Nobody likes to live in a home that looks like a chaotic warehouse. While many of us have time- and energy consuming jobs, there is a way to still keep your house clutter free that doesn't require much daily effort. Consider using the following system, and you will be surprised how much it helps!
Do it regularly - decide how often do you want to declutter a zone of you house. I recommend doing it every day, but only for a little time. Use a timer if necessary. Don't try to do massive cleanup days and then nothing for months, work on a way to systematically improve your home. Don't worry, in a couple months the house will be clean.
Assemble a decluttering kit - You will need medium sized boxes, garbage bags, a dust rag, markers and labels. Mark the boxes as "Give Away", "Trash" and "Put it back where it belongs". Now you want to line the "Trash" box with plastic garbage back
Have a direction - Determine a clear direction you're going to work through your way in the current decluttering zone. Start at the entrance of the room or garage and work counterclockwise if you're right handed (you can grab items with your right hand and hold the boxes with your left).
Be ruthless - don't be afraid to eliminate as many things as only possible in your house. Follow the "When in doubt, throw it out!" guidelines - if you're not 100% sure you need it, you probably don't. It's hard in the beginning but gets to be a real fun later on. Once the Trash box gets full, just place the whole thing in the trash can or wherever you keep your garbage for disposal. Donate clothes you don't want to wear.
Batch - collect things in your "Put it back where it belongs" box and put them where they belong at a set time, all at once. It's easier to do things at once, I recommend setting up one specific day in the week and meanwhile getting back to the habit.
Julie Kinnear has been helping people in Toronto sell and buy their homes for the last 13 years. She knows her city inside out and has been an award winning realtor for many year. To find out more about real estate in Toronto, visit www.juliekinnear.com. Don't forget to check the fabulous Toronto neighbourhoods guide!
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