Decluttering home 101

Most of us have too much stuff. It’s simply a fact. A fact that mostly pops up when people decide to move. Just ask your local moving companies about it. Living in a consumer society has made us crave new things all the time. New phones, new clothes, new TVs. And, as a result, most of us live in cluttered homes. Therefore you need to know what goes into decluttering home and what to do the items that you discard. Luckily, we are here to give you a quick and comprehensive guideline.

Sorting

First off, you need to figure out which items in your home are clutter. Your first reaction will most likely be that nothing is clutter. You might even convince yourself that it is not that you want to save everything but that you need to save everything. That is wrong on multiple levels. What you need to do is think minimalistic. Only save what you actually need. The rest is not necessary.

What you need

Start off with your everyday items. Make a list of all the things that you use every day. Spare nothing. Include the soap, and the toothbrush and even your coffee cup. Trust us. Next, proceed to add everything that you use throughout the week. And then what you use throughout the month. And, finally, for three months. Anything further than that is not necessary. After that, you add the seasonal items. Only think of what you wore in the last season. Do not consider anything before that. Once you have done that, you are done with the things that you need and one step closer to decluttering home.

What you do not need

In this pile goes pretty much everything else. You will have an easy time with the items that you know that you do not use. You, probably, just forgot about most of them. But, there are going to be some items that you are not sure about. Yeah, you didn’t use them for three months and they are not seasonal, but you still think you should hang on to them. Wrong! What you don’t need, you should discard. Do not needlessly save those items as you will just keep on cluttering your home.

Decluttering home with storage

Sorting your possessions is only the first step in decluttering home. The next one is figuring out what to do with your items. It depends on how minimalistic and strict you were, but you will most likely have things that you need that still cause clutter. Most likely they will be either seasonal items or expensive items that you don’t want to get rid off. Or, they can even be family heirlooms that you want to keep close. Well, worry not. There is a solution to that, and it can be summed up in one word. Storage.

What goes into storage

Keep in mind that you cannot put everything into storage. Especially if it is long-term storage. Things like food, plants, animals, dangerous or illegal items, and items that require professional handling do not belong inside a storage unit. This is important to note, as you might have certain items that you would like to store, but that is not suited to remain alone for prolonged periods of time. Mind you, there are climate controlled storage units that can preserve certain items much better than regular storage units ever could. But, even those are not all powerful.

How to prepare

Proper preparations are key to good storage. Make sure that all the items that you want to be saved are properly padded, wrapped and packed. Only then can you expect that they will remain intact while in storage. Also, remember to label your boxes. People that handle them will need to know if the content of the boxes is fragile and/or heavy. Furthermore, consider using good quality boxes. Especially if you plan on opening and closing them multiple times. You can even consider using plastic bins as they provide much better durability than cardboard moving boxes ever could.

Getting rid of unwanted items

You can always throw away what you don’t need. That much is simple. But there are more clever ways in which you can get rid of unwanted items. And, if you are really clever about it, there are even ways in which you can make or save a couple of bucks while decluttering home.

Donating

Donating is the most altruistic path you can take. Especially if you do so anonymously. Somebody out there is going to be really happy to receive your unwanted items. Furthermore, you are eligible for tax benefits if you donate. Keep in mind though, that not everything can or should be donated. Contact organizations in your local community to find out how can you donate and how do you get tax exemptions. But, similar to getting tax exemptions when moving with interstate movers, you will need to have a paper trail to prove that you donated if you want to legally claim it as tax exemption.

Garage sale

And, finally, a great way to declutter home and earn a few bucks while doing it. Organize a good, oldfashioned garage sale. Take the items that you think will be of some value and display them in your garage. Make sure to put up a sign at least a couple of days in advance so that there will be as many people as possible. Clean your items before you place them and make sure that the price tag you put on them is clearly visible. Do what you can to get rid of unwanted items that clutter your home. But, don’t be greedy while doing so. Even though you can make money, your first priority should be to sell as many items as you can. Now, we are not saying that you are not supposed to negotiate your price. Of course, you should. But, don’t be too stingy.