Do you have room to breathe? Country living doesn’t stop many of us from being busy, busy, busy and stressed, stressed, stressed.* We don’t smell the roses, let alone take time for friends and family or go for walks across the fields, on the beach or in the mountains.
If you declutter and simplify your home, would it really help and make your life easier?
Yes.
In a word, yes.
And it might do a few other things too.
[* It’s the same for town and city living, of course.]
Declutter and simplify and you’ll have more time
Having time is one of the greatest luxuries today. It’s become a precious commodity and it flies, whether you’re having fun or not.
When you’ve simplified your house a little or a lot, you’ll have time for other things. You’ll be able to spend time on things you want to do, without being in a perpetual rush. You might even have time for a big rush that you won’t forget at Rib Ride or Zip World!
You’ll be able to just get to the beach or out for a walk without forgetting something – dog lead, keys, phone.
And the day-to-day routine of (select and add as appropriate) animals, garden, school, shopping, work and perhaps hospital visits will be simply easier. Easier sounds good to me.
You’ll feel much better
Like many people who’ve decluttered and simplified their home, you’ll feel so much better. This is what they say.
I feel more in control of my own life now.
I feel calmer. I’m not so stressed.
The house is cleaner because there isn’t so much stuff.
I’ve saved money because I don’t buy duplicates any more. I know where everything is. And I’ve found money too!
I enjoy what I’ve got because I can actually see it clearly now.
Declutter and simplify and you’ll have more space and more choice
When you’ve decluttered, there’s going to be less mess and more space. How wonderful to be able to find what you want!
And, strangely, having fewer things seems to offer more choice. That’s more choice in what you do with your time, your money, your life!
If things aren’t going right for you, don’t add things. Instead of adding things, you could try taking things away. People say that this helps them to focus on what’s really important.
You’re convinced? What next?
It is worthwhile to take the time to declutter and simplify your home. Or, indeed, anywhere you live.
Given half a chance, sports and fitness kit will sprawl about all over the place. This post is about deciding where and how to store all that stuff, much of which will be wet or need washing when it comes back into the house. And much of which may be an awkward shape or large size (skis, helmets, climbing ropes, wetsuits, rackets, bats, balls and so on and so forth).
There are some questions to think about and some suggestions for storage. What you decide upon will depend on your needs and your situation, of course.
Questions to think about
Can your current system for storing sports and fitness kit be improved by a few tweaks or even rethinking things entirely?
For me, the key is finding a space (for washing, drying, storing) and using it as much as you can. Getting things put away as soon as possible makes a big difference. I do know it can be much easier said than done, though, especially in a small house.
Have you got somewhere to wash and dry things? Is it possible to set somewhere aside – a garage, a shed, a conservatory, a lean-to? A corner of the kitchen? Just by the front door?
Are some things always being used so they are never put away? Swimming or running kit, perhaps, or foul weather gear? Where do they live?
When will you need this bit of kit again? Are you putting it away just for a few days or for the season? Does it need mending or other maintenance? Should it be kept away from any damp?
Do you have any space up above?
I do like using this kind of space.
Put a bike on a pulley and hoist it up and away in a high hallway.
Suspend a sea kayak and a surf boat from the apex of the garage like Beeswax Fabric Wraps and bushcraft and expedition leader Ynys Twca do. Use a sling to do this with skis and other long things.
Install poles across the apex of the garage to take long items, or planks to make a platform.
The loft or the attic – that’s where I keep my XC skis.
Doodly Dog’s running shoes have their own dedicated shelves
Dedicated shelves, like animator Doodly Dog uses for his running shoes.
Cubby hole type storage.
Hooks – good for wetsuits and for all those different helmets.
A pegboard – great for seeing what you’ve got at a glance.
And underneath, range kettlebells and dumbbells along the wall in weight order. Keep them out of the way, so you don’t stub your toes.
Sports and fitness kit inside
Putting kit into boxes or other containers will keep it under control. Label the containers so you don’t even have to think about where things are.
Fold your tops and store them vertically in a container – like a filing system. Padded cycling tights, for example, can be difficult to store but this keeps them in order.
