The kids are back at school (hooray!) and there are just over one hundred days until Christmas (boo!), so there’s never been a better time to plan a big Autumn clear out.
As well as giving you a tidier, cleaner space to call home, having a good de-clutter can give your mental health and productivity a boost.
All in all, a spring (or, autumn) clean is good for the soul, so let’s do it. We want to ensure your home is everything you want it to be, so with that in mind, we thought we’d share some hints and tips to help you have the most productive time possible.
- Plan and prioritise; Look at the whole picture, whether it’s one room or the whole house and decide what you want to achieve. Plan your project around your time, resources (such as helpers) and your abilities.
- Start small: don’t over-face or stress yourself out; Everything you do is an achievement, so rather than giving yourself a hard time if the whole thing isn’t done in one day, celebrate the wins; doing one room at a time, or even one part of a room at a time, is better than doing nothing at all.
- Get everyone involved; give out projects to the people you share your home with or bring in your friends if needed.
- Take before photos; not only are you able to see things more clearly through a lens, but you’ll have something to refer to when you come to check out how well you’ve done or how much you’ve achieved.
- Make a playlist; not only does the time fly by, but you’ll be amazed at how much more productive you can be when there’s a good tune on.
- Make space first; clearing out cupboards and drawers at the beginning means that you’ve got space to tidy other areas into.
- Find a specific home for everything you want to keep; if everything has a home, tidying up in the future is an absolute breeze!
- Does it spark joy; it’s such a cliché, but it’s honestly a favourite for a reason. If you don’t love it, get rid of it – check out Marie Kondo’s emotion-led decluttering here.
- Be ruthless: if you haven’t used it for a year, get rid of it. Don’t let the fear of “what if I need it?” or “what if I miss it?” persuade you to keep something you have no use for.
- Undecorate; you know, and we know, that you don’t need fifteen throw pillows on a two-seater sofa, eight vases on the fireplace and three wall clocks in the hall. Over-decoration, even with the nicest things, can make a space seem crowded. You might want to keep the style, but ditch the things that are overpowering the look.
- Make some cash; one persons’ trash is another persons’ treasure! You may not love it anymore, but someone might be searching for it, and there are some amazing selling sites for your unwanted gear, including eBay, Vinted, Facebook Marketplace, Preloved and Ziffit.
- Donate it: alternatively, if you can’t use it anymore, donate it to a charity shop who can sell it on and make themselves some cash at the same time. Locally, we have Douglas Macmillan, Donna Louise, British Heart Foundation, Mind and so many more who are crying out for donations, and may be able to collect larger items.
- Think SMART storage; decluttering and tidying doesn’t have to mean throwing your loved things away. Using clever storage solutions for the things you love can revitalise a room. We love these baskets from Dunelm, these in-drawer organisers from Argos and the classic Kallax from Ikea.
- Don’t get distracted; it’s easy to procrastinate and get lost in a sea of old photos and memories, but don’t! Set aside a time later to look through these things and put them away!
- Reward yourself (and your helpers); a job well done deserves a well done. Whether it’s a cup of tea, a glass of wine or a take-away, you worked hard, so make sure you give yourself the praise (and prize) you deserve!
