Tips To Declutter Your Home

Look around your home, and you probably see a variety of things you no longer value, use, want, or love. Make time in February to declutter your home and donate the proceeds to a good cause. Several tips can help you tackle this task with success.

Have a Goal
Decide which areas you want to declutter and when you want to finish the project. With a goal, your motivation to stay on track increases.

Create Five Bins
Stay organized as you declutter with bins or boxes. Label them keep, donate, trash, recycle, and relocate.

See if it Works
Toss items that don’t work or are broken unless you fix them immediately.

Consider When you Used it Last
Items you haven’t used in six months probably aren’t essential for your daily life and can be sold or donated.

Decide if you Love It
Your home is a calm and peaceful haven that should be filled only with stuff you love. Give yourself permission to get rid of items that no longer bring you pleasure and joy.

Forget Sunk Costs
Maybe you did pay a fortune for your clothes or kitchen gadgets, but if these items only take up space, sell or donate them. Forget the amount of money you paid and consider instead the value these items add to your life now.

Set a Timer
Improve your success and avoid feeling overwhelmed when you set a timer for 10 minutes. Stop working when the timer beeps and take a break before you begin again.

Play a Game
If you get stuck, turn decluttering into a game.

• Sort all the green, round or smooth items in the room.
• Toss 12 items, donate 12 items and keep 12 items.
• See how fast you can fill a bag of trash or donations.
• Challenge yourself to donate 20 or more pounds of stuff.
• Race your family members to finish decluttering your assigned areas first.

Take Pictures of Sentimental Items
The heirlooms you inherited from grandparents hold sentimental value, but it’s okay to let them go. Take a picture of sentimental items and donate or sell them as you clear out your home.

Donate Responsibly
Consider giving your items to a local charity or organization. Alternatively, you can organize a yard sale and donate the proceeds to a charitable cause.

Update your Home Insurance
After you declutter your home, review your home insurance policy. Update the policy limits, remove any riders you no longer need and verify that you have the right coverage for your current needs.

This February, commit to clearing out your home.