You always want to start the new year off in the right frame of mind. We all end up with different goals but this year it’s ‘new year, same me’. Tackling the clutter around your home can help to improve your mental health, bank balance and overall daily life. For me, it’s definitely a case of ‘tidy house, tidy mind’.
Decluttering doesn’t just mean chucking everything out, although in my case I’ve already been pretty ruthless this year. Even just by organising things differently, so that you can still enjoy them without them taking up loads of space, can feel just as good. Here are some tips to do just that.
1. Adopt the ‘Four Box Method’ for efficiency
Before you organise all those prized possessions effectively, you need to have a good sort out and decide what you actually want to keep. The ‘Four Box Method’ can really help at this stage.
Set up four large boxes and label them ‘keep’, ‘donate’, ‘bin’ and ‘maybe’. Tackle one room at a time or even one cupboard at a time if you find it overwhelming. By sorting your items this way, you can make quick decisions and get your house in
order.
It’s then that you can go through anything outside of the ‘keep’ box to decide if anything is worth selling for a few pounds here and there. If it isn’t, then it gets out of your way. I often find myself offering bits out to friends and family just in case it happens to be something they’re looking for.
2. Implement a year-long decluttering schedule
It can feel like a mammoth task trying to declutter your whole home. This can be multiplied if you consider other people’s belongings as well (please tell me why kids hoard so much stuff?).
You could spread the decluttering across the year instead. This helps to reduce the pressure and gives you time to sell, donate or bin any unwanted items from each space. Set a schedule on set days. You can use a physical calendar to make sure you don’t forget. For example, in April you could utilise Sundays to go through the garage each weekend until you are happy with it. If you rope the whole family in, the job will be done quicker, and you may even have fun!
Personally I find making a list of the rooms, and the areas within those rooms, before I set out on the task. Breaking it down into little tasks means I can see what time I’ve got to decide which job I can get ticked off. Who else loves a ticky list?
3. Maximise vertical space
Having ‘enough’ space is always relative to each living situation, but somehow there is never enough. Vertical spaces can often be overlooked for storage, but they are a great way to maximise your potential.
Wall-mounted shelves and tall bookcases are perfect for getting lots of items out of the way whilst looking intentional and tidy. Lots of the taller shelving units offer ‘hidden’, yet beautiful inserts that slot in perfectly to help hide the bits that you want to keep, but don’t want on display.
This is especially true in smaller spaces. If your bedroom needs a bit of help, why not invest in some beautifully fitted wardrobes? This way, no space is wasted, and you can pop all of your belongings away, leaving you with a clear, mess-free sleep space.
4. Embrace sustainable and eco-friendly solutions
Recycling your unused items is a great way to promote sustainable cyclical economies. Take advantage of sites such as Vinted, eBay or Depop to make a few extra pounds and give your old items a new home. This month alone I’ve cashed out over £300 on Vinted and £200 on eBay just by listing things we no longer need, use or want but are just too good to bin.
When it comes to storage in the home for possessions you are keeping, there has been a shift towards sustainable materials such as bamboo, jute and reclaimed wood. This reduces the demand for plastic, meaning less is manufactured. There are so many beautiful options.
What are your decluttering tips? How have you been making space in your home?