Corral your bike gear in a box.
Have a bin in the hallway with cricket pads and bats, squash and tennis rackets, hockey sticks and all the rest in it. I’ve seen these bins in hallways and in downstairs loos and in garden rooms. Yes, you sometimes have to move past them very carefully but the kit is under control and is accessible.
Repurpose furniture. A wardrobe can be a very successful home for climbing gear. Take the doors off old cupboards for open access shelves.
Big see-through plastic containers are great for clothing that’s not being used this season or even this year. Remember to make sure that the clothing is clean before you store it, and label the container.
Those big see-through plastic containers are also great for assorted fitness equipment – and will sometimes slide under the bed.
Perhaps you can store sports and fitness kit and equipment outside
Here are four suggestions.
The car boot. That’s marketing expert ie instinct’s solution for gymn kit so it’s ready for her to use at the drop of a hat.
In the van. This can be especially good if you spend some time making racking to fit inside so you can store things neatly in boxes on shelves, like Outdoor Active does. He’s in education and exploration and needs to keep on top of all the kit.
Leaning against the house, if it’s going to be safe and secure.
In an open-fronted barn – lots of scope here.
Keep like with like
It’s a great idea to keep similar things together but you’ve got to decide what’s possible in your home and what makes sense for you. However good an idea it might be, you might not be able to keep everything to do with one sport together.
Do you keep trainers with other footwear? I do but I know not everyone does.
Do you keep all your fitness tops with your other tops? And your sports shorts and trousers with other trousers?
What about swimming things, if they’re not always being used?
Rationalise and declutter your sports and fitness kit
Are there things you no longer use and that someone else could benefit from? Make space by passing them on via charity shops, organisations or sales.
Llanberis Mountain Rescue, for example, have an outdoor kit car boot sale every six months. The pitch fee goes to them and the proceeds of sales goes to the stall holder. You’ll meet some interesting people and old friends, and perhaps make new friends.
And relax
You’ve been out on the hill. Or the beach or the water or the back roads. In the gymn or the studio. And now you’re home. Where do you put your kit?
Thanks very much to everyone who’s shared their brilliant kit and caboodle solutions over the years.
Oh, yes, we’re into autumn now. The mornings are cooler – and the nights too! Soon the clocks will be going back. A spot of autumn decluttering and organising is well worth doing to get yourself straight for whatever comes along next. That’s because:
we’ll be spending more time indoors now and we need space
the weather will be much more changeable and
you’re going to need more clothes to hand – coats, hats, scarves, brollies and the rest
it’s going to be darker
the busy festive time is coming up later in the year and you’ll need the room.
Let’s be organised and prepared so we can enjoy the autumn and handle what it throws at us. This feels good.
Autumn weather can be lovely, so get out and enjoy it when you can! This feels good too.
Autumn decluttering – put things away
It’s really worthwhile putting away your summer and holiday things before you get your autumn and winter stuff out. Put these things away and you’ll have more space.
What am I talking about here? Well, clothes, for starters.
Although I wore a sleeveless top last week I’m pretty certain that I won’t be wearing it again this year. Give the summer and holiday clothes a wash and put them away – except that now is a good opportunity for a mini declutter. Those clothes that didn’t work this year are unlikely to work next year. Recycle or rehome them.
Clean your garden furniture and get it under cover so it doesn’t deteriorate, doesn’t look a mess and is ready to go when the warmer weather returns. Bonus points for cleaning the barbecue.
Clear up the outside toys. Once again, a bit of decluttering doesn’t go amiss here. If your children have outgrown toys you could pass them on. You’ll have that warm feeling from helping someone else. If some toys don’t work any more or are dangerous, then it’s time for them to go. Feel good for thinking about safety.
Get autumn and winter things out
Get out your winter clothes and check them over. Remember your hats, gloves and scarves, your brollies and your boots.
Find your torch and check the batteries (unless it’s a wind-up one, of course).
Break out the blankets for those draughty corners that almost every house seems to have. Mmm, cosy.
Autumn decluttering – tidy up inside and outside
Tidy up and you’ll have more mental space. Definitely.
