Many people feel they live in a cluttered home. These individuals aren’t hoarders, but they wouldn’t be considered minimalists either. They fall somewhere in the middle of this spectrum. People often don’t know where to start getting rid of this clutter.
Why would a person want to remove clutter? What benefits come with getting this stuff out of the home? How can a person go about this process to see great results? The following guide answers these questions and more, including the advantages of looking for a storage unit to help with the process.
The Benefits of Decluttering
Numerous benefits come with decluttering the home. When a person gets rid of the clutter, they find it easier to concentrate. Their attention won’t be divided between what they are trying to do and the items surrounding them. Removing clutter from the home helps boost focus and productivity.
Clutter can negatively affect a person’s mood and self-esteem. In addition, if this clutter is in the bedroom, they may suffer from insomnia. Moving rarely used items to a storage unit reduces the amount of clutter in the home while improving a person’s health and well-being. These are only a few of the many benefits a person will see when they take this step.
Start Simple
Success in life encourages a person to keep moving forward. That applies to any situation, including decluttering. Choose a small area to start and remove all clutter. This success will provide the motivation to tackle a slightly bigger area in the home, and each success builds on the next.
Many people hesitate to get rid of things because they worry they will need them in the future. Don’t let this fear get in the way of forward progress. Take any items that fall into this category and move them to a storage unit. Set a time limit on keeping them. If the items aren’t used in that period, get rid of them. Knowing they are still available even if they are no longer in the home is enough for many people to continue decluttering.
Eliminate Duplicates
When cleaning the home, get rid of any duplicate items. A person truly doesn’t need five pairs of black dress pants unless they are required to wear them as part of a work uniform. Even then, they could probably get away with fewer pairs and create more space in the home. The same holds for other items in the house. For instance, rather than buying different decorative pillows for each season and needing to store them, buy one pillow with interchangeable covers to save space.
Create a System for Handling Paper
One of the hardest things people find to get rid of is paper. They worry that once they throw a document away they will need it again. Certain papers should be kept, such as birth certificates and mortgage documents. However, it is perfectly fine to throw away bank statements, as the bank can provide them if they are needed in the future.
Many things also exist online today, such as prior utility statements, so those can be thrown away. If there is any doubt as to the importance of a document, consider scanning the document and saving it to the cloud with the help of a secure provider. The document will no longer take up space in the home but can be accessed anywhere the person can get on the internet.
Invest in Furniture that Offers Storage
Rather than purchasing a dining room table with chairs, consider buying a set with benches that offer storage space. Linens may be kept in the benches rather than taking up space in another part of the home. Some dining room tables today come with a drawer underneath where placemats can be stored. This is a great option when a person is trying to declutter the home.
Beds with storage compartments or drawers underneath are ideal for cluttered bedrooms. Bathrooms benefit from over-the-toilet storage compartments, and a person can always install shelves above the existing shelf in the closet. Look for hidden storage solutions that are often overlooked to make more space in the home quickly. If this still doesn’t resolve the clutter problem, it may be time to look into furniture storage solutions. Multi-functional furniture is also an option that should be considered.
Moving Forward
Decluttering the home takes time and effort. People often feel as if they complete the process and their work is done. Sadly, this isn’t the case. Decluttering is an ongoing process, as new things continuously come into the home. A person must know how to deal with these items.
Some people choose to declutter their homes every season, much as they would carry out spring cleaning. Other people, however, choose to set up a specific day each month when they declutter. A third option is to establish a rule that for every item coming into the home, one item must leave. Each person must find the system that works best for them rather than using a one-size-fits-all approach.
Ask for Help
Some people find they struggle to declutter their homes even with these tips. It never hurts to ask for help. Professional organizers have seen it all, so there is no reason to be embarrassed about the condition of the home. Reach out for help to have a clutter-free residence in less time and receive the benefits of an organized space.
Never overlook the option of renting a storage unit for help in decluttering the home. This unit may be used to store seasonal items to free up space in the home. A person might use it to hold items they aren’t sure they want to keep, or it could be good for holding items until the owner has time to go through them.
Choose a reputable storage facility, one with security measures in place. Doing so ensures the items will be available when they are needed again or when the owner decides it is time to let them go. The storage unit helps to simplify this decision.
