Knowing what to toss and what to keep can mean the difference between an organized, relaxing home and a cluttered, dirty one. Find key tips to help you know which items to hold on to and which ones to sell or give away.
Consider Use
Go through your accessories, tools, and office supplies and ask yourself what each item is used for. Items that have more than one use tend to come in handy while you can consider getting rid of items with a single purpose.
Put Your Belongings to the Test
Use a “Six-Month Test” on your belongings to determine if you really need them. Anything that has not been used for the last six months is likely unnecessary, no matter how beautiful it is or who gave it to you.
You can also use a variation of this test on your clothing. For example, any winter clothing that was not worn at all last winter should be sold at a garage sale, donated, or given away. Do this seasonally to cut down on the number of clothes you own.
Consider Your Tastes
Your tastes in clothing and decorative items will likely change over the years, so don’t be surprised when you dig up some clothing items, knick knacks, pictures, or other items that you no longer like. Get rid of these items to make room for things that do suit your tastes. This can even be applied to gifts. If you don’t like something, don’t keep it.
Assess Your Schedule
A lot of the clutter found in the average home relates to hobbies that people no longer engage in. If you find hobby-related items that you know you won’t get around to using anytime soon, get rid of them. Unless you are on the verge of retirement, it is unlikely that you will finish half-done projects soon.
Prioritize
There is a chance that, after following the above points, you will still have a large pile of items that don’t really fit in your home but that you like and use on an occasional basis. In such instances, you will need to prioritize which items you like and use the most. Consider whether some items can have more than one use and also think about your future needs and priorities.
Creating custom storage space in your home can enable you to store more items than would otherwise have been possible. Closet & Storage Concepts in Charlotte is your choice for custom storage systems. Let us help you keep a multitude of items no matter the size of your space with our custom storage products. Keep in mind that you will need to declutter on a regular basis if you want to maintain a home that is neat and organized. Getting rid of old things to make way for new ones can take time and hard work but the end result is always well worth the effort.
Photo: Copyright Jovanmandic.