How to Declutter

Decluttering your home can be the best thing you can do to prepare your home to sell or to give it a fresh new light feel.

Here are some tips on how to declutter your home.

• Start small: Choose a small area to organize, like a drawer, and work from there. 
  
• Set a plan: Create a timeline and goals, and decide which room to start with. 
  
• Sort into piles: Create piles for items to keep, donate, or toss. 
  
• Find a home for everything: Give each item a designated place. 
  
• Group similar items: Keep items that are similar together so you can easily find them. 
  
• Take breaks: Don't try to do it all at once, and take breaks so you don't get discouraged. 
  
• Declutter regularly: Set aside time each day to declutter. 
  
• Use a sorting system: Use boxes or bins to help you sort and store items. 
  
• Involve family: Ask family members to go through their items and choose their favorites. 
• Try the 12/12/12 rule - The 12-12-12 decluttering method is a game-changer for organizing small spaces without feeling overwhelmed. By tackling 12 items to throw away, 12 to donate, and 12 to put back in place, you can focus on making progress without needing to do it all at once.
• The 20/20 rule -  The 20/20 rule is a decluttering method that asks if an item can be replaced for less than $20 and within 20 minutes. If the answer to both questions is yes, you can get rid of the item. The 20/20 rule can help you: Free up space, Clear your mind, Reduce the weight of items you're holding onto, and Get rid of items you don't need.
• The 80/20 rule - also known as the Pareto Principle, is a decluttering method that suggests that 20% of your possessions are used 80% of the time. Focus on getting rid of 80% of the items that you don't use often or that you don't love and focus on organizing the 20% of your possessions that are used.
• The five-second rule -  means that when picking up an item during decluttering, you should decide whether to keep or discard it within 5 seconds; if you hesitate or can't make a quick decision, it's likely best to let go of the item, encouraging fast and decisive choices to streamline the decluttering process.
• The rule of five - advises assessing items not used in five years to decide whether to keep, donate, or discard.
• Consider professional help: If you need help, you can hire a professional organizer.