There are a lot of reasons that we decide to declutter, but we don’t realise just how much of a difference it will make. Whether you’re thinking of decluttering before you move or you’re feeling overwhelmed in your home and want to make more space, We Buy Any House have looked into the difference it can make for you!
How do I start decluttering?
When you start your decluttering journey, you want to identify why you’re doing it and what you’re hoping to achieve. Some people are just looking to have a more organised home, whereas others have gotten to a point where they’re struggling to live comfortably in their house and need to make a change.
The key to successfully decluttering is to start small and be consistent. We’ve all seen shows on tv that have an incredibly quick turnaround and can transform a house in 24 hours, but the reality is that it’s going to take much longer. You should look at your decluttering journey as a long-term thing, and while you will start to see results in good time, you need to keep that enthusiasm to get the job finished and complete that transformation. Once you’ve decided to dive in and start clearing out, chances are you’ll have piles of trash dedicated for dumpster. Having a convenient place to throw your trash, such as renting a dumpster on eagle dumpster rental, will prevent you from clinging to the things you want to throw away.
Do I need to declutter?
Labelling who does and doesn’t need to declutter is incredibly difficult, as a lot of it will depend on perception and personal taste. If you’re someone who favours minimalism, your views will be very different compared to someone who likes to have a lot of personal items and comforts around them, but there are a few signs that help you decide if it’s time to start decluttering –
- You’re uncomfortable in your home due to the amount of stuff you’ve acquired
- You’re struggling to find places for new things
- You don’t let people into the house or cluttered areas to avoid it being seen.
There’s a lot of embarrassment pinned on clutter, but the reality is that it’s very easy to fall into a cluttered environment, and we often don’t realise how bad it is until we step back and look at it. Some people are able to have that realisation earlier than others, but no matter where you are on the scale, you can tackle the clutter.
How much of a difference will it make?
Almost half of us get stressed out by clutter, so reducing the amount of stuff you’ve got will inevitably help those stress levels come down too, making a big change to your daily life. It can also be embarrassing to those who are suffering from more extreme cases of clutter, so being able to get in control and feel more confident is a huge factor that will dramatically increase your mental wellbeing and your lifestyle.
In the worst cases of clutter, which would fall under hoarding, there can be health issues to consider too, as well as fire risks, so decluttering an area like that will make an even bigger difference.
What decluttering tips should I use?
Little and often
A very popular hack is to set aside a certain amount of time each day to decluttering and stick to that. You can choose to do 10 minutes or up to an hour if you feel confident, but it’s better to start lower and work your way up as you make progress.
Only spending half an hour or so each day on decluttering can feel to some like you’re barely making a dent, but after only a few days, you’ll start to see great results, which keeps your motivation high. This can be incredibly difficult to do, especially if you’re throwing yourself in the deep end and give yourself a very short timeframe. Starting small encourages you to keep going back each day and will lessen the chance of you wanting to give up, which is common in those who try to declutter a whole house over a single weekend.
Focus on one area at a time
It’s very easy to get overwhelmed when decluttering, and it’s important to focus on what you’ve done to keep you on track and to continue progressing. Some will choose to tackle big areas, such as a full room at a time, but it’s better to narrow it down and look at a single space at first and build up to that.
Pick a drawer or a cupboard in your house that you know is filled with things you don’t really need or want, and declutter that thoroughly before moving onto another spot. When you’re looking at a whole room, the work you’ve done can be hard to see if you’ve not focused on one area, whereas if you work on one space, you’ll see a very big difference almost immediately. This encourages you to keep going, and soon enough, the entire room will be as organised as that drawer!
Before and after pictures
This ties into the previous point and is just as important – decluttering is a long, time-consuming process, and we’re all guilty of losing motivation and putting off finishing a job, especially when it comes to cleaning and tidying. There’s absolutely no shame in this, but the key to avoiding it is to keep yourself motivated and remind yourself just how much you’ve done, which urges you to see it through.
Before and after pictures often show us just how bad it was before we started doing the decluttering and is concrete proof of the work you’ve put in. You can choose to share these photos or keep them to yourself depending on what works best for you, but taking them helps to keep you on track and are there to remind you when you’re starting to lose motivation of the hard work you’ve already put in to keep you going.
Decluttering is a big job, and it isn’t always easy, but it is always worth it. Whether you need a bit of encouragement to get you started or a boost to keep you going with your journey – you got this!
