It seems everyone is on the de-cluttering bandwagon these days. If you are preparing your house to sell then a de-clutter is almost essential but even if you have no plans to move, it is amazing how much it can lift your mood and help your home look its best. As there is no shortage of advice on how to de-clutter we decided to tackle the de-cluttering NO, No’s
Don’t Buy Storage First
Don’t race out and stock up on baskets, pretty boxes or containers until you have finished your de-cluttering. It is very hard to know what size space you need to fill and what exactly you need to store before you start and people will often waste money early on by purchasing storage they don’t actually end up needing. You may even surprise yourself and find you already own suitable storage solutions but had just forgotten where they were!
Don’t Plan out the Whole Day
Rather than planning to spend an entire day de-cluttering, people tend to me more successful by allowing 2-3 hours per day on different areas. This helps keep you motivated with energy and focus rather than burning you out all in one go!
Don’t Move on Until Finished
Split your house into rooms, categories or areas and then finish each one before starting on the next. Your house can quickly become one big mess if you don’t do this. If you have bags to donate to charity, put them in your car as soon as you finish and take your rubbish straight to the bins, it all helps to make your project feel more achievable.
Don’t Throw Out Everything
If you really want to keep something, keep it! Don’t feel under pressure to throw away things just because you feel like you should or it doesn’t give you joy! Also be mindful of the environment and the local community. Rather than throwing things away there may be someone who could use your items, so donating to charity or giving something to a friend is much better than all your items becoming landfill.
Don’t Forget to Keep It Tidy
Once you start enjoying your tidy new spaces you should be motivated to keep it this way… it doesn’t mean you will never have to tidy again (sadly). A little bit of maintenance each day will keep it this way. A good practice to get into is to put away anything that is out of place before you go to bed each evening.