Do you ever feel like your house is cramped?
It’s probably time to start decluttering. With less clutter around, you can start to feel more relaxed inside your space.
We’re not denying that decluttering can be cumbersome and time consuming, but there are some simple ways to make it more manageable for you.
You can donate your things or throw them away. Another easy solution is to temporarily store them inside portable storage containers. Melbourne portable storage containers can also help you declutter faster.
With a good system, you can get rid of every bit of clutter in no time.
Follow these 6 tips to create a decluttering system that works for you.
6 Easy Decluttering Tips
1. Start With a Trash Bag
The key to this first step is to ignore everything other than the trash. Try to not get distracted by other items.
Start by going around the house with a trash bag and begin the process of purging your space of any and all trash.
Put old receipts, old newspapers, and old magazines into the trash bag. Then, canvass the house for empty bottles and empty food packages. Throw them straight into the trash. Old clothes beyond repair? Toss those too!
Continue searching for trash from room to room. Slowly but surely, you will be surprised with how much you’ve been able to remove.
2. Organise High-Traffic Areas
Every house has busy areas. The rooms you and your guests frequently use should be prioritised. So, focus on these high-traffic areas;
- Living room
- Kitchen
- Bathroom
- Pantry
Take the time to remove expired food, faulty remotes, empty shampoo bottles and any of the other trash you can find.
Doing it a bit at a time can decrease your clutter significantly.
3. Sort Your Things
Now that the trash is out of the way, you can sort your items into three categories. However, don’t rush into it. Do one area at a time. Doing it all at once can be overwhelming.
Categorise everything you need daily as the ‘keep’ pile. For the things you don’t want anymore, categorise them as the ‘donate’ pile. The ‘store’ pile is all the seasonal things you own.
After everything is sorted, box up the ‘donate’ and ‘store’ piles. Label the boxes clearly so you can recognise which one is which.
4. Store Seasonal Items Away from Sight
The ‘out of sight, out of mind’ saying might not be the best saying of all time. However, it works for decluttering.
If all the seasonal items are out of sight, you will have more space for other things. You won’t have to worry about them until they are needed.
So, store holiday decorations and winter coats in your attic or spare room until you need them again.
5. Use a Portable Storage Unit
Don’t have enough space? Don’t stress!
Portable storage units offer cheap storage costs for people who need temporary storage. The exact price depends on how big of a space you need.
There are four unit sizes to choose from, which are;
- 6ft, with a capacity of 10 cubic metres = $3.27 per day
- 8ft, with a capacity of 11.5 cubic metres = $4.7 per day
- 10ft, with a capacity of 16-19 cubic metres = $6.13 per day
- 20ft, with a capacity of 32-38 cubic metres = $8.56 per day
The 6ft and 8ft containers are considered mini portable storage containers. They can comfortably store 2 bedrooms worth of things.
So, if you only have little things to store, better choose one of these two. If you have a lot of boxes, choose either the 10ft or 20ft units. They can store almost a whole house of stuff.
6. Donate Rather Than Sell
After all the seasonal stuff is stored away, focus on your ‘donate’ pile.
You have to get rid of clutter as fast as you can. The quicker you get rid of them, the fewer the chance to repeat the clutter again.
The fastest way to get rid of them is to donate. Yes, it is tempting to sell your things and get something after all your effort. But, selling takes a long time.
The stuff will end up sitting around your house in boxes. They will get in your way and annoy you. Even worse, you might be tempted to get them out again.
So, best to donate all your things before that happens.
Conclusion
Decluttering is not hard, but it is overwhelming. So, start with simple tasks like collecting trash around your house.
Then, canvas all the busy areas and organise them. You might find more trash to get rid of. After that is done, categorise all your items into three piles. ‘Keep’ things that you use daily. ‘Donate’ the ones you don’t need anymore. ‘Store’ all seasonal items.
Use a portable storage unit for your seasonal stuff. They have the perfect size for every need and they are cheap.
For the ‘donate’ pile, don’t try to sell them. Selling takes a long time, and you can repeat the clutter again if you keep them too long. So, just drop them off quickly to charities and thrift stores.
Doing this step-by-step will definitely help you declutter faster and without stress.
