Going through your apartment and decluttering can be a challenge. You pick up items and think “but maybe one day I’ll use this” and your “give away” pile doesn’t seem to grow. That’s why you need to follow these essential tips for decluttering and getting rid of things you really don’t need anymore!
Decluttering 101: How to Get Rid of Things You Don’t Need
Move in Sections
Establish where you want to start and then do one area or room at a time. One day at a time. Too much at once and you’ll get wild in either direction (i.e. keeping too much, giving it all away). To avoid these extremes move in sections. Choose one closet or room to begin and give yourself a limited time. I’d recommend between 1 and 2 hours depending on the size of the job!
Four Pile System
Designate four bins for items to keep, items to giveaway, items to throw away, and items to sell. Once you get through all of your items you will have a carefully organized system so you can take donations directly to their drop off point, salable items can be posted online at places like eBay, and Amazon, or sold back to stores that accept consignments or buyouts. For the items you will keep, this is a great time to reorganize and make sure everything is clean, properly sorted, and ready for use.
Remember, some items just need to be thrown out. Donation centers are happy to accept a large majority of items but some things simply can’t be resold. Make sure those items end up in their proper disposal bin and not back in your closet or house simply out of ease!
Choose Instantly
As you work your way through any room, closet, or collection of items decide instantly if you are going to keep, throw away, donate, or sell the items. Give yourself no more than 10 seconds to choose. A more instantaneous decision making process means less time to flounder and less chance you will talk yourself into keeping things that you haven’t used, worn, or enjoyed in a long time. Part of the decluttering process is moving outside of your comfort zone with items that seem to just linger around your home or apartment!
Time Matters
A good general rule of thumb is to donate, sell, or toss anything that you haven’t used in the last year. If you complete this process once each year you will have a pretty good idea of what your necessities are what items you just “keep” for sentimental / other reasons. This is an especially great tip for decluttering your closet and wardrobe.
If you can’t seem to let something go, remember that you can set a timeline for this scenario as well…Give yourself three months to use or wear the item and if that doesn’t happen – out it goes!
Gifting Items
If you feel like you don’t have a great option for donating items or you just can’t see yourself throwing items away, collect all the items that you would like to be decluttering and ask over friends and family members. They can sort through items and take what they’d like! This can be a great way to declutter your home and also be a blessing to someone else who might need or want the items you would rather discard.
Yard Sale
A great way to make decluttering a profitable experience is to have a yard sale. Make sure that you price things low enough to sell them quickly! You’ll be thrilled to have some extra cash, someone else will feel like they got a great deal, and you can simply donate whatever is left after your sale. Items move out of your home so in the end it’s a win no matter what.
