The mornings and evenings are getting lighter – spring has officially sprung! This is considered to be a time for renewal and fresh starts, and is the perfect time to give your home a spring clean.
However, before you clean, it makes sense to declutter! Spending time decluttering and tidying makes you aware of how much stuff you have, and by minimising the stuff that needs to be cleaned and cleaned around, it will make your spring clean easier and quicker. Here are some of our top tips for decluttering your home:
- One room at a time
The best way to declutter is to do it in stages, focusing on one room at a time (or even one area of a room), completing each room before you move onto the next. Many people find it easier to deal with the kitchen and bathroom first as they carry less personal items than living rooms and bedrooms. Also, don’t forget your loft, if you have one, as they are often a haven for unused and now unwanted items!
- Prepare the essentials in advance
Make sure you have all the tools you need prior to decluttering, so as to not waste time once you have started. Bin liners/boxes, sticky tape, labels, a paper shredder and newspaper/bubble wrap all come in useful when decluttering your home – remember we sell a wide range of packaging materials to help with packing and storing items.
- Use the ‘five box’ method
Use five boxes (or similar) and mark them as:
- Keep
- Recycle
- Bin
- Donate
- Sell
Go through each item you own and ask if you use it regularly or whether you love it. If the answer is no, then think about whether you really need to keep it, and if not decide whether it is an item that could be recycled, donated to charity, sold on eBay or Facebook Marketplace or similar, or whether it should be thrown away.
For those items which you want to keep, but know you do not need on a regular basis, this is where we can help with our cost-effective self-storage units across Hastings and St Leonards.
- Everything should have a place
Once you have decluttered, decide how best to organise the belongings you are keeping. Try to store items near to where you use and them and group similar things together. As there has been more overlap between people’s homes and work lives over the past two years, make sure you designate specific areas of your home for work items, personal paperwork, children’s toys and more.
The benefits of decluttering extend far beyond springtime – reducing clutter results in a tidier home that is easier to clean throughout the year! If we can help with self-storage after you have decluttered, then contact us today to talk through our storage options.
