5 Tips For A Thorough Declutter

One of the items on my to-do list for 2016 (you can see the full list here!) is to declutter my house. Since my husband and I moved in around 5 years ago we have accumulated an awful lot of stuff and never seem to throw anything away. I made a start over the Christmas/New Year break as I had quite a bit of time off from work and I ended up getting really into it. So for those of you planning your own declutter or struggling to get/stay motivated, I thought it might be helpful to share my tips for a thorough declutter based on my own experience of it so far. 

1. Break it down into manageable tasks
Thinking about de-cluttering my house as a whole just felt like too big a job, so the first thing I did was break it down by room and then list in each room the space or specific items I wanted to sort through. This essentially gave me a to-do list, which gave me focus and made the project feel achievable. Plus it's so satisfying working through a list and ticking it off as you go!

2. Plan your time effectively
If you have a space to declutter that's going to take a good few hours, it's probably not the best idea to start it at 9pm on a Wednesday night, for example. Give yourself enough time to do the job thoroughly and properly and when you're going to feel at your most productive.

3. Be ruthless
When it comes to "I'll keep that... just incase" I've been there, done that and still not used that 2 years later. Once you start being ruthless with what you get rid of, it becomes much easier to part with more and more. Ask yourself, do you really need it? Have you used it in the last 6 months? Will you use it in the next 6 months? If the answer is no or even probably not, then it's time to say goodbye. Chuck it in the bin or if it's new/worth too much to throw away, give it to charity, friends, family or even sell it online. 

4. Have an alternative space for those things you can't bear to part with
It's inevitable that there will be some items you come across during the declutter that you don't really need but just can't let go of; mine tend to be sentimental or have some kind of fond memory attached to them. But the key is not to put it back in the same place if you're not using it, it's taking up valuable space or just simply if it'll clutter up an area you want to keep clear. Put it into storage somewhere clearly labelled, for when you will want/need it again (mine is the attic).

5. Enjoy it!
If you view the whole decluttering process as a chore then you'll be less likely to be motivated to even make a start on it. Remind yourself regularly why you're doing it and the benefits it will bring. I actually found it addictive and very therapeutic! 

What are your top tips for a thorough declutter?

Beauty Bird xx

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