It’s so much easier when there’s a place for everything. If you find something without its own place, try to give it a home. You know, somewhere sensible.
A little autumn tidying up in the garden will make an immediate difference, and it will really lift your spirits in bad weather.
Look ahead a little and make some preparations
Look ahead to the festive season and prepare a little. A bit of decluttering and preparation now means you won’t feel so swamped and overwhelmed, come December.
Look even further ahead to the spring. It is coming! Everyone loves spring-flowering bulbs so plant yours now.
Paperwork is the single most annoying thing in most people’s homes. In this post I’m going to tell you how to be a paper warrior and to keep it simple. We’ll cover stopping paper and paperwork getting into the house, keeping it all in one place and taking immediate action, and dealing with it once a week. We’ll also look at filing, and emergency action when it’s all got out of hand.
Pile of mail. Thanks to Charles Williams (CC BY 2.0).
Paper and paperwork? It’s a force of nature. It’s often unrequested, and it gets dropped and forgotten. It ends up in piles and heaps all over the house and attracts more clutter as it goes. We’re talking about forms to sign, magazines, junk mail, bills, catalogues, newsletters, newspapers, letters, postcards, lottery tickets, raffle tickets … And all the rest.
Yes, paperwork when it’s out of control is annoying. And piles of paper are the thing we notice most often in other homes – long before dusty corners or unwashed mugs and plates.
What’s more, paper and paperwork when it’s out of control is very unrestful. That’s because it’s unfinished business. How can anyone relax with unfinished business about? They can’t.
What a long way from the paperless paradise we heard about a few years ago. Time to be a paper warrior!
Be a paper warrior and be strategic
Take control. This is the only way to prevent paperwork becoming paper clutter.
1. Stop as much paper and paperwork as possible from getting into the house.
2. Put all the paperwork that does make it inside in one place. Deal with as much as you can immediately. Put the rest in your in tray.
3. Set a regular time to deal with your in tray.
4. Have a simple filing system and use it.
1. How to stop paperwork getting into the house
Prevent junk mail
You can stop quite a bit of junk mail from getting through your letterbox by registering with these four organisations:
Mail Preference Service – a service funded by the direct mail industry to remove consumers’ names and home addresses in the UK from lists used by the industry.
Royal Mail Door-to-Door – opt-out form. (Be aware that registering to opt out means that you will not receive leaflets from central and local government and other public bodies. This includes unaddressed voting and election material, and information about local recycling and so on.)
Review and reconsider
Review your subscriptions to newspapers and magazines. If you don’t read them then it’s time to stop them coming through the letterbox. You could consider a digital subscription.
Reconsider any magazines you buy in shops and from newsstands. Are they one-off or regular purchases? Once again, do you read them?
Manage your ‘paper and paperwork’ online
This is a good idea but, of course, it can generate more email. (Keeping that under control is a story for another day!)
Online, you can, for example:
manage your bank and other financial accounts
pay your council tax through a direct debit
manage your utility meter readings and bills
read magazines and newspapers
keep a ‘look book’ for design projects on Pinterest.
2. Keep all paperwork in one place and, if you can, deal with it immediately
All paperwork in one place
This will stop it from going walkabout in the house. Choose a place and use it. It doesn’t matter what you call it – ‘command centre’, ‘landing pad’, ‘my desk’ – put all your paperwork here and do that consistently.
The bridge, the nerve centre of a tugboat
Deal immediately with as much paper and paperwork as you can
This takes away paperwork’s power to clog up your head with unfinished business.
Recycle immediately – junk mail flyers, unwanted catalogues, takeaway menus, other adverts, free directories, spare envelopes etc etc etc.
Shred immediately – charity request letters and other junk mail with your name and address on.
Open letters (I use an old vegetable knife to do this quickly and easily). Recycle or shred the envelopes and anything else you can.
Do what you can straightaway. Then it’s done and out of the way and out of your head! Sign school permission slips and reply to invitations, send money to school or other places. Note any important dates. Once again, recycle or shred anything you can.
