Whether you’re looking to downsize or are simply sick of the mess, decluttering your home can seem like a daunting task. A cluttered home can happen to the best of us and is usually the last thing anyone wants to tackle, but once it’s done you’ll surely see the difference. Here are a few tips to get you back to a clutter free zone.

Don’t Do It All at Once

Decluttering an entire home at once will surely overwhelm you, so take it one room at a time.  Allot yourself a specific time frame for each room and allow yourself a break or two so you don’t get burnt out. It’s a good idea to start with a room that’s used often or has the most clutter. If you’re successful in the first room, you’ll be motivated to continue.

Organize

The best way to start any decluttering project is to create four areas in the room – one for items you want to keep, one for items you want to donate, one items that can be stored away, and one for items that are trash. As you go through the items in each room, think about the last time you used it. Granted, you’ll obviously come across items that have sentimental value and a few of those are fine to keep, but be careful not to justify keeping everything because there’s a memory attached to it. Adding items to the storage pile can be tricky too, but keep your storage piles for items you use annually or biannually such as holiday decorations or seasonal clothes.

Go Digital

Books, magazines, files, and photos can take up a lot of space in your home.   It may be a good idea to scan your files and photos and store them on your hard drive instead of on your shelves.  Reading is a great hobby loved by many but magazines and books can pile up leading to clutter.  Most publications can be found online so why take up the space when you don’t have to?

Everything Needs a Place

Once you determine what items you’re keeping, you’ll need to find a space for it. Stacking the items you’re keeping on the dining room table with hopes to find a home at a later date is adding to your clutter dilemma, not solving it. Separate your keep items based on the rooms in which they belong and find a space for them in that room when you’re ready to tackle the clutter in there. By doing this, you may reevaluate your need to keep it once you see the other items you have to choose from in the other rooms.

Arrange and Organize

Keep in mind that the space dedicated to your keep items should be organized. What is the point of decluttering if you’re just going to pile everything up in a drawer or on a shelf? While it may seem crazy to purge and then buy more items to organize your keep pile, it may be necessary depending on the storage space in your home. You may need to install additional shelving or purchase storage containers to keep it organized. You’ll be better able to assess what you need once the clutter is gone.

A decluttered home is a functional home. Moving forward, ask yourself the questions: do I need it, or will I use it prior to buying new items for the home? If you’re mindful of each purchase, you’ll only acquire things that you truly care about or need. What is the most cluttered room in your home?