house clutter

Top 10 Tips To Declutter Your Home

2 March 2017

We know how it is in life when everyone seems to be constantly busy, getting caught up running between work, sorting out the family and life in general. After getting home, we just want to crash and relax. It’s difficult to keep on top of having the house in ship shape.

Do you ever look around and wonder how it got to be so cluttered?! Well, in our guest post for AnyJunk, Portico Estate Agents are here to help. Here are our 10 top tips to help you start to declutter your home!

1. Cull the Overbuying!

Do you really need 30 mugs, 10 towels per person and 8 sets of bedding? It’s really easy to overbuy and hoard items we deem as essentials so here’s a basic rule of thumb for you – have 6 of everything and no more. Keep the ones you use the most (we definitely all have favourites) before giving the rest to charity. You’ll suddenly find you have loads of new storage space – perfect!

 

shopping spree

Top tip: For every new piece you receive, get rid of an old one, this way you’ll stop your cupboards from becoming steadily fuller and fuller!

2. The 6-Month Clothes Rule

If you haven’t worn an item in the last six months, give it to charity. There’s no point saving random fancy dresses for that possibility you may use it again, or those shoes you love that are falling apart. It’s time to put your practical hat on and only keep good quality clothing that you wear regularly.

old clothes

Top tip: Take this to charity (click here to find your nearest shop) or get rid of it that same day, otherwise you’ll find yourself dipping into it over the coming weeks!

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3. Storage is Your Friend

Invest in some storage units – whether it’s wicker baskets, a storage ladder or some actual cupboard units, it’ll make the world of difference to your organisation. You’ll not only stop piles of clutter growing around your home, but you’ll also know where everything is!

Top tip: Before you buy any storage (click here to buy from our friends at Big Yellow), organise the space and understand what sort of storage you need and how much stuff you have, so you buy the right type and amount.

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4. Out of Date

It’s time to get rid of things which are Out of Date! This doesn’t just count for fridge food (don’t forget condiments, sauces and spices that go out of date too) but your toiletries and makeup also go Out of Date. Keep on top of these to save yourself valuable kitchen and bathroom space – and save you having to run out for new items when you realise you can’t use these!

use by image

Top tip: Aim to do this at the start of every month – it’ll take five minutes but if you get in a habit of doing it, it’ll mean you stay on top of it.

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5. Open Wardrobes

A great way to keep your home clutter-free is to purchase open clothing storage. Whether it’s a clothes rail or open shelves, having your clothes, shoes, towels and t-shirts on show will mean you keep it tidy but also, you’ll stop yourself from overbuying because you can see when it’s full! It’ll also mean you’ll wear all your clothes as you can see what you’ve got to play with.

Top tip: Structure your clothes by type so you can clearly see how much you have of each garment to stop the impulse buying.

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6. One Session at a Time

De-clutter your home in several sessions – trying to do it all in one day will tire you out and you’ll get less focused by the end. Sort the home out in chunks of a couple of hours so you’re organised and get the most out of the time.

Top tip: Organise your home one room at a time, so you can see a visible difference when you’ve finished which will keep you motivated as you move around the whole house!

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7. Invest in Multi-Functional Furniture

If you don’t have a lot of space, hide your stuff in your furniture! Why not invest in an ottoman for the lounge or a bed with inbuilt storage? Take advantage of the space to store unsightly goods such as paperwork or shoes, so they aren’t just sitting around your home.

Top tip: Purchase some space dividers, or make your own out of unused cardboard, to separate your things and organise them within this space.

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8. Sort Your Paperwork

Got piles of bills and paperwork? Grab some storage containers, go through your paperwork and put it in order before you store it away. Keep it in one place and it’ll ensure that the one time you need something, you know exactly where to go!

Top tip: Create a folder specifically for your current home’s bills and paperwork which you can have to hand when you need it.

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9. Welcome Home Dish

Invest in a dish or tray in the hallway which will store house keys, car keys, wallets and important bits. If you put stuff here when you walk through the door and pick it up on your way out the door, not only will you never forget anything important, it’ll also ensure that you don’t spend a panicked 15-minutes looking for your house keys when you’re already late!

Top tip: Keep far enough from the door that it’s not visible from the letterbox (as there are plenty of opportunists in London) but close enough so you don’t forget to use!

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10. Clear Surfaces = Clear Mind

Always aim to leave your surfaces clear – if everything has its own storage space, there’s no reason to ever have bits floating around and cluttering your sides.

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