April 11, 2017

Decluttering 101: How to Do it Like a Pro

Breathtakingly beautiful sunny days which spring has brought along are the source of inspiration for you to transform your home. Sometimes there is simply no time (or money) for a huge remodeling project, but you’d be surprised just how much you can do by decluttering your home. By getting rid of old things, you are allowing yourself to focus on something new, and you’re also making enough space for old things to come into focus again. Decluttering may sound complicated, but here are a few simple tips to help you do it like a pro.


Image 1 source: pexels.com


The six months rule
As ridiculous as this may sound, we often keep things around even if don’t like them that much. Take a good look at the things you have in your home, and ask yourself ‘have I used this in the last six months?’ If the answer is ‘no’, you probably won’t use it in the next six months also, and you should get rid of it. Of course, some of the things you love and don’t want to part with, and that’s okay, but if you don’t love it and you haven’t used it, it’s time for it to go.

Sort out your clothes
Do you have clothes you are planning on wearing ‘someday’ or cute pieces you used to love and now you have a hard time throwing them away, but still don’t want to wear them anymore? It might be time for you to declutter your closet and organize your clothes. First, you need several boxes and a marker; next, you label the boxes ‘keep’, ‘toss’, and ‘maybe’, and then the party starts. Empty your closet completely! Go through each piece and without much thinking put it in one of the three boxes. The more you think about a piece, the more likely you are to keep it even if you don’t actually need it. When you’re done, donate the things you don’t need to someone who might need them – it’s an act of kindness and generosity. 


 Image 2 source: pexels.com


Don’t throw things away
There will be people who will advise you to throw away everything you don’t want to use anymore. Still, will you be able to sleep at night knowing that you’ve thrown away some of the precious family heirlooms? You might not want your grandma’s mirrors in the living room, but that doesn’t mean you should throw them away. If you have plenty of things you would like to put away for the time, you could hire secure but affordable storage in Sydney where you can keep them until you decide what to do next. This way, you will know that everything is in a safe place and you’ll always be able to come and get anything you might need.


Be strict with your time
Sometimes, by choosing to do things over a longer period of time you actually give yourself enough space and time to procrastinate. If you decide to declutter your home slowly, one cupboard and closet at the time, you might think that you’re being thorough but you are wasting your own precious time. Dedicate one entire weekend to decluttering and do it room-by-room – don’t leave the room until you’ve emptied every drawer of unnecessary things. When you know that you only have two days to finish, you will work faster and be more efficient. It also leaves you less time to change your mind and decide that you still want to keep a bunch of things you might otherwise throw away. 


 Image 3 source: pexels.com


By living in an uncluttered home, you will have a much simpler life and ultimately fewer things to clean and organize. By owning fewer possessions you are avoiding the trap of consumerism and turning to things that really matter – you learn to improvise, to be content with what you have, and you soon learn that you don’t necessarily need a lot of things in order to be happy. 


Guest Post by: Chloe Taylor


Chloe is an art historian, recreational ballet dancer and a contributor at smoothdecorator.com. She is passionate about photography, dancing and music. Her biggest dream is to travel the whole world with her husband and take stunning photographs of beautiful places. She also enjoys learning and writing about home design, since she is crazy about aesthetics. You can find Chloe on FBTwitterand G+.


Thanks a lot for this article Chloe!


post signature 
Follow Me:  Facebook | Instagram | Twitter

No comments:

Post a Comment

Powered by Jasper Roberts - Blog