It’s something that the uber-organised do once or twice a year; if you’re in this camp, then you can stand down as you probably don’t need any of the advice here (although, being organised, you’ll probably read on anyway).
For the rest of the population, however, de-cluttering is an ordeal that only gets done when they’re selling up. If you’re in this camp, then these tips will help you no end.
Set a timer for 15 minutes
Start off small, with a chest of drawers, a sideboard or under-bed storage and work for 15 minutes only. When the buzzer goes off, stop, lift up the black bag, feel the weight, then feel how light you are when it goes in the bin… These are your baby steps.
If you’re unsure, sleep on it
There’s always a few possessions that you’ll find it hard to get rid of, so it’s OK to hold onto them. There are also some that you’re not sure about so you should pack them away and sleep on it for a night or two. De-cluttering is a state of mind, not a race.
Use the 80/20 rule
Out of our clothes, appliances, jewellery, toys, games and books, there’s 20% that we use or wear 80% of the time. Identify which items from the 80% that goes unused you can part with easily and find it a better home.
Getting rid of old paperwork
If you want to keep all your old bank statements, financial agreements, guarantees and receipts, then set aside a day to go through them all, picking out the necessary ones, then scan and shred them. You’ll free up a lot of space this way.
Get ruthless in the kitchen
The kitchen is more like a 90/10 zone – we use a very small number of utensils and appliances for most of our kitchen tasks. You may have a fiddly egg slicer but use a simple (and easily cleaned) sharp knife instead. You know what to do with the egg slicer now, so get going!
