Top Tips for Simplified Decluttering Before Your Big Move or Spring Clean

You may find yourself wanting to purge things or "declutter" a room in your house for many reasons. Sometimes, it's right after Christmas. Other times it just may be when you are ready to create a new look in one of your rooms. Maybe you're about to sell your house and move to a new one. Whatever the reason, decluttering your room (or house) may be just what you need to feel like you can breath again.

The Most Common Reasons People Fail at Decluttering

There may be some speedbumps along the way while decluttering your house. First of all, other people that live with you may not be on-board. It's easy to slip into the "it's fine" thinking. I encourage you to push through that. Another speedbump is taking a trip down memory lane. Many people find it hard to let go of things that bring back memories. Things are just things. The memory associated with the "thing" is important, but the actual item is just an object. Perhaps a picture of the object, be it large like a piano or small like a necklace, would be just as sufficient as holding onto the item. Maybe you wonder if you can continue to maintain a room with minimal decor. This may hinder you even starting the project. I have one big suggestion to get started.

The Top Consideration for Decluttering that Lasts

The biggest way to declutter with confidence is to decide how you want to use a room, and how you want it to feel. Start by removing anything smaller than a cantaloupe, and anything that is sitting on the floor (not on furniture). Once you remove these objects from the room, your space will instantly feel neater and larger. This makes it easier to clean, and gives you room to space out the objects that you really want to keep. It also gives your eye a place to rest. Do you miss a few of the smaller pieces? Bring them back, and set them on a stack of books or on a tray to be a part of a larger grouping.

The Best Ways to Tackle Clutter Once and For All

This activity in one room will probably propel you to think about the room next to it. When I do this process, I return to my original space frequently to inspire and encourage myself to keep moving. If you get stuck, ask yourself if you need the item, if it brings you joy, and if someone else would benefit from having the object more than you are at this time. It is okay to let go of things! If you are not sure if you can actually get rid of some things, box them up and let them stay out of sight for a few months. If you haven't missed them in that amount of time, it may be easier to let them go forever.

After recently selling many collectibles from my brother-in-law and his wife's house, I realized this: I don't even remember seeing 90% of these things in their house. I believe that she had inherited many of these knick-knacks from her mother, and they had already been in boxes for years. They didn't bring them joy, or she would have had them on display. They were not bringing us joy, residing in boxes in our garage. When we pull into the garage now, we can breathe. There is room to get to our Christmas decorations and yard tools. So wonderful! Paring down items in your rooms has an added benefit: it is much easier to keep the area clean and tidy. This is very helpful when your house is on the market, and you are hoping for a quick sale.

Looking for a partner in preparing your home for its most profitable sale? We can help.

Until next time,

Shana