Declutter

What is clutter?

Clutter can take on many forms so it can have different meanings to different people. In its most basic form, clutter is anything that is untidy and messy. When most people hear about clutter, they think of physical objects. These are usually the things that leave your home looking like a mess and, as previously mentioned, can come in various forms.

• Items that are rubbish and belong in the bin
• Items that are out of place or not stored properly
• Items that have no meaningful function
• Items that aren’t yours

In addition to physical clutter, there is also emotional clutter. This is much harder to identify but can be just as detrimental to you as actual objects lying around. Emotional clutter is anything on your mind that keeps you from being 100% efficient or functional. There is an infinite range of things that could be on your mind so it can be very difficult to declutter your mind. Some examples are:

• You have no time to relax
• There are people having a negative impact on your life
• You are trying to remember all the things you need to do
• You are worried about issues with your family

There are plenty of places that share decluttering tips, such as this blog and this article. Identifying clutter in your life is not an easy task. However, once you do, it becomes much easier to deal with it. After all, determining what things clutter your life is the first step!

How does a declutter help when moving house?

If you’re about to move to a new house, decluttering is essential. Why? The main reason is that it’ll lower your removal costs. Since moving companies base their price on the volume of items they will transport, reducing the number of items is logical. Decluttering is one of the best ways to save money when moving house.

The fewer items you’ll transport, the less packing supplies you’ll need, saving even more money. Also, if you’re hiring movers by the hour, the whole job will be completed more quickly now that you have fewer items. Additionally, declutter before you move and you are able to raise some funds by selling the things you don’t need.

Another big benefit is now that you have less stuff, packing, loading, and transporting your belongings is much easier. Every little bit helps and if you reduce the number of things you’ll bring to your new place, the less work is involved. Moving house will be much easier and quicker.

Anyway, if you don’t currently regularly use something at your old place, what are the chances that you’ll use it at your new house? There’s no point to packing and paying someone to move something to your new house if it won’t be used and will just gather dust.

Save money and reduce the workload by decluttering before you move house. You’ll be glad you did!

How to declutter

Even though clutter can both be physical and emotional, we will focus on physical objects. This is because they are the easiest to identify and do something about them. Additionally, they play an important role if you are moving house. As such, we’ll outline steps for decluttering physical items.

It’s important to keep in mind that there is no right way to declutter. As long as you meet your goals then the decluttering process you use is a good one. However, there are a few steps you should take to make the process go more smoothly and to increase your chances of being successful.

1. Make a plan

Before you get to work, make a plan. For example, create an overview of your house and take note of the rooms that deserve particular priority or attention for decluttering. You’ll need to tackle each room one at a time and every room will require a different way of decluttering. Plan for these differences, and also ask yourself a few questions like:

• What supplies will I need to declutter?
• How much time can I commit to decluttering?
• Where will I put the clutter?
• What do I consider to be clutter?

2. Establish a sorting system

When you do start to declutter, you’ll need to decide where you’ll take your clutter. This is where a sorting system comes in. The exact details of the system you want depends on you, however, a popular method is to use 3 boxes or piles. Label them as:

• Keep: Items that you will definitely keep.
• Get Rid Of: Items that you don’t need. These are items that you will toss in the bin, sell, or donate.
• Storage: Items that you’ll put into a storage space, whether that is in an extra room or an external storage unit.

Of course, you are able to customise this sorting system the way you see fit. For example, instead of having a catch-all group of “Get Rid Of,” you can have several piles specifically for throwing away, donations, or selling. You can even create a new pile for things that you’ll keep but repair.

3. Declutter…

Now it’s time to go through the room and examine each item. Think carefully about that item and determine which pile it belongs to so by the time you finish, everything will be categorised. Take your time and stay focused—don’t exit the room until you have completely finished.

When deciding whether to keep an item or get rid of it, ask yourself questions like these:

• Is it yours?
• Do you absolutely need it?
• When was the last time you used it?
• What function does it serve?
• Why are you keeping it?
• Does it give you happiness?
• Does it provide value to your life?
• Does it need any repairs, cleaning, or maintenance?

This is the most difficult part of decluttering because you really need to think carefully about each item. It can be tempting to keep a majority of your things but it’s important to be realistic and in some cases strict. Ask yourself the tough questions and decide if you really need each item.

4. Putting everything away

Now that everything is in the right category box or pile, it is much easier to put things away. Return the things in your “Keep” pile to places where it makes the most sense. We are only focused on decluttering right now so you can worry about properly cleaning and fully organising your things after.

Next, it’s time to get rid of the things you have labelled as “Get Rid Of.” If you need a tip, put the items into a box and place it in your car or garage until you are able to discard of them. If you’re selling a few things, go to a second-hand store or start placing online ads. Finally, group the items you’ll donate together so that it’s easier to go to the charity shop.

5. Relax and enjoy your new clutter-free space!

Your house should now be free of clutter. Decluttering can drastically change the look of your home and have a massive impact on how you see your space. There’s a lot more space, you’ll feel liberated from all your stuff, and you’ll have a more positive outlook!

Getting ready to move? Get some help with that!

Now that you’ve gotten rid of your clutter, your next step is to get someone to help you move. This step is made easy with our free and simple quote request form. Quickly receive up to 6 emails from trusted and capable moving companies. Compare their profiles, reviews, and prices so you find the right company who’ll make your move go smoothly!