ll end up discouraged and quitting early. Instead, when possible, try to break it down into manageable projects of an hour or two. Better yet, split the tasks up between members of your family that you trust.

Put things where you need them

Staying organized is easiest when everything has a home. In other words, store items where you use them. Once you have that figured out, make sure you stick to it.

Don’t shy away from storage units

Storage units can be excellent tools for freeing up space in your home. If you have family heirlooms that you can’t bear to part with but don’t have space for, rent a storage unit rather than cluttering your basement, garage, or attic. Instead of choosing the storage facility closest to your home, shop around. It’s no secret that renting a storage unit can quickly drain your household budget, which is why it’s important to look for the best deals when you’re doing your search. For example, a 5×10 space at U-Stor-It – Uptown will cost you $59 per month, though you’ll receive the third month free if you sign up for two full months.

What Not to Do When Decluttering Your House

We’ve covered what you should do when decluttering your house, but what about the things you shouldn’t do? Which strategies should you avoid altogether if you want to successfully emerge from this process? These are the most common mistakes that can seriously derail decluttering.

Use storage to hide clutter

Storage bins make your house look more organized, but if you have to dig through a bunch of stuff you don’t need to find the things you do, you haven’t actually solved your clutter problem — you just hid it. Declutter before organizing so you only store what’s worth keeping.

Rationalize your clutter

Don’t fall into the trap of telling yourself “I’ll use this someday.” There’s a reason that things become clutter, and rationalizing why you should keep things you don’t use just perpetuates the clutter problem and creates more work later. So, be honest with yourself, determine whether you’ll actually use all of those items that are presently collecting dust in the pantry or the hall closet, and get rid of what you can. And if you can’t donate or recycle these possessions, it’s time to toss them into the nearest wastebasket.

Your home’s clutter wasn’t built in a day and it won’t be solved in a day either. Rather than overwhelming yourself with everything that needs to be done, approach your decluttering project in bite-sized chunks and be practical about what stays and what goes. In time, you’ll achieve the clutter-free, organized home that you’ve always wanted.

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