As the winter drags on and we dream of spring around the corner feeling too far away I ask why spring clean when you can declutter? When there’s too much it makes it extra hard to spring clean and have that spruced up, fresh spring clean feel. By decluttering and organising the space though you’ll wipe out the need for the spring-clean and enjoy the space that way you want to.

Where there are a few areas that are difficult to keep in the orderly way you’d like them to be consider first your main priority. Priority means one, start with the most important thing. Is it getting the car in the garage? If so look at what’s taking the space now, consider measure out the room you need. Look at the physical space consider what’s compromising it now?

In many homes we visit, Tetris packing and organisation is the first and major step. Effective packing means placing items in categorised way according first to form and function. This means easy access to what you need and finding the wasted spaces. You may have a lot more room than you think. However if you just start moving things without a plan you’ll find items, moved and moved again. That’s extra work for you unnecessarily.

Plan the item room needed against the physical space. Know where all things will go before you begin moving items. Label the areas so they return there. With your priority and plan strongly in mind you can begin to put your plan in to practise with purpose. Now things start to move and shift, start in your first zone (this will be decided through your planning process). This moves to here, so that can move to there…

Work in one focussed area until it’s done then move to the next. As you do this, you can go through each item, have a space ready for each, will the item be kept, thrown, donated, sold, recycled, up cycled or repurposed? When we declutter it is always deliberately. Decluttering shouldn’t be about adding waste to the world. Can someone else use it? Can you use it in a different way; Google and Pinterest are your friends here. It saves money, shopping and the environment and if you don’t have time to do it use a site, such as Upwork or Airtasker to up cycle or try local artists and support your community. You could end up with a one off unique loved repurposed items in this way. It can all be part of the presentation you’re seeking.

Consider what’s your style, when you walk in the space how do you want to feel? How do you use the area, for relaxing or to be energised? Do you like eccentric, collected items placed on show with love, minimalist, something else? The outer room has such an impact on how we are when we’re in it. The outside reflects the inside, projects unfinished, shows priorities we haven’t committed to, we want to do everything at once. When we’re in that space subconsciously we’re seeing what we need to do. I need to finish that, clean that, replace that, fix that, up cycle that. Honestly, you’ve probably got enough to think about without all that. Step by step a little planning can get you that, collect some pins, pictures or paint samples to think about the feel that’s right for you (finding what you don’t like can sometimes be easiest!)

Now review as you go, what are the problem areas, as you place and plan and prioritise consider what were the clutter traps that got you here? These are the pitfalls that we all fall in to. We each have our own. Is it nostalgic clutter, too many projects, ‘other peoples’ what do I do with the kids stuff, for example or maybe its just that items need better storage or organisational solutions? Just beginning and working in deliberate planned ways can make major shifts to living lighter, less to think about, less to do, maybe less to consume, less frustration definitely. Let our process clear your physical space and give you new breathing space as you walk through that door. Give yourself less to think (and stress) about. It means a clean space can go from annoying to amazing will make you wonder what else might be possible and how does a clear, functional space make such a difference?

Happy decluttering and organising

Declutter deliberately, live lighter and move your mindset.