As a lettings negotiator I move lots of tenants into their new homes each week and this got me thinking…if I had to move house tomorrow where would start? I can’t even begin to think which room I would pack up first and as for the cupboard under the stairs…well…let’s not even go there. I suddenly realised that although I’ve been in my (rented) 1 bedroom apartment for a mere 12 months, I appear to have accumulated a lot of ‘stuff’. I’m sure half this stuff (including but not limited to: books (mainly baking orientated), DVDs, kitchen equipment, magazines, bags, shoes, clothes, linen, exercise equipment, stationary) I haven’t used, (or even seen) in the last 6 months. Again, this realisation got me thinking…do I really need all this stuff or can I get rid of it, make some money, be gratuitous and live a clutter free life!
Here are my top tips for a clutter free home:
Clothing:
Have someone else (who you trust!) help you go through things. They don’t have the (sometime’s irrational) emotional attachment that you might have, but can still recognize if something should be kept.
General rule: If you haven’t worn an item in 6 months, sell or donate it.
Magazines:
Be ruthless, save only the last two issues of magazines. Tear out articles and keep in a binder you’ll refer to later.
Plastic bags:
Everybody has a plastic bag full of other plastic bags. Use the ones you have for bin liners, or take them back to the supermarket for recycling. Keep canvas shopping bags in the car so you don’t accumulate more plastic bags. Mesh shopping bags roll up small enough to be kept in your handbag for unexpected trips to the market.
Cookbooks:
Unless you’re a collector (like me) or you have a lot of room (not like me), edit them. How often do you use the cookbook? If you’ve had it for years but it’s never gotten a single stain or burn from use, donate it.
Thing about setting up a cookbook club in work so you can alternate with other likeminded individuals, the best of both worlds, new recipes, less clutter and saving money!
Photos:
If you don’t have time to put your photos in an album or scrapbook, it’s okay to stop pretending you’re going to do it. Get clear shoe boxes to store them in instead. Group the photos by subject—the family reunion, your trip to Istanbul. While you’re grouping, you’re also sorting: Is it a clear picture? Do you even know who those people are? Throw away any that don’t measure up, and any in which you can’t stand the sight of yourself. When you’re done, label the boxes accordingly.
The Computer:
You don’t want to spend an hour looking for a scone recipe—or your résumé—because you’re searching through all the stuff on your desktop. If you can’t see the pretty picture on your computer screen because it’s full of icons for documents, downloads, and photos, start making folders, even colour code them.
Use space creatively:
Walls and ceilings aren’t only structural features; they can also be storage space, and attractive storage at that. Meanwhile, obscure nooks and crannies can hide less sightly items. Items can be reconfigured to better fit their designated areas — rolled towels might fit more snugly than a stack. A collection of photos competing for space on an office desk might fill bare spots on the walls.
Discard expired items:
Some foods and medicines are time sensitive. Vitamins lose their potency and can be most unpleasant if kept much past their “use by” dates. For things that don’t have expiration dates, invent one. Weekly magazines may “go bad” after a month, for instance.
Get rid, sell or gift:
Once you have got you bags unwanted ‘stuff’ there are plenty of avenues on which to off load it.
The tip – its worth looking on your local council website to finds out where your nearest tip is and what items it accepts.
Charity Shops: Charity shops are always grateful for items to sell and you will feel like your doing a good deed.
The World Wide Web: There are now so many website on which to sell your unwanted items, its not just a case of Ebay and Amazon these days, there are more online seller sights popping up. Here are some site you may not have heard of:
Or why not pack up a picnic and have a good old fashion car boot sale!
Happy Decluttering!