Any family that lives in a particular house for a particular period of time will realize how easy it is to end up with a messy house. Other than all the things that have to be organized and all the things that are probably strewn around your floor, chances are you have even more things stuffed in your cupboards waiting to be fixed. Although this is may be a typical way of life for you, it doesn’t do much if you are trying to sell your Golden Gate Estates house (one of the markets I serve) or if you are planning to have guests over.
Although it may seem like a huge task and it is, de-cluttering your house can be relatively easy if you know how to do it right. Although there are a lot of tasks that you can do, there are three ways in which you can definitely make some headway when trying to de-clutter. Make sure you take note of them and use them well.
- Segregate your home into segments – Every area in the home has its own set of typical clutter. Regardless of whether you live in a one bedroom apartment or you live in a studio apartment, you should make sure to segregate every area in your home for the clutter. For example, you can segregate by rooms or you can segregate even further by area. If you have a particularly large living room for example, you can segregate it by mantle, television area and so on. If not you can segregate by living room, dining room and so on. Segregating your home will make it easier to sort as you progress with de-cluttering. Make sure any items you find that don’t belong in one area are moved to another.
- Create a checklist of thing to throw away, give away or keep – Once you have segregated your home, you can create a list of items which you need as well as items that you don’t. Having a checklist will remind you of the things which you will need to throw away or set aside. In addition, writing them down will ensure that you remember whether or not you have completed the task you are planning to do with the item concerned. This is essential for the next step.
- Carry a set of two containers – Once you have created your checklist move around your home with three containers corresponding to the things to throw away and give away on your checklist of items. Place all the things to throw away or give in each container. This is psychological too because it prevents you from seeing items which you might be attached to but shouldn’t be keeping. This way you can forget that you are giving them away. Once you are done with your clearing you can give yourself a little treat by taking one item out of the giveaway pile.
De-cluttering your house isn’t just an art, it is also a skill. The more often you do it, the more you will find that you are on top of the amount of mess you are making. Remember, in order to keep your house uncluttered, every time you buy something you should get rid of something to ensure your things don’t pile up. As you progress, you will also find that it will get easier and easier and will eventually become a habit.
Keith Munsell 
