Decluttering Goals

 


If you want to reduce your stress level, you might consider decluttering and organizing your home. Decluttering your home can actually declutter your mind, or at least prevent you from being distracted by piles of disorganized or unwanted items. Plus when items in your home start to accumulate, so can dust, bacteria, and even mold and mildew. 

There’s no right or wrong way to go about the decluttering process. But sometimes it can be hard to know where to start — or how to stay focused throughout the process. Here are some basic decluttering tips to get you started:

  • Use our decluttering checklist to set goals 
  • Focus on one room in your home at a time
  • Set a timer and spend just a few minutes each day decluttering
  • Make a plan for disposing of unwanted items
  • Get your family involved in the process
 

Above all, don’t forget — the goal is to reduce your stress level. Don’t let the actual process of decluttering make you feel more stressed than you did before! 

What should you do with your unwanted items? You pretty much have 3 options: sell them, donate them, or throw them away. For starters you can throw out anything that is immediately perishable, already opened, expired, or a personal grooming item. Examples include things like:

  • Expired food
  • Unwanted cleaning products
  • Hairbrushes or razors

But you may have other items that can be either sold or donated, depending on the item and its condition. Before you get started, contact your local charity to see what types of items they accept. Not all donation centers accept things like clothing, linen, or even furniture.

Once your unwanted items are out of the house (or at least packed into the appropriate boxes), it’s time to get organized. You might want to purchase a bookshelf or a closet organizer to help keep things tidy. Then consider doing the following:

  • Organizing blankets and throw pillows
  • Stacking and organizing books
  • Using small baskets for remote controls
  • Keeping plates and cookware in distinct cabinets
  • Using labels on select drawers and closets to keep things organized


This decluttering checklist might make it seem like decluttering is a major, one-time event. But if you make it a regular priority, it won't be near as overwhelming next time. At least once per year, go through your home room by room to identify items that you can toss, donate, or sell. Making decluttering a regular habit can prevent things from piling up over time and help keep you clutter- and stress-free.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Maybe You Should Cry Over That Spilled Milk!

Image
We’ve all heard of various things that should never be disposed of in the kitchen sink- grease, pasta, potato peels, but milk?! Yes, indeed. While it may not damage or clog your pipes, pouring milk down your drain is actually terrible for the environment. It takes a lot of oxygen to break down milk, taking oxygen away from living organisms that need it to survive. Large amounts of milk have even been known to suffocate entire ecosystems. In fact, some places fine businesses for disposal of milk down drains.  So if your milk is getting close to expiring, find another way to dispose of it- maybe a tasty batch of  rice pudding ,  homemade Greek yogurt , or even  fresh ricotta . Other no-nos for your drains: Cooking Oil and Grease:  Two of the worst things to pour down your drain are cooking oil and grease. Because they are liquid, it seems like they won’t do any damage. However, grease and cooking oil create globs of fat that mix with the moisture in your...
Read more

You Say Traffic Circle, I Say Roundabout

Image
Roundabouts, traffic circles, or rotary traffic islands (rotaries for short) are all names for a type of circular roadway infrastructure we’re seeing more and more of in the Greenville area. Originating in the United Kingdom in the 1960s, these intersections were created to improve traffic flow. When arriving at a traffic circle, a car merges into the counterclockwise-moving traffic unless the circle is full. Once a vehicle enters the roundabout, it follows the circular route until reaching the exit for the desired roadway. Roundabouts provide many benefits over conventional intersections. In addition to providing a typically nice greenspace to drive around, roundabouts, with their yield signs and low speeds have been found to be 30% safer than traditional four-way intersections with traffic signals and stop signs. According to greenvillesc.gov, compared to traffic signals, roundabouts typically reduce crashes by 40 - 60%, reduce injury by 35 - 80%, and almost completely eliminate in...
Read more

Should I use a REALTOR® when purchasing new construction?

Image
Considering a new build?  New construction can be a great option for a lot of buyers. There’s a lot to be said for being able to customize features and buy a new home with warranties in place. It can allow you to sell an existing home without having to put yourself in a contingent-offer situation, buy you the time needed to relocate, or help you to avoid a multiple offer situation and the stress that can come with trying to secure a contract in our competitive Greenville market. The process seems simple enough:  tour a few neighborhoods, talk to the on-site agent, pick a floorplan and a lot, make your deposit, and the build begins. There are n o sellers to deal with, no inspection period with repairs to consider, and no drawn-out negotiations.  So why involve a buyer’s agent? Won’t you get a better price if a buyer’s agent isn’t involved? Won’t negotiations go better if you can handle them yourself? Not so fast. In any real estate transacti on, it’s important to have a pr...
Read more