How to De-Clutter Your House

The longer you have lived in your home, the more clutter you have likely accumulated. Over time basements become filled with clutter, garages turn into storage areas, sheds become full of broken or useless equipment, and closets become jammed with outdated and useless stuff. Usually at some point, people become stressed out due to the clutter that has accumulated in their homes. Most people need to follow a plan to clean out the clutter from their home. Without a plan, you may become overwhelmed and even depressed at how much there is to do to de-clutter your house. Here are some tips on how to take a step-by-step creative approach to de-cluttering.

• Create a schedule - If you want your de-cluttering efforts to work, you will need to create a system you can live with. Set a time limit, usually no more than 30 minutes at a time to work on cleaning your home. You will also want to decide on which days each week and what time of the day, you will work on de-cluttering (this will be determined by your work schedule and other obligations).

• Create a process- There are likely 4 possibilities for the clutter that you are going to have to separate and sift through. These 4 possibilities include: keep, donate, shred (confidential information), and throw away. You can either use a box system or simply put the clutter in piles.

• Create a room by room list- Which room is the most visible and would have the greatest impact once de-cluttered (start there). If you have an entranceway that is cluttered, that would be a great place to start. As you walk in your house over the next few days and see cleaner more orderly rooms, it will keep you motivated. Work through the first floor, then through bathrooms, bedrooms, the basement, and then finally the garage and or shed. The one room at a time approach will keep things simple.

• Make it fun and get your family involved - If you have small children tell them you would like them to sort 25 things. Tell them if they find any money they can keep it. Make it a game. If your children and family are involved, there is a higher possibility you'll stick with the program.

To keep yourself motivated you may even want to take a picture of the room prior to starting the de-cluttering process. Once you've finished a room, show your family the picture of the room before and after your efforts. The difference may be shocking and hopefully motivating to you and your family to continue the process. There are many benefits to thoroughly cleaning your house, these include: finding old items that are still useful (savings), less to clean on a regular basis, reduced stress, and time spent together as a family. Good luck and happy de-cluttering.

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