Decluttering Your Home: Where to Start
You just need to start. Take a deep breath and let's begin.
Decluttering your home can easily feel like this massive project and before you’ve even started you have decided to stop. It can feel like one of the most overwhelming challenges you’ll face in your home, but here is the secret sauce to getting that beautifully decluttered home: you just need to start.
Organizing and decluttering your home can be a very personal journey--we get that. You have to consciously get rid of items that do not bring value to your home. To do this in every room of your home can seem daunting. But, hiring a professional organizer may not be the way you want to use your budget--we get that too.
Thankfully, you do not have to be a professional to get professional-looking results. You just need a few pointers to get your momentum going!
First of all, what is clutter?
Did you know that clutter is an instant energy drain? You will find yourself spending more time sifting through things just to find what you want when your objects do not have a place to go. A house full of clutter, which is anything you keep around that doesn’t add value to your life, creates more stress and--you guessed it--more clutter.
Relieve some of that stress and take back your space. The most important rule is to just start doing it. Start small and work your way up to areas that seem extremely intimidating (the garage) or emotionally charged (your old maternity clothes).
Tackle the least sentimental area in your home first.
What do we mean by that? If you are struggling with the major task of having to get rid of items and reorganize the ones left over, starting with your child’s kindergarten mementos may not be the best place. In fact, let's save the kid keepsake organizing for last.
Start with an area--preferably a small one--that has little to no sentimental value. Maybe your junk drawer? Or under the kitchen sink? Tackle small, simple projects in your home before moving onto the bigger, harder projects. Going through something as trivial as a junk drawer may seem silly,but it is going to be a lot easier to let go of the 30th pen you find than it will be to let go of the outfit you wore to your baby shower. Sentimentality plays a huge role in clutter, so finding the items that truly hold value is key, but letting go is equally important.
Organizing your home in chunks will make the process smoother.
Once that organizing bug hits you, you may want to just try to take on the whole house. Word to the wise: hold your horses! Clutter and disorganization can quickly take a toll on your mental health. For this reason, organizing in chunks will give you breathing space throughout the process.
You won’t lose momentum, trust us. If anything, once you tackle one room, tackling one more and then another won’t feel so bad. Just take it slow so you don’t get lost in your decluttering madness. When you follow your plan (we’ll get to that a little later), your decluttering process may take longer than a professional organizer might have, but you’ll feel satisfied as you discover more space and less stuff along the way. You’ll be proud of your decluttering. Heck, we will be proud of you for doing this huge task on your own!
Get rid of trash or donations immediately.
It can be tempting to let all of that sit in a pile to the side that you will get to when your organizing is over. But putting those bins or boxes in the corner of the garage or in the back of your trunk is just another way to procrastinate in completing your decluttering process.
When you dispose of the items it helps to clear the clutter--physically, emotionally, and visually in your space. Once these areas open up and you can see them without the clutter, it becomes a breath of fresh air. Also, getting rid of the items immediately leaves you less of a chance of going through them and taking items back.
Follow some easy steps to see you through to the end.
At The Orderly Space, we use a systematic approach and unique methods of tackling each organization project with our clients. We tailor our approaches to fit them perfectly--but you can follow simple, universal steps that will ensure your decluttering project does not turn into a physical and emotional fail.
Step 1: Set Realistic Goals. Write them down, map out your rooms, and focus on doing one space/room at a time. Set completion dates and plan time to work on your project.
Step 2: Create a sorting system. Make use of the “Three Box Method”--Keep, Get Rid Of, or Put in Storage.
Step 3: Get rid of that clutter. Find ways to donate, recycle, or sell your items that no longer spark joy or value in your home. Find the most useful place for them. Some items may be worth selling while others have run their course--but decide and stick through with your plan.
Step 4: Find new homes for everything. Invest in your new space with some great tools that will keep clutter from returning. At The Orderly Space, we love bin clips, Target felt bins, and multi-purpose bins from The Container Store.
Enjoy the process.
Yes, decluttering is stressful. Yes, it can feel like a massive project when you first set out. But, with a little plan of action and a lot of gumption, you can easily transform your home into an organized oasis. Starting the project will always be the hardest part, but once you get going and work your way through your home, you will find immense satisfaction in a job well done.
We can’t wait to see what your DIY decluttering looks like!
What has kept you from DIY-ing your organization at home? We would love to know where your biggest pain points are in the process.