Put the rest in your in tray. This will probably be paperwork to think about, file, scan and so on. (By the way, you don’t have to use a tray. I like using one because it keeps things straight and I know I’m going to go through it at the end of the week. For some people it means that things get buried. Choose what makes sense to you.)
You can use whatever comes to hand as an in tray. Some people use this kind of paper tray. Some people use a cardboard box.
3. Set a regular time to deal with your in tray
Every successful paper warrior I’ve met sets a regular time to deal with their paperwork. It’s usually once a week and it becomes a habit. They focus on their in tray and whisk through it, quickly and effectively.
Work through your in tray.
Sort through it. I put similar things together so I’m dealing with them all at the same time and I don’t have to change gear.
Read paperwork.
Pay bills.
Reconcile accounts.
Write letters and cards.
Take action on anything else that requires your attention.
Recycle or shred what you can.
File what’s completed.
Some paperwork will need more information before you can deal with it. Other papers you may be undecided about. Put those back into the in tray for next time.
4. Your filing system
Know what paperwork you need to keep and for how long.
Have a filing system. Keep it simple.
Only file what you need.
Neat and tidy files make it easy to find paperwork again but you probably don’t need to keep as much paperwork as this …
What you need to keep
There are some papers to keep because they are essential and other papers to keep because they may make life much easier for you in the future.
Papers that are essential – for example, birth and marriage certificates, insurance policies, examination certificates.
Other papers to keep (and this depends on you and your circumstances) – for example, school reports, current passports, business documents, some financial documents.
Filing system
The main thing here is to make it easy for yourself, so choose a system that will be easy to use! You want to be able to file paperwork quickly and without fuss – and to find things again quickly and without fuss. Depending on your circumstances, you could choose a filing cabinet, a concertina file, a banker’s box (these are the right size for files or folders) or other boxes.
Thanks to Hiro (in the banker’s box) and Mitch Barrie for this image. CC BY-SA 2.0
Set up simple main categories that make sense to you, and label each folder or file accordingly. You could have one for each person in the house, each animal in the house, bank and other financial institutions, health, and business, for example. And each main category can be divided into sub-categories, if necessary.
5. Emergency action
This is for when your house is awash with a sea of paper. Or perhaps it’s the house of someone who is ill or has recently died. Emergency action is required.
Walk through each room and collect all the paper and paperwork. Put it into a bag or box.
Find a space where you can sort it. Sort all the paper and paperwork into three piles:
Anything you need to keep. You can get to this later.
To shred. That’s unwanted paperwork with names, addresses or financial details.
Recycling. That’s everything else.
Good luck with decluttering and organising, Paper Warriors!
This post is about weeding books. It’s contentious, I know, but there are times when you have to do it. Let’s talk about it.
A few points about books
For me, books are not clutter. They pass on human knowledge and experience and develop ideas. They help to stock the mind. Whether fiction or non-fiction, books take you beyond the here and now.
A personal collection is just that: personal. Built up over years, it reflects your own particular interests and, to some extent, yourself. Judging by the furore that greeted Marie Kondo’s apparent pronouncement that you should have fewer than 30 books in your home, there are a lot of book lovers out there. And for that we should be glad!
One of the times when weeding books becomes necessary – and sometimes essential – is when space runs out. This is when the shelves are full and there are piles of books everywhere. You might find it difficult to move about or to sit down.
Another common time to weed is when you move. Perhaps you’re moving into a smaller home and there simply isn’t the room for all your books. Perhaps you are moving into an existing household or setting up a new home with someone else, and you want to bring your collections of books together.
Weeding books gives you …
I’ll offer you five possibilities and, of course, there are more.
Space on the shelves or the floor – don’t underrate it!
A look in the mirror, which may not always be pleasing or flattering. Be prepared for this.
Great joy on finding books once again – this can be wonderful.
Great shock on finding boring or embarrassing books.
Pause for thought and reminiscence on finding books associated with something in your life, far away and long ago.
Photo by Philippe Donn from Pexels
Questions to help you weed
How obvious to say that your book collection is made up of individual books! Yet being aware of this is the way to weed. The journey starts with a single step: looking at a single volume.
