Decluttering and downsizing your home has many benefits to it. Not only will you be free from the unnecessary clutter, but you will also lead a much less hectic life when at home. It will, in fact, make your place feel like a true sanctuary. An oasis of peace and serenity. And isn’t that what we all want to achieve with our homes? The added benefit is that the services of New York movers will be cheaper too! So let’s see how you ought to downsize your home effectively.
A word of notice before I delve into the details of this process. Namely, when you set out to declutter and downsize your home effectively, you have to be objective and honest with yourself. That is, if you want to fully reap the benefits of this procedure. Certain things will simply have to go, and the sooner you come to terms with this, the easier it will be to through this process.
Downsize your home correctly by tending to every room
Chances are the majority of things you will throw out are the ones you have forgotten all about. They are the belongings that inevitably take space, but no longer provide any use to you or your family members. So, in order to fish them out, make sure that you give attention to every room, cupboard, nook, and cranny.
While certain items unequivocally belong in the trash, others might not give such straightforward signals. And if you follow your first thought, what you will end up with is a home that is virtually the same as the one you started with. I presume that this is not your desired end goal, and will thus provide you with my next advice:
Dividing the separated items into three sections
To be super thorough, I suggest that you take everything out so that you can see it. For example, when addressing your bedroom, you will take everything from the closet, your nightstand, all the drawers, and storage space under your bed. You will then have to take a deep breath, confront your belongings, and separate them into three sections:
- Toss
- Donate/gift
- Keep
The first group should have things that you haven’t used in over a year and that have lost all of their original utility. That means that your winter jacket can stay, as long as you have used it during the past winter. However, that sweater that hasn’t had the chance to see daylight in over 18 months has to go. It is that simple in theory, but much harder in practice. Still, remember that you are doing this in order to better your life.
Items that you ought to donate or gift are the ones that are in great condition but just didn’t manage to provide you with enough use. And make sure that you indeed have this group, as it will be easier for you to part from some things knowing that they will make somebody else happy.
Downsize your home effectively by being organized
Downsizing your current home is the way of getting the most out of your space and the items you have. Doing it correctly will make your place feel like a true sanctuary. It will be much easier to keep your place tidy, even without relying on storage services for extra space. Besides, having a home that is not cluttered will allow you to not only move freely through it, but also think much clearly. I know this sounds like too much, but there is a lot of truth in this. Here are simple hacks you can implement:
- Make sure that everything has its place
It is hard to emphasize the importance of this rule enough. By giving everything you have its own space, you will find it much easier to tidy up your place. In addition, you will never again struggle with finding the thing you need. Just make sure to put the object back in its place after use, and you are golden. It is rather an effortless way of being super organized.
- Have use of everything you own
While decluttering was referring to your smaller belongings, here I am talking about your bigger belongings. Now, as we are talking about decluttering, I will go so far as to presume you are ready to throw out some of your bulkier furniture pieces and big appliances. Now all of them, of course. When speaking of the former, I am mainly thinking about the items that serve more as an obstacle than storage or comfort option. So, if you have a chair in your hallway that is only used for throwing jackets over when you are in a hurry, you don’t need it there. Use a hanger for your clothes, and free up the space the chair takes. If you have a ceiling-high shelf that is filled with dry flowers, old newspapers, and empty boxes, consider replacing it for something smaller that will keep just your books and picture frames.
As for your bigger appliances, now might be the time to replace your big washing machine with a smaller one. Especially if you cannot seem to fill it up enough in order to turn it on regularly. You can consider selling the one you have, and finding local movers to spare you the trouble of introducing the new one in your kitchen. Perhaps you can do the same with your massive refrigerator that is taking up one whole wall but is never truly full.
To conclude
Letting go is more important than adding. This is important to realize in order to downsize your home effectively. With fewer belongings in your home, you will find it easier to function. And, if you ever plan on moving to a smaller place, you already have the majority of work done. Surround yourself with items that serve you properly, and enjoy all the benefits of it.