Whether you’re preparing for a move or just trying to declutter your home, cleaning out a house can be a stressful, time-consuming process. It’s easy to spend hours deciding what to keep, what to store and what to trash or sell, and many homeowners don’t even know where to start. Here are four useful tips to help make the process of cleaning out your home as simple and stress-free as possible.
Categorize
Deciding what to do with individual belongings is much easier if you start by sorting everything into categories. For example, you might sort your possessions into ‘keep’, ‘trash, ‘donate,’ and ‘sell’ piles before making final judgements about individual items. After all, you can always move something into a new pile once the initial categorization is finished.
Deal with Bulky Items First
Another helpful strategy is to focus first on the belongings that take up the most space in your home. When it comes to decluttering, it’s better to sell, trash or donate large items than small ones; you’d have to get rid of dozens of old books, for example, to clear as much space as a wardrobe takes up. It’s also wise to handle bulky items first because these will be the most difficult items to move, and may require you to hire professional help.
Get a Second (and Third!) Opinion
One of the hardest parts of cleaning out your home is deciding what to do with family heirlooms or other items with sentimental value. Giving in too much to sentimentalism can leave you stuck with piles of things you don’t need, and the best way to check your sentimental side is to get additional opinions on what you should keep and what to get rid of. Be sure to ask someone who won’t themselves feel attached to any of the items; your uncle or grandmother won’t be much help, for example, while friends or neighbors can be perfect.
Consider Using Storage Units
When it comes down to bulky items that you can’t bear to get rid of, or items you don’t use daily but might need down the road, your best option is to rent a storage unit. Moving a few things into a storage unit will help you clear out the last, most painful items to part with, and you’ll be able to rest assured that your belongings are safe. Reputable storage services will be equipped with high-tech security measures and refundable security deposits.
If you follow these four tips, cleaning out even large or crowded homes doesn’t have to be a hassle. Remember to categorize all your belongings and deal with the biggest items first, and don’t hesitate to rent a storage unit if there’s things you don’t want to keep at home but can’t bring yourself to part with.
