Home decluttering can be overwhelming and stressful, but with the right plan and mindset, you can organise your home in just one weekend. In this home decluttering guide, you will discover the benefits of home decluttering and learn some practical tips to help you organise your home quickly and efficiently.
5 Benefits of Home Decluttering: Why It’s Worth the Effort
1. Less Stress
Decluttering your home can reduce stress by removing unnecessary items and creating a more streamlined and organised environment. When living spaces are disorganised and messy, it can be overwhelming and lead to anxiety. However, by freeing up space and eliminating clutter, feelings of stress and anxiety can be significantly reduced.
Additionally, an organised home provides a sense of control and makes it easier to find what you need, thus minimising the stress of searching for lost items or feeling overwhelmed by the mess.
2. Home decluttering can improve productivity
Decluttering your home can significantly enhance productivity in several ways. By streamlining your space and keeping it neat and well-organised, you’re more likely to feel motivated, focused, and productive while also saving time and energy.
It can help you prioritise tasks and set realistic goals based on the available resources, providing a clear area to work and enabling concentration without distractions and disruptions. Maintaining a decluttered and well-organised space can reduce mental and visual overload, reduce distractions, and improve concentration, leading to better productivity and output.
3. More physical space
Decluttering your home has a significant impact on the physical space by eliminating unnecessary items that are occupying precious room. Cluttered homes can hinder movement, finding necessary items, and even some basic daily activities. Removing unwanted items can create more open space and enhance free movement within the home.
Decluttering isn’t just about reducing the number of items but also entails reorganising the available space. This can be done by optimising available space with storage solutions such as shelving, drawer dividers, closet organisers, etc. By maximising every inch of your space, an organised home can optimise the physical space available, giving you more freedom and better utilisation of space.
4. Better mental and emotional health
Decluttering your home can have a positive impact on your mental and emotional health. Clutter can cause feelings of stress, anxiety, and depression, as it can be overwhelming to look at and difficult to manage. By decluttering your home, you can reduce these negative emotions and create a more organised space that is easier to maintain.
Finally, decluttering may provide an opportunity for self-care as it allows you to take time for yourself and reflect on what matters most in life. For more info on how decluttering can benefit your health, please read the following: Health Benefits of Decluttering
5. Improved safety
Decluttering your home is a significant step towards creating a safe living environment. By removing items that could be harmful, it reduces the risk of accidents and injuries. Clutter causes obstacles that can lead to tripping, falling, or other accidents.
Decluttering can also provide additional safety for children and elderly family members by eliminating tripping hazards, keeping important items in accessible locations, and overall creating a safer and more comfortable living space for everyone.
Home Decluttering: A Step-by-Step Guide
Now that you know the benefits of decluttering your home, let’s dive into a step-by-step guide on how to organise your home in a weekend. Follow these practical tips and strategies to help you sort through your belongings and decide what to keep, sell, bin, or donate.
Step 1: Prepare for the Home Decluttering Process
Before you start decluttering, it’s important to set yourself up for success. Here are some things you can do to prepare:
- Schedule a weekend for the decluttering process and stick to it.
- Gather all the necessary supplies, such as garbage bags, donation boxes, and cleaning products.
- Enlist the help of family or friends to make the process quicker and more manageable.
- Start with one room or area at a time rather than trying to declutter your entire home at once.
- Have a clear plan of action and goals for each room or area.
Step 2: Sort Your Belongings into Four Categories: Keep, Sell, Bin, Donate
As you declutter each room, sort your belongings into four categories:
- Keep: Items that you use regularly or have sentimental value.
- Sell: Belongings that are in good condition and could be sold for a profit.
- Bin: Items that are broken, damaged, or unusable and cannot be recycled or donated.
- Donate: Belongings that are in good condition but no longer needed or wanted.
We recommend getting 4 boxes and labelling them with keep, sell, bin and donate so you can place items in their assigned box. To help you decide what to keep, ask yourself these questions:
- Do I use this item regularly?
- Does this item have sentimental value?
- Will I need this item in the future?
- Can I replace this item easily if needed?
For items that you’re unsure about, put them in a “maybe” pile and revisit them later.
Step 3: Clean and Organise Your Space
After sorting your belongings, it’s time to clean and organise your space. Here are some tips:
- Dust and wipe down surfaces, shelves, and drawers.
- Vacuum or sweep the floors.
- Use storage solutions such as shelving, drawer dividers, and closet organisers to maximise your space and keep things organised.
- Label boxes or bins to make it easier to find things later.
- Store items in logical places based on how often you use them.
Step 4: Dispose, Donate or Sell Unwanted Items
When decluttering your home, it’s important to dispose of unwanted items appropriately. There are several ways to do this, including selling them through a garage sale or through online platforms such as Facebook Marketplace. If items cannot be recycled or donated, dispose of them in the bin.
You can also take them to a local charity shop or donation centre to give someone else the opportunity to use them. Donating unwanted items is not only beneficial for clearing your home but allows someone else to have items they may need while reducing waste.
National charities such as The British Heart Foundation and Emmaus will collect your unwanted items for donation free of charge if you have a large amount. The Furniture Recycling Project is another alternative for anyone wishing to donate unwanted furniture.
Step 5: Place Belongings Excess Belongings in Self Storage
If you find that you have items that you don’t have the space for in your home, consider putting them in self storage. This is a great way to keep belongings safe and secure without taking up valuable space in your home. Most self storage facilities offer short-term storage if you just need to store items temporarily.
Recommended: Packing for Self Storage: 10 Do’s and Don’ts
Step 6: Maintaining an Organised Home to Avoid Future Home Decluttering
To maintain a clutter-free home, follow these tips:
- Regularly declutter and organise your space.
- Put things away as soon as you’re finished with them.
- Limit the amount of new items you bring into your home.
- Create a designated space for everything.
By following these steps, you can successfully declutter your home in just one weekend and enjoy a clutter-free, organised living space!
Keep Your Home Clutter-Free with Space Centre
If you are unable to decide what to do with a few items after decluttering your home, you may consider placing them in a self-storage unit at Space Centre. We offer both short-term and long-term contracts, which is perfect if you wish to keep items for your children or sell them later.
In case you need extra storage space, we offer conveniently located facilities in Bristol, Stroud, Gloucester, Cheltenham, and Stonehouse. Please contact us if you need more information, and our friendly team will be happy to answer any questions you may have.