Decluttering your home can be a daunting task that is too often complicated by organizational failure.
As if that is not enough, there are other hurdles like a lack of enthusiasm and sentiment.
Jerry Pinkas addresses all of this in his how-to video.
1.) ‘Decluttering Is Not About Getting Rid of Everything’
Only get rid of the excess stuff that you do not use. Keep what you need and discard what you don’t.
2.) Set Goals
Find the area that needs attention, preferably the most neglected area, and start there. Why? Because as you see progress you will be motivated to do more.
3.) Set Time Limits
Set time limits to deal with these problem areas but make them realistic so you don’t fall short and demotivate yourself.
4.) List-Writing Is Key to Decluttering Your Home
A written game plan is needed to take on these challenges. As such, writing a list and converting it into a step-by-step strategy starting with the toughest tasks is pertinent.
5.) Create Piles
Sorting into groupings like ‘Keep’, ‘Donate’, and ‘Sell’ will help streamline the process.
While this is the organizational strategy adopted by most people, it is not set in stone and can be tailored to individual needs. For example: Piles like ‘Gift’ and ‘Recycle’ can also be added.
6.) The ‘Keep’ Pile
This pile is for household items you use every day, that make life easier, and have a notable amount of value even if only to you.
Be mindful: If these items accumulate into a massive pile, it may amount to hoarding and defeat the purpose.
7.) The ‘Donate’ Pile
This pile is for items that are in good and functional condition but serve no purpose. They can be unused clothes, books that have been read, and/or surplus kitchen accouterments.
Pinkas says that by donating these objects to a charity or a secondhand store you will help someone in need and give them a “second life”.
8.) The Sell Pile
This is the pile of things that may have value to someone other than yourself.
This heap is for items in good condition like stylish furniture that no longer complements your decor, designer wear, and immaculate electronics that are not useful.
9.) Trash
If it’s broken and unusable by you or anyone else, trash it.
Pinkas cautions that one should check the local regulations for environmental hazards relating to waste, especially with car batteries and paint, etc.
10.) The ‘Touch It Once’ Strategy
Every time you pick up an item while decluttering your home, ask yourself three questions:
(I.) Does this really make me happy?
(II.) When was the last time I actually used it?
(III.) If it gets lost today could I buy it back?
11.) Does This Really Make Me Happy?
This applies to both sentimental and practical items. To arrive at the correct answer you have to be honest with yourself.
12.) When Was the Last Time I Actually Used This Item?
Was it recently, years, months, or a decade since you last used this item? At this point ask yourself: What are the chances of me using it again and how soon is that likely to be?
13.) If It Gets Lost Today Could I Buy It Back?
If the answer to this question is yes, its value – even to you who bought it – diminishes. If the answer is no, why? Is it a relic or expensive and outside your current means?
14.) Start Organising
Now you start contacting the relevant charities to collect, or arrange delivery for these items you plan on donating. For the things you plan on selling, alert your social circle, family, or friends, or strike up that garage sale.
Alternatively, you can sell them items online.
15.) Allocate Storage Space in Your Home
Perhaps the most challenging pile at this stage comprises the items you want to keep–especially if you don’t have designated storage space. This may require setting up shelves in the pantry, garage, or spare room.
Needless to say, once the storage space is created you will only use it for things you want to keep and monitor it lest it evolves into another cluttering crisis.
16.) Selling Can Be More Expensive Than Donating
Kati Spaniak in her Sell Your Home YouTube channel points out something that may be hard to digest.
She claims that nobody wants your old stuff, not even your kids, which is why holding onto it may be futile. The world, currently, has access to all kinds of modern tech better suited to this generation.
Spaniak also points out that selling things we place value on may be harder than we think.
While some value may be attached to them, it is often dependent on individual sentiment, and finding that interested person may be more costly in terms of effort, time, and even money.
17.) Physical Order is Mental Order
Spaniak emphasizes having everything “nice and neat”.
“I think a lot of people feel like the more stuff you have, the more cluttered your mind is. That’s kind of how I view it and so when things are nice and neat it makes the mind nice and neat as well,” she says.