Questions to have in mind as you are weeding books:
Is this book a duplicate?
Is it out of date? Learning moves on. To encourage you, I recently let the 1999 encyclopaedia with the broken spine go.
Do I feel I ought to read this book but I don’t want to? Most of us probably have books like this.
Do I have this book because someone else liked it or wanted me to read it? If I don’t like it or don’t want to read it, then it’s time for it to go.
Is this a book that was so-so and I’ll never read again? Or even a book that was simply bad? I’ve read quite a few of these and it’s one of the reasons I use the library so much.
Is this book part of my life now? Sometimes it’s very difficult to answer this question and sometimes it’s simply blindingly obvious.
Is it beautiful? I have books I keep because of their hand-drawn illustrations.
Where does a book go when it leaves?
My advice is to get the books out of the house as soon as possible but to where? When it’s time for a book to leave, where does it go? Here are some possibilities.
Pass it on to a friend or member of the family, and ask them to pass it on too.
Most charities have shelves of books in their shops. Some charities have specialist bookshops where books are sorted by knowledgeable volunteers.
Universities, colleges, schools and other libraries may accept specialist books or collections.
You could try to sell your books through a trade-in site such as We Buy Books, Ziffit or Music Magpie.
Almost two million people worldwide use BookCrossing. It’s the act of releasing your books ‘into the wild’ for a stranger to find, or via ‘controlled release’ to another BookCrossing member, and tracking where they go via journal entries from around the world.
At the end of the line, some books are for pulping. Sad, perhaps, but true.
I’m going to give you a little insight into why I love my job.
I’ve been really enjoying it recently. I thought I’d try to understand why, just in case I could bottle it! Sadly, I don’t think that’s possible but it’s certainly been worth thinking about. Here are a few thoughts.
Trying to bottle why I love my job. Photo by Martin Sanchez on Unsplash
Why I love my job: the clients
I’m very privileged, as a professional organiser and declutterer, to be invited right into my clients’ lives. That’s right into their homes, and right into what makes them tick and how and why they live like they do. I’m invited in because my clients want change, which can be exciting, scary, challenging, liberating – and sometimes all of those things and more!
Together, we outline the decluttering or organising task we’re going to work on. And then we start to work on it. It’s hard work and it’s also fun. There’s definitely room for a laugh which is always good.
And, at the end of the day, we’ve made a difference! We’ve probably transformed something! That really is a great feeling.
Why I love my job: freedom, space and different places
I love the freedom of working for myself (it’s been 30+ years now). Yes, I’m a professional organiser and declutterer, but I also sometimes wear a different research and writing hat.
My two jobs are really quite similar, now I come to think of it. Both of them work at making sense and bringing order out of sometimes apparently quite unpromising beginnings. Decluttering and organising is very practical and hands-on, and my research and writing is more to do with ideas and facts, although often still quite practical.
Excitingly, making sense and bringing order usually produces space. And space is where new things can happen. That’s really good if you want to stop feeling stuck in your life.
Another reason why I love my job is that I am interested in places – why they are there and their different possibilities. Working as a professional organiser, I’m able to go to places I wouldn’t otherwise know existed, let alone visit and become involved with. Fabulous!
Summing up
I love my job because it opens doors and windows in the here and now. Suddenly, when there is a sense of order and space there are new possibilities. That sounds good to me.
You know what’s actually in your house, your office, your car – and where it is.
No more buying things you’ve already got. You’ll stop thinking that thing is somewhere but where on earth is it?
You have a warm heart when you give things away, pass things on to charity or recycle.
Helping you see and appreciate your special things.
You have space – floor space, hanging space, space on shelves, space in the airing cupboard, space on the landing, space in the shed, space in the garage, space in the office … You get the idea.
There is room to think your thoughts.
Everyday life runs more smoothly. It’s so much easier.
There is calm.
It seems you have more time.
You find you have more money, or less money going out.
You can respond to unexpected events.
Somehow you feel so much lighter.
You’re able to move forward with your life. You feel more optimistic.
