Our Top Tips to Declutter your Home

Let's face it, we've all got a secret bit of clutter that we keep putting off. Whether it's across the whole house, a secret cupboard or simply "that" drawer it can sometimes feel overwhelming to tackle. 

Here are our top tips for decluttering your home, including ones we have used ourselves.

Tip #1: Pick a day to work on your clutter where you really have the time to devote to it. If you try to squeeze a 60 minute job into 5 minutes, it will make it feel even more stressful. Long term this will put you off tackling any more clutter. 

Tip #2: Choose a system that works for you. This is personal to you but here are some examples of a system we might use:

System 1: Remove everything from the area you are  tidying & decluttering that does not belong and place into the area it does belong without further sorting. Eg: Return the sellotape and scissors back to the kitchen without finding them a place to live permanently. 

System 2: Declutter item by item and only return to the area when each item you've removed has a permanent home.

System3: Make piles of "keep", "donate/sell" and "trash" once you have finished the area, return to these piles and sort properly.

Tip #3: Prioritise your spaces. If you've got more than 1 area to declutter, which one affects your life the most? Does the clutter in any space pose a hazard?

Tip #4: If there are multiple people in your household, try and get everyone on the same page especially if moving items in your home. If the bin bags have always lived on the side next to the bin and they're no longer there, you may find they keep appearing on the shopping list!

Tip #5: If you are constantly decluttering the same spaces, these spaces aren't working for your home & lifestyle properly. A common issue in my home was the post being dumped on the stairs, which then encouraged other items to be left here. By finding a place for incoming mail to stay until sorted, the area on the stairs remained clear. Identify these problems and aim to solve the underlying cause. 

Tip #6: When you have sentimental items you wish to store after your declutter ensure they are properly protected. Sturdy plastic boxes and bubble wrap will keep your memories safe and contained. 

Tip #7: Whenever you've found items you don't use anymore and want to donate or sell, do it as quickly as possible. Otherwise these items may creep back into your home and cleared areas. If you are looking to donate there are many charity shops, homeless shelters or charities crying out for donations. Looking for a bit of holiday spending money? Facebook Marketplace and Vinted are the most popular selling sites amongst our staff.

Tip #8: Make the best use of all your storage space. Make sure you have utilised the space under your bed, under the stairs and even on the backs of doors.