Blog
New Year resolution to declutter?
Tuesday, January 3, 2017
Whether you’re looking to move or just keen for a fresh start in your own home, January is the perfect time to declutter. Effects are instant and may even increase your living space. Decluttering brings a sense of achievement and can pave the way for tackling more ambitious home improvement projects. If the idea of a simplified lifestyle appeals, you’re ready to start so don’t be put off by where to begin! Here are some great tips to jump-start your New Year resolution to declutter your home.
Look at your home in a new light; take photos and view them objectively. Imagine a toddler in your home – they are great at finding problem clutter areas! List the areas you want to declutter and begin with an easy one or the one that irritates you most. Start small, focus on one area and don’t get side tracked to another clutter zone. Keep motivated and stick to one area until it's complete.
Set yourself a time limit. Even if you only have 20 minutes, make a start then incorporate decluttering into your lifestyle on a regular basis. Set achievable goals; challenge yourself to give away one item each day or to fill a bin liner each week.
The “Four-Box Method” works wonders for decluttering a room. Label four boxes: bin, give away, keep, and relocate. Put every item in the room into one of the four categories and be ruthless! Don’t buy storage containers until you've finished. By waiting to see what you need to store, you could save both time and money. You may not need as much storage once you've sorted everything. Think creatively to maximise use of space and choose a storage system that will work for you.
You could create a 2017 family keepsake box to control clutter in the year ahead. Use it to store concert programmes, postcards or souvenirs (things that pile up on a kitchen worktop or get scattered through the house) and create a “time capsule” for the year.
Behind the clutter there are beautiful, spacious rooms and you’ll love the extra space you rediscover. It's not easy to keep a perfectly-ordered, clutter-free home but the results are well worth the effort.
