So you want to declutter but are inundated with stuff and need to create some space. Working through your home methodically and systematically is the goal but sometimes you just need to make a dent in your clutter… quickly!
Here are 5 decluttering tasks that will have a big impact in your home. They are big, bulky, or voluminous items so are going to create that space that we need to have some clarity in our minds before tackling a big project.
Suitcases
Suitcases are something we may have invested heavily in at certain points in our lives, and there’s no doubt they are built to last. They have lots of life in them and they are useful – but are they?
Travel has evolved and with it the restrictions on luggage allowances have changed. Lightweight, wheeled suitcases are everyone’s go-to luggage now, but we still keep the old heavy, bulky suitcases that we haven’t used for years because we think we will return to them one day. But the chances are we won’t.
Create some valuable space by only keeping those cases you have used on the last few trips you went on.
Appliance Boxes
We just can’t help ourselves. There’s a voice inside our heads telling us that we NEED to keep appliance boxes for ever and a day. And even if we don’t have that voice ourselves, someone else in our family undoubtedly will. But why do we keep them cluttering up garages, attics, and basements for years or decades?
For when you move? For when you sell the appliance? In case it’s faulty and has to be returned? Here’s a little secret – you’ll probably forget you have it when you move, will never sell it, and the shop is fine without the original packaging if it’s faulty.
So, be brave and chuck out those boxes today!
Coats
We all love a coat and amass so many over the years. They are big, heavy, and bulky. We have our go-tos, our favorites that we wear again and again. Sometimes we wear the same one every day.
We buy new ones because the old ones are not quite right. But we still keep hold of the old ones because they cost a lot of money and we feel guilty. Is it time to let them go?
Go right to the underneath of your coat storage – that’s where you will find all the seldom used coats. You’ll either uncover a gem that you forgot you had or more likely find plenty to declutter and create some valuable space for those you do love. Either way, it’s a win-win.
Pots and Pans
You’d be surprised how many pots and pans we amass over the years. There are very few people who have all their pots and pans neat, accessible, and perfectly placed. Normally, pots and pans storage is awkward and unruly. Why? Because we have way more than we can sensibly use.
Take a good look at your pots and pans. Do you use that huge wok or is it just taking up valuable space? Has your scorched milk pan seen better days? Have you not used that pan with a wonky handle for years? Time to let some go and create some order in your pan storage.
Books
Are you double stacking books? Are they stored in boxes in your basement, loft, or garage? This is a red flag that you have too many to handle but I’m guessing you already know that. It’s so hard to declutter books because you love them so much!
As hard as book decluttering may be, I can guarantee that once you allow yourself the opportunity to look at books one by one, there will undoubtedly be some that can go.
Whilst the emotions involved in decluttering books are amongst the most tricky there is in the decluttering world, the key is to stop looking at your books as a collection. When you want to declutter them, take them off the shelf and look at them one by one.
I promise you there will be some books that you no longer love. And ten books decluttered is a huge amount of space created. Be strong, be brave, and tackle a few of those books today.
If you can tackle just one of the categories above you will create some space in your home for the things that you truly need, love, and use. That is what life is all about. To have only those things in our lives that reflect our current lifestyle.
If some of the emotions we mentioned above have resonated with you, there are lots more than that holding us back and keeping us stuck. Life is too short to be surrounded by clutter!
If you want 2021 to be the year you take control of your clutter and stop it from controlling you, then we would love you to come and join our Reset Your Home Challenge starting on January 4th, 2021. Lots of like-minded people are destined to make 2021 a clutter-free reality.
Are you inundated with appliance boxes? Is tackling your book collection an absolute no-no? Let us know in the comments how you are affected by clutter.