Making a start with decluttering
How do you make a start with decluttering? The short answer is however it suits you, because if it suits you then you will carry on doing it. The key to successful decluttering is to be aware of clutter and to keep at it!
Some people like to declutter all in one go, following the celebrity declutterer Marie Kondo. (She emphasises what to keep, what ‘sparks joy’, rather than what to discard.)
Teddy bears are well known to spark joy
Another way is to declutter a bit at a time. Some people do this whenever they’ve got a moment or five minutes or half an hour.
Then there is the challenge way. Some people set themselves a challenge – decluttering 10 things every day, for example. Or just one thing every day. That’s 365 things in a year!
It’s perfectly possible to declutter on your own but it’s OK to ask for help! Working with a professional organiser and declutterer helps enormously because they keep things moving and make the process fun and productive.
Read on for some tips and tricks to help you declutter successfully.
Boxes help you declutter successfully
Set out four boxes.
This is a good big box Photo by bruce mars from Pexels
Box 1 is for things you want to keep but which belong somewhere else in the house. You know, those slippers in the garage that should be in the bedroom, the toothbrush that lives in the bathroom but has ended up in the kitchen, the homework under the chair that should really be in someone’s room.
After that, there’s Box 2 for things to be mended. Be realistic about this. Do you still need this item? Are you able to mend it and – the crunch question – will you ever do it?
Box 3 is for things you no longer need that you can give to people or organisations who would appreciate them and make good use of them. For instance, someone might love your 1980s cardigans because they love ‘vintage’ clothes. Similarly, a charity shop could sell those ornaments you don’t like. That sort of thing.
Finally, Box 4 (or perhaps a bin bag) is for those broken or useless things whose time is up. The broken cardboard box that can no longer hold anything at all. An old crisp packet. The jammed stapler that hasn’t worked for years and will never work again. Old newspaper cuttings.
Empty boxes are best but we know that finding empty ones can sometimes be difficult …
Categories help you declutter successfully
Sort items into categories so that all similar things are together. Work on just one category at a time, using your keep/mend/give/throw away boxes.
Here are some examples of categories. And a few questions which might help you decide what to do.
All the little black dresses. Which ones do I love? Which ones don’t I like very much? Do they fit? Are any the same?
The crime fiction. Will I read any of these books again? Did some frighten me too much to finish? Are there any duplicates?
All the plastic storage boxes. Do they have lids? And do they fit? Are there lids without boxes? It’s likely that one or two are stained or even smell.
The children’s jumpers. Do they still fit the children? Are they in reasonable condition? Maybe there are jumpers that nobody will ever wear.
The garden tools. Are any broken beyond repair or downright dangerous? Are there any you don’t use at all and can never envisage using? Could a specialist charity make better use of them than you?
Recycling your unwanted items, by giving them away or donating them to a charity shop or taking them to your local recycling centre, gives you a lovely warm feeling.
Clothing and other items in good condition are welcomed by charity shops up and down the land. Many also accept clean rags if they are in a clearly marked bag. Always drop off your donations when the shop is open so they reach the right place. You could give to a charity which you support or drop donations off at a place which is easy to reach. Some charities have larger units on industrial estates or retail parks. Unopened food still in date can be given to food banks.
Depending on where you live, the waste collection service can make it easy to recycle your unwanted possessions. In other places it makes better sense to take things directly to the recycling centre. Check online what facilities your local authority provides.
Congratulations! Now you’ve decluttered successfully, what next?
What hard work! Well done! And what a great achievement! Above all, I hope you are basking in your newly decluttered environment and enjoying every moment.
Unfortunately, though, it’s all too easy for clutter to creep back into your life.
Stay alert to the dangers and be aware when clutter appears in your life. You know what to do then: put on your decluttering hat and shoes and get to it!
Uncluttered is a professional organising and decluttering service in North Wales. Our base is Parc Menai, just beside the Britannia Bridge on the Gwynedd side, so we’re ideally situated. It’s moments to Anglesey, just a short journey to Pen Llyn and Meirionnydd and not very far along the coast to Conwy, Denbighshire and beyond.
