Spring Cleaning Time to Declutter & Downsize

Spring has sprung. You know what that means. It is time to start your spring cleaning.

Spring cleaning means different things to different people. Some people see it as the perfect time to deep clean everything, including shampooing the carpet and washing the baseboards. It can be more than that though.

Spring can be the perfect time to get rid any excess clutter you have in your home. It is also a perfect time to downsize. The less stuff you have, the less space you need, the more money you can save.

Going through everything you own can seem intimidating, speaking from personal experience. Here are a few tips I have picked up along the way that should help get you started.

Don’t do everything at once

This is key. If you try and do everything all at once there is a really good chance you will get completely overwhelmed. By breaking things down into chunks, it is a lot easier to digest. Go room by room. Start with things you already had in storage. And do not try and do it all in one day. Space things out. Find some sort of system that works for you and stick with it.

The three bin method

Bin, bucket, trashbag, it doesn’t matter what you use, the method is the same. As you are going through all of your stuff it helps to sort it into three different piles. One is for the stuff you keep, one for stuff you want to give away, and the last one is for stuff you are going to throw away. This keeps things simple and straight forward.

The stuff you keep either goes back where it was, or it can go into storage if you don’t plan on using it any time soon. The donate pile can be sold in a garage sale, given to a local charity, or passed down to someone in your family who could make use of it. The throw away needs to go in the trash, however much you may want to keep it. If you don’t need it and you cannot donate it, you need to trash it.

Sorting through your clothing

You can either begin with what is in your closet or with whatever seasonal clothes you currently have packed up. If it doesn’t fit and its in good condition, donate it. If it does fit but you never wear it and it is in good condition, donate it. If you never wear it and it is in bad condition, throw it away.

This is the time to be honest. You know better than anyone what clothing you will actually wear as well as what pieces you will never wear again. If you are anything like me, you have more clothes than you need.

Of course, some pieces may have sentimental value. You can keep those, or pass them on to someone in your family who will also cherish them. In general, though, it is better to be harsher with your choices of what to cut and what to keep. Especially if you are downsizing.

The less clothing you have to move, the easier the moving process will be. Plus, you can always buy more once you are settled into your new space.

Go through your books

It is incredibly easy to amass a large collection of books. Those things are heavy and they take up a lot of space. If you plan to downsize, you will need to trim these down as well. Start with any books you know you will probably never read again, as well as the ones where you have multiple copies.

When it comes to getting rid of them, start by asking friends and family if they want them. That should help you lessen the stack a bit. You can sell the rest at a garage sale or at a used bookstore. While they may not pay a whole lot for them, you can still get a fair amount of money and know that your books will find a good home.

If you don’t use it, you don’t need it

This goes for everything. When you are downsizing, you need to be honest with yourself about what you are really going to need. Get rid of all of the unnecessary junk in your life. You will feel much better and much lighter once you do. Trust me.

 

Spring is a great time to start looking into downsizing, especially if you are older. The less space you have, the less stuff you have, the less maintenance is required. If you are looking to downsize and don’t know where to start, try calling your friendly neighborhood senior move manager (us).

We will walk you through each step of the process while answering any questions you may have along the way. Because the most important thing to remember about spring cleaning is that you don’t have to do it alone. We are here to help.