11 efficient ways to declutter a small home

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Believe it or not, a cluttered home can have a huge impact on your stress levels, leading to other complications and generally making your life far trickier than it need be. As well as clutter-induced stress, a messy or disorganised dwelling creates an unwelcoming ambience for your guests and other household members. Simply put: clutter needs to go! If you’re serious about 2017 feeling refreshed and full of potential, a great place to start is your home.

Not sure where to begin? We’ve got 11 efficient tips and tricks that will help you declutter and reduce the harmful impacts to your health, as well as provide your residence a rejuvenated and reinvigorated aesthetic. Get started by reading on below…

1. Decluttering not organising clutter!

One of the most important things to realise when you begin the process, is that you’re actually removing useless or unneeded items from your abode, not simply organising them into other areas of your home. Be brutal, rid yourself of junk and seriously declutter your abode.

2. Give away one item each day

Make a rule to give away one item from your home each day. Getting in the habit of doing this will allow you to see what you really require, and what is causing your home's clutter. 

3. Set aside actual time to declutter

One of the main reasons peoples' attempts at decluttering fail is because they don't give it the time of day. Ensure you commit fully to your home organisation by setting aside actual free time (we're talking at least two days), or chatting to an expert if you need. 

4. Empty everything out and start fresh

Don't try to organise everything as you go. Empty your kitchen's pantry, wardrobe, drawers and kitchen cabinets and start fresh with a clean and organised slate. In doing this you will be able to clearly see what you have and what you really need. 

5. Categorise and audit

Once you take all of your items out from their cupboards and drawers, it's a good idea to put them back in a systematic order and fashion. Audit your belongings; if you haven't used something for months, ask yourself if you really need it. 

6. Label and sort

This point goes hand in hand with the aforementioned tip. When you decide to categorise your items, consider labelling and detailing all of your odds and ends to ensure they are easy to find next time, as well as making your next decluttering session a cinch.

7. Add unneeded items to your cellar or basement storage

Some items simply don't need to be in your house at all. If you have a cellar or basement space in your house or apartment, employ it to hold your domestic miscellany, remembering to label and store everything in a logical manner for when you need it. 

8. Be ruthless

Decluttering is often an emotional experience for many. Not only do you have to say goodbye to items you have held onto for a long time, but you also have to change the way you've been living and learn to exist with less. Be ruthless and brutal, you will end up reaping the benefits and living in a much more fulfilling, stress-reduced way.

9. Donate anything you don’t need

You don't need to throw items in the trash; you can give them a second lease at life by donating them to the less fortunate. Donating means you'll reduce your household junk, while providing essentials to others who might not be able to afford new pieces of furniture, clothing, kitchenware and other living appurtenances. 

Be logical: go room to room

Writing a plan can really help you complete a successful decluttering session. We recommend starting at the front of your house or apartment and heading into each room to declutter the spaces in a logical fashion. 

11. Don’t put it off

Do you want your workspace to look at neat and chic as this one? Don't put off your decluttering desires, do it today! The longer you leave the mess in your home, the worse it will pile up and make life harder in the long run. 

Ready to declutter your home? If you’d like to learn more, we recommend: 9 feng shui tricks to keep your home happy in 2017

Need help with your home project?
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