We are also happy to work further afield. Recent clients have been in Dorset and London. Get in touch for a chat and let’s see what we can do. If we can’t help, we’ll certainly know someone who can!
I think I need help with sorting, clearing and organising stuff. Oh, and paperwork! Do you do this kind of decluttering in North Wales?
We certainly do, and we work further afield as well.
Getting professional help is a great step to take. That’s because we’ll help you to decide exactly what you’re aiming for, and we’ll work with you to get there. It makes it do-able. (And we won’t be shocked or judge you.)
What sort of jobs have you worked on?
All sorts!
Firstly, helping households run more smoothly. The old saying ‘a place for everything and everything in its place’ really does makes a lot of sense. If you don’t take determined action to keep clutter under control, it has such a nasty way of building up. Yes, we’ve been there!
Everything in its place. Nuts, seeds and pulses organised carefully into large bags. Photo by Frans Van Heerden from Pexels
Then, moving house. Getting ready to move, managing to sell a house and then moving into a new place takes a lot of work. In short, we can help you make the most of your old property so it sells, and organise the new property so it’s easy to live in.
Bereavement touches all of us, and affects us in different ways. Often the best thing to do is to wait a little while, if you can. There’s such a lot to do, though, after a death in the family or the death of a friend. That’s why engaging an understanding professional organiser for some (or all) of what has to be done can help enormously.
And then there is, for example, paperwork, clothes, kitchens, garages and garden sheds, books and art collections … In other words, you name it and we can probably lend a hand with it!
What do you do with everything that’s decluttered?
It depends entirely on what the client wants, but most items are usually recycled at a recycling centre or a charity shop.
Do get in touch if you think we can help you
If you think we can help you with professional organising and decluttering in North Wales and further afield, do get in touch.
You’ll find our contact details under the ‘Contact’ tab.
Decluttering is just one word and it can offer you so many gifts. Amazing! I’m feeling festive and thinking about The Twelve Days of Christmas, so I’ll have a quick look at twelve gifts, but there are more. Let’s look at other gifts decluttering gives you another time.
Ready? Off we go …
Decluttering gives you knowledge, a warm heart …
1. Knowledge. You know what’s actually in your house, your office or your car. So no more buying things you’ve already got – they are somewhere but where? Like screwdrivers, sellotape, the other sock … And that’s just S in the alphabet.
2. A warm heart when you recycle or pass things on to charity. You don’t need them any more but charity shops do and their clients benefit. Recycling is good for us all. Help the love go round.
You have a warm heart when you recycle or pass things on to charity (Photo by Alisa Anton on Unsplash)
3. Appreciation of those special things you choose to keep. Don’t hide them away in a load of clutter. Give them room to be seen and to shine.
4. Space. As my art teacher used to say, look at the space in between things. It has value all of its own. Luxuriate in it!
Decluttering gives you thinking room, opportunity …
5. Thinking room to think your thoughts. When there’s clutter everywhere – or even just somewhere – it can be hard to find room to think your own wonderful thoughts.
6. Opportunity to organise things to suit your lifestyle. Everyone benefits when everyday life runs more smoothly. Everyday life running on fumes is hard work.
7. Calm. No more needy ‘stuff’ at home, chirruping that it needs attention. No need to think that you’ll sort it out one day. You’ve done it. (And decluttering is good at work, too.)
Decluttering brings calm (Photo by Harli Marten on Unsplash)
8. More time. What a luxury! How will you spend it? Looking after yourself is a good choice.
Decluttering gives you lightness, a springboard …
9. More money, or less money going out, at the very least. That’s because you make fewer last minute desperate purchases, you don’t buy duplicates and you’ve got more time to plan ahead.
10. You’re able to respond more easily to unexpected events. Whether it’s a lovely surprise or an emergency, you’ve got more in the tank.
11. Lightness. You’re no longer weighed down by all that clutter. That’s got to be good for your health.
12. A springboard to move forward. Where will it take you when you’re no longer held back by stuff?
Decluttering helps the world go round
I give presents to people I love and value, and to myself. It helps the world go round. Decluttering is a brilliant thing. It gives you so much, at this time of year and all through the year.
