Answer this. Is the clutter at your home taking away the peace and warmth of your living space? Then, maybe it’s time to remove these unnecessary belongings that don’t add value to your home. Picture this; you have a meeting with your manager this morning. You need to present some documents to your manager; however, you can’t seem to find that particular file. With all the overstuffed items lying across your home and a pile of paperwork, chances are you won’t be able to see that document easily. You surely don’t wish to get caught in any such circumstances. That is why decluttering is essential.
Well, your first solution to the clutter problem may be to get rid of extra items. However, it isn’t as easy as it seems. Moreover, decluttering isn’t a one-day job. Even if you end up decluttering your entire house, you won’t even realize when and how the clutter adds up in your home. Thus, a best practice is to follow some tips frequently to help your home look less cluttered. Are you looking for proven ways that help you reduce the clutter of your home? Well, you have just come to the right place. The below article can guide you to the road of a clutter-free home:
- PACK AWAY OUT-OF-USE ITEMS
One of the biggest enemies of your clutter-free home is your out-of-use items. So take a stroll around your house. Look for things that aren’t in your use for quite some time. For instance, you might have bought a sandwich maker that never really came out of the packed box. Or there might be some other precious possessions you haven’t used in months yet that you can’t sell or donate. An ideal solution is to rent a self storage unit and store your belongings securely. The best part about storage units is they are accessible 24/7, so you can get your things whenever you wish.
- MAKE A HABIT OF DONATING
Do you and your family like to donate items? Well, that’s a good habit. However, do you believe in donating only on special occasions? Perhaps, a specific charity event or Christmas eve. In that case, chances are your donation items might be taking up plenty of unnecessary space at your home. Not only this, this strategy is most likely cluttering your mind, too, because of your unfinished business. Thus, it is advisable to make a habit of dropping off your donation items whenever you get the time, instead of waiting for some special occasion.
- MINIMIZE THE ARTWORK
Most people, when decluttering, often overlook their walls. However, the walls at your home are one of the prominent areas that can change how your entire home looks. Have you hung multiple photos and decoration pieces on your walls, covering almost all of the space? That might not be a wise idea. Instead, reduce your wall clutter by hanging one or two pieces of artwork per wall. You can get yourself a bigger frame for your pictures or make a collage. Another tip is to rotate the items on your wall to make them look organized and less cluttered.
- HIDEAWAY YOUR WIRES AND PLUGS
Too many wires and electrical plugs can make your home look visually cluttered. These wires might also be the reason you are tripping over now and then. No doubt, the messy cables will make you more stressed and annoyed. You might have wires for your television, computer, nightstand, internet router, etc. Unfortunately, you can’t just throw the wires away in the present digital world. Instead, a better way is to hide them behind something, for instance, under the table, rugs, or behind the sofas.
- CLEAN YOUR SURFACES
There is a high possibility that you have a habit of keeping your car keys at your countertops. Or, while cooking, you might usually leave some spices and a blender machine on the kitchen counter. Not only does doing this make it difficult for you to work. But it will also make your home look messy and disorganized. Also, putting a few items on the surfaces might be okay, but too much stuff will only make your home look cluttered. So practice putting away items in drawers, shelves, or any other small box.
- DEAL WITH THE PAPER CLUTTER
No matter how much effort you put into decluttering your entire house, all your efforts will fall by the wayside if there is paper clutter. For example, maybe you have accumulated various invitation cards, shopping receipts, bills, bank statements, and whatnot over a long time. Not dealing with your paper clutter will soon make you overwhelmed. Therefore, make sure to digitize wherever possible. For example, you can try online purchasing and pay utility bills online to avoid stacking unnecessary paperwork. Moreover, if you receive any mail, make sure to open it and deal with it as soon as possible to avoid adding clutter.
- BE WISE WITH YOUR FURNITURE
Many people often consider furniture as a permanent thing and ignore this point when reducing clutter from home. However, have you ever noticed furniture could change the appearance of your entire house? Your house will automatically look more cluttered if you pick the wrong size of furniture or have an excess of furniture. Thus, go with furniture with multiple options to save space in your home. For instance, you can purchase a bed with built-in drawers. In addition, you can choose furniture with long and visible legs to give a feeling of more space.
- STORE LIKE ITEMS TOGETHER
Another best practice to keep your things organized and give your home less clutter is to categorize. For example, you have fitted everything on your shelf. Still, it looked messy and crowded. There is a high possibility that you are not decluttering properly. To make your space look less cluttered, you need to sort and put all the like things together. Sorting the items and neatly putting them will make it easy to find them whenever you need them. You can make a separate room for each category: books, shoes, makeup, toiletries, etc.
FINAL THOUGHTS
It is no secret that a home is a place that helps you relax and feel safe after you spend a long and tiring day at work. However, with all the clutter around your house, it is next to impossible to feel organized and enjoy peace. That is why you must observe these tips to achieve a less cluttered home in no time. A best practice is to create a decluttering schedule and stick to your plan. You can also take pictures of before and after to keep yourself motivated.ko Decluttering your home is a good idea if you are looking to sell it too. Most home buyers will value your home depending on what they see; otherwise, you can sell to a real estate investor like The Local House Buyers. This way the current state of your home will not play a higher role in the selling process.