Having a good clear-out always seems to present a confusing dichotomy between a) all the effort with be worth it, and b) it’s a lot of effort though! Here’s a little advice from the organisational fanatics on our team (you just KNOW they have tidy lofts!)
Start small
There’s little sense in wading into the garage/loft/spare room and wantonly flinging stuff about. Get the little things organised first – “stuff” drawers, your regular wardrobe, the cutlery draw, utility room, behind the sofa etc. Recycle mobile phones, organise old bill receipts, throw away pens that don’t work – a REAL de-clutter begins in front of your nose, not in the far corner of the loft. By going for the big goal without first creating an organisational system you’ll just add to the mess and probably become very, very demoralised at the sight of toys, surfboards, old wrapping paper and torn bin liners of past fashion mistakes ON TOP OF the usual house mess.
Be Careful
If you’re clearing out a shared space, be mindful not to chuck stuff that isn’t yours to chuck! Found an old LG PRADA in a draw that looks ideal for our mobile phone recycling service? Is it actually yours? Once phones go to the phone bank and unlabelled bin liners go to the tip, you won’t be seeing them again, so check and re-check!
Be Brutal
Saving every family photo is one thing, but do you really need those boxes of children’s books/1980s cocktail dresses/broken Christmas lights?
