Are you one of these 5 people and want to start decluttering your home?
Read on to find your match and how you can start clearing out the clutter with easy to follow tips and tricks.
HOARDERS
Some of us are born hoarders and have stronger packrat tendencies. You’re probably not a clinically diagnosed hoarder, but you see the amount of clutter that you’ve accumulated in the home and feel you need to learn how to let go.
The Spruce offers the following starter tips for people with hoarder tendencies:
1. Start slow
Don’t go through every single room in your house and dump everything in the trash all at once as this will very likely lead to strong feelings of anxiety and regret. The best way around it is to go through one specific section or space each week.
2. Handle objects once
Curb the urge to put something aside “for now.” Take the time to make a decision about an item that presently holds your attention so you don’t have to come back to it later again and again each time you decide to get organized.
3. Cut Down on Collections
If you’ve kept every single birthday card from the last 30 years, choose to keep one or two and toss out the rest. This goes the same for any other collection you might have sitting dusty in the corners of your attic – your children’s artworks, brochures from your travels, or perhaps even supermarket receipts.
SENIORS
If you’re approaching the golden years or helping your aging parents clear out their home, you’ll find that a long life can also mean a lifetime worth of belongings in the home.
A cramped and cluttered home will only contribute to possible health issues and stress among the aged.
Here are some decluttering tips from the blog Dwelling for seniors:
1. Sort out what to throw or donate
The first step to the decluttering process is sorting possessions into three groups – donate, keep, or throw away! This frees up space in your home to organize what you do intend to keep.
2. Remove anything that could cause trips and falls
In the US, an older adult dies from a fall every 20 minutes. Falling is a serious health risk for seniors, hence it is extremely important to remove items in the home that may potentially cause trips and falls.
3. Consider what you use often and keep them within reach
Studies show that we usually spend two and a half days a year to look for lost belongings. As we age, we become increasingly forgetful and get easily confused. Spend some time to identify the things you use most often and organize your living space in such a way that you can easily access these items from where you sit or take afternoon naps.
MOVING HOUSE
Moving house, no matter how stressful it can become, is actually a growthful process. Moving empowers us to have a healthier relationship with stuff. There is a joy that lingers after every move.
Forbes claims it is, inarguably, one of the best times to declutter.
Joshua Becker, in this article, recommends the following tips to declutter when you move:
1. Evaluate everything
The act of picking up, packing, and lifting back-breaking boxes can offer a better appreciation for what we choose to continue to carry. Moving puts us in a position to consider what we usually take for granted and allow us to examine our choices, our ownership. Ask yourself, “Why do I own this and what does this item provide me?” Choosing to put a thing inside a box means you’ll continue to carry it.
2. Scan for dust
The simple trick to evaluate an item’s usefulness is to run a finger on it. Does it have dust? Then it probably isn’t used as much as it should. Dust is your friend if you’re looking to own less in your next home.
3. Challenge tendencies to collect and hoard.
Living in the same space for many years can allow you to accumulate material possessions. Moving allows us to challenge these hoarding tendencies as we refocus on what we choose to keep and collect (now and in the future).
SENTIMENTALIST
Are you sentimentally attached to your stuff? If you’re still holding on to your highschool sweater or the worn out oven mitts your grandma used to bake your favorite cookies with, then you probably are.
Attaching sentimental value to stuff is a natural and very human thing to do. However, if you live in a small home or have a large family sharing the same space, your sentimental nature can become a clutter problem.
Apartment Therapy offers useful decluttering tips for the sentimentalist:
1. Fire clause
Consider what items you would actually take with you in case of a fire. Determining what you really value will help you pare down on items that you can cut heartstrings with and let go.
2. Function clause
Decide what items in your home serve a purpose and those that don’t. Ask yourself why you’re holding on to these objects and decide if the space they occupy is worth it.
3. Someday clause
Get rid of things you are hoping you can still use or wear “someday”. More often than not, that someday will come and you realize you don’t really love that item as much anymore.
4. Happiness clause
Like Marie Kondo advocates, keep only the things that spark joy in your life.
SELLING HOUSE
Looking to sell your house to the best buyers? House hunters usually love large, clean, and spacious rooms. The fastest and easiest way to get your home to look spic and span without the need for renovation is decluttering!
Early Bird Mom shares 3 valuable tips to try if you want to declutter and stage your home for the real estate market:
1. Remove all personal items
When you remove your personality from the home, you leave room for the buyers to imagine themselves adding their own personalities to the home when they live there – that’s exactly what you want to happen.
2. Remove excess and worn-out furniture
Remove old furniture crowding your rooms and pretty much anything else that is not in excellent shape.
Taking out extra furniture instantly makes your home appear larger. This also allows the buyer to look at the room and imagine the many possibilities.
3. Declutter all other stuff
You can either declutter the unnecessary stuff now or you can spend energy, time, and money to move it and continue to let it sit gathering dust.
When you declutter your home, it’ll look fresh and clean to your buyer. It’s practically just as easy to declutter as it is to chuck them into your mover boxes. Flip your mind switch from “I might need this” to “I probably won’t need this.”
Be ruthless and don’t forget to declutter even items hidden behind cupboard doors and drawers. Buyers look into this too and closets filled to overflowing will give the impression that your home doesn’t have enough storage.