Declutter your home the easy way with these expert tips

There are many good reasons to declutter, but for people who’re forced to do it because they have to move from the family home or because there’s been a bereavement or divorce, it can be overwhelming.

With a lifetime’s worth of belongings to sort through, it can be hard to know where to start. But Clarissa Brandt is one person who knows her way around the decluttering process.

Brandt, along with her colleague Leah Steinberg, help people declutter their homes every day through their business, Care to Move. 

“People can often get weighed down by possessions and can’t make decisions clearly,” Brandt says, adding that homeowners can find decluttering an emotional journey that involves feelings of sadness and guilt.

“Everything has a story and part of that is letting go,” she says.

Bur Brandt says that when the decluttering is over, many people feel “lighter” for having got rid of belongings that were taking up unnecessary space in their life,

Read more: How to know when to move on from the family home

If you’re keen to declutter but don’t intend to bring in professional help, Brandt has some tips for making the task as painless as possible.

Start early

Don’t put off decluttering, particularly if you have a deadline looming. The longer you have to complete the job, the less stressful it will be. It’s never too early to start!

Plan it

Plan your decluttering process; work out where to start, a timeline, garage sale dates and a deadline for finishing. Then, start small – begin with one cupboard or a drawer, rather than deciding to tackle the whole garage first up.  Breaking things down to  bite-size pieces will help you keep on track and not get discouraged.

Sort it

Start sorting items into piles, then deal with them. You can have a donations pile,  a pile of items to sell or give away or perhaps what to keep and what to throw away. Get rid of these items as you go – take a carload to the local charity store. Make sure you don’t just drive around with your clutter in your boot for months!

Record it

Take a photo of important documents and anything that has a special meaning to you, even if it is something you plan to get rid of.  Take copies of photos stored in your photo albums. Then, store the photo and document collections on different USBs so you know where they are. You can duplicate all of these images and give a copy to your solicitor or another trusted person to keep in a safe place.

Remember it

Create a photo-book of any special collections you own before you move them on. That way, you’ll still be able to look at the book and remember your old treasures, but they’re no longer taking up valuable space. You can also create a collage of photos of your treasured collections and display it on your wall, rather than having the items themselves all over your shelves.

Get help

Look for services that are available to help. Companies such as Care to Move will take care of a lot of the job, if you find the task too hard and don’t mind spending some money to get the job done. You can also utilise technology – for example, the Fair Split inventory management tool works like an online auction process for families that are deciding who gets what in a divorce or deceased estate.

Do you have a great tip for decluttering?