Cluttered Home? Here’s How to Declutter Simply and Easily

Whether you’re downsizing or wanting to simplify your life, figuring out how to declutter your home can be difficult. Good thing we’re here to help! Here’s how to declutter your home simply and easily.

Set Goals and a Timeline

Before you get started, it’s vital to make a plan. This means setting goals and a timeline for yourself. No matter how much clutter you have to sort through, starting with specific goals will help you reduce roadblocks, mentally and physically. It will also help to keep you motivated throughout the process. Whether you want to eliminate stress in your life or just want to clear out your guest room closet, decide what you want to gain from this process.

Also, set a timeline. If you don’t hold yourself to a finish date, you’ll feel no need to complete the decluttering process at all. Make sure to make it realistic and achievable. You probably won’t be able to finish decluttering your whole home in a single day. But decluttering your closet over a weekend? That’s doable.

Take it Slow but Steady

Decluttering is no small feat, and if you’re taking on your whole home, the challenge can be daunting. Remember to take it one step at a time so you don’t overwhelm yourself. To make it easier on your physically and mentally, tackle one room or space at a time and break the process down into multiple, more manageable projects. This can include sorting DVDs and video games, deciding which shoes you want to donate or keep, or addressing the dreaded “junk drawer.”

Set Clear Ground Rules

As you go through rooms to declutter, it can be easy to make exceptions here and there. But soon enough, all that stuff will pile up, and you’re left in the same position you started: surrounded by clutter.

To help keep you on track, set up a system for sorting the items you find. You can create your own method or use the popular Four-Box Method. The Four-Box Method forces you to make a decision item by item and avoid making a bigger mess than the one you started with. Gather three boxes, or just make three distinct piles, and label them “Keep,” “Sell,” Donate,” and “Trash.”

The “Keep” pile is for items that are useful in your daily life, seasonal items, and sentimental items. “Sell” is for items you think you make money by selling. “Donate” is for items in fair condition that might not be worth selling but shouldn’t be tossed. And “Trash” is for any items that should go in the trash or recycling bin.

Forget About Sunk Costs

“Sunk costs” is a popular term in economics and is a tendency to allow costs that are already gone (and don’t have bearing on our future returns) to influence future decisions. A sunk cost can also be the amount of time you’ve spent or put into that thing, taking care of it, storing it. Whatever the sunk cost is (monetary or not), it can make it more difficult to make a decision to get rid of something.

For instance, if you bought a $400 coffee table five years ago, you might prefer to leave it in storage than donate or throw it away – simply because you bought it for $400 five years ago. But it’s important to remember that the $400 is gone, and the fact you spent it doesn’t mean the present value of the table is more. Since you can’t get the “sunk cost” back on each item, you should only think about the value that thing can add to your life in the future.

Don’t Be Afraid to Ask for Help

This is a difficult process, so don’t be afraid to bring in some help. If you’re a strong organizer, maybe you could use some help moving items to the trash or donation center. If you’re having a hard time staying organized or letting go of items, friends and family members can help you stay on task and be the critical eye you need to let go of your items. You could put out some feelers to your particularly organized friends and family, but try not to make it feel like an obligation. On the flip side, a professional organizer could also be an option and be well worth your money.

Rent a Storage Unit

A storage unit is a perfect place to put items you don’t need every day to free up more space in your home. You can put sentimental items, collectibles, holiday décor, and gardening equipment in your unit and access them at any time. The best part is a storage unit can give you the space to hang onto those important items while keeping your home neat and organized.