How To Declutter

HOW TO DECLUTTER

Horderly is based in NYC and as you may know or could assume, NYC apartments can be pretty small or at least not have much closet space! We are decluttering some of the smallest spaces and closets in America! I, however, like to think of it as a positive note – NYC forces you to stay somewhat limited, you literally just can’t keep it all! Yes, this means too much space can sometimes be a problem! Whether you live in a small space or large space, decluttering is something that anyone can benefit from and something we highly recommend for anyone. Now let’s take you through what a “decluttering” process looks like.

Before                                                  Before                                                      After

Why should you declutter and organize?
A decluttered, and organized home can save you hundreds of hours a year, reduce stress, save energy, save money, and more! Decluttering your home will create benefits not only throughout your home but your entire life.

So what is decluttering?
Decluttering is NOT cleaning/tidying/throwing things away. These are only bandaids. Decluttering is to simplify or get rid of a mess or complication. Decluttering is not a gift, but it’s a skill to be learned!

How do you declutter?
At Horderly we have an 11 step process to create a perfectly organized home and the 5 of these steps all have to do with…decluttering! By eliminating the clutter and highlighting what you need, you can enjoy what you do keep or what you do use. No this is not minimalism, you don’t have to get rid of everything – this is essentialism! Finding out what’s essential to you and your life.

Before                                                 Before                                                   After

What are the steps?
Steps 1 & 2:
Prioritize, Pull Out & Sort
Prioritize and pick an area in your home that you’d like to start with. If prioritizing is hard ask yourself questions like “Where is the stress?” or “Where do you and your family spend a bulk of their time?”. This can be as small as the junk drawer in your kitchen, to as big as your garage. It might be best to start small if you’ve never truly decluttered before but if you’re feeling really motivated, by all means, tackle that garage! It doesn’t matter where you start, just as long as you start!
When we say “pull out and sort” this means take everything out! This can be the most dramatic and overwhelming of the of the steps but don’t worry, it always gets worse before it gets better! 😉 It’s best to warn yourself of this to avoid any overwhelm.
Keep in mind: it can always be much easier to take on a project with a family member, friend or professional to help you stay motivated and help you with any hard decisions.

Steps 3 & 4:
Edit & Categorize
If you know anything about Horderly and our process, you will see that we use the word “edit” often. “Edit” means deciding “keep, toss, donate”. Editing can either come very easy or very hard to some. Once you have your sorted piles (i.e. small appliances, paper goods, glassware, tupperware, etc.) touch on every single item. Yes, I mean every single item. I know this might sound crazy but if you try to skip around and grab a few things out of your piles here and there, then you aren’t truly decluttering. It’s super important to be asking yourself the right questions when editing to help make this step easier. Ask yourself questions like “Do I love it?”, “Do I have better?”, “Is it essential in my life?”. You want to make sure you are keeping “the best of the best” and never keep anything just because you have the space for it – that’s clutter my friend!

Step 5:
Make that donation! Make the difference.
We never leave our clients homes without taking donations, and if you are decluttering on your own, you shouldn’t go to sleep without donation’s leaving the house! Otherwise, they may sit there forever…and just create more clutter! You will want to get those donations out after all of your hard work and decision making. Get to know your local donation spots so that it’s easy for you to donate and never a question of “Where do I go to donate?”, “What can I donate?”, etc. Our go-to donation spot is Goodwill NYNJ and a great option for most donations!

 Before                                                                                    After

Beware
Decluttering can be addicting! 😉 Once you get in the groove of how a real declutter works, you will have new habits created in your home and mind. Now every time you go shopping, you will be asking yourself “Is this essential in my life?”. Keep a bin in your home labeled “DONATE” so that you always have an ongoing home for donations to land. We like to tell our clients “1 in 1 out” to keep items in their home filtering in and out. In the end, if you do the decluttering process right, you won’t need to do a huge declutter every year and have a constant, decluttered home 🙂

Remember
You are a conscious human. You don’t want to create waste – whether money or physical waste. That may be why you don’t want to get rid of something. Learn about the donation centers around you. They allow you to give. By giving, you can enhance someone else’s life, change the world, and start your new habits of creating an essential life! Now it feels even better to let go. Are you ready to start your decluttering journey? Please feel free to reach out to Horderly for any help you may need in getting your home decluttered and organized.

Happy decluttering 🙂

xoxo
Horderly