No one likes clutter, yet it’s so easy to create! Life is so busy and there are far more exciting and important things to be doing with your time than constantly clearing up after yourself and your family.
However, de-cluttering is a brilliant way not only to clear your space, but your head, too. It’s one of the key reasons people use our self-storage units. Whether they’re downsizing or simply need to undertake a big clean, the process of de-cluttering often calls for a temporary home.
But where do you begin?
It feels like a mountain of work, doesn’t it? Which is exactly why we’ve put together this simple de-cluttering guide.
The sentimental stuff
Let’s start with the hardest part of de-cluttering, which relates to those sentimental items you know you need to tidy away or get rid of but can’t bring yourself to do so.
This is why it’s a great idea to gather the items that mean a lot to you or, you suspect, others. Work out what definitely needs to remain on display and what can be put away for safe keeping. There’s no need to throw anything out – you just need to find new, tidy homes for it all.
Hitting the online marketplace
There’s a reason eBay and other online marketplaces exist. They’re perfect venues for selling unwanted clutter.
These platforms provide super-easy listing tools and put the stuff you no longer need in front of a huge audience. Use them!
Even better, if you opt for Squab self-storage, we can facilitate the collection of those items for you once they’ve sold!
Finding hidden gems with antique dealers
We’ve all watched episodes of Antiques Roadshow where unsuspecting owners of valuable items get the shock of their lives.
How much?!
Imagine if, among the clutter in your office, loft, or back bedroom lies a gem of an antique. It’s entirely possible; particularly if some of that stuff has been handed down through generations.
Providing it isn’t sentimental and has little worth to you, this is definitely an avenue worth exploring. Start by calling in an antique dealer and asking them to hunt through your clutter for hidden gems. You don’t know what they might find.
Helping out charities
There’s nothing like the warm, fuzzy feeling you get from helping a charity, and one of the best ways to do so is to give them your unwanted stuff.
It might not be valuable to you – and, at the moment, it’s doing nothing more than getting in the way – but to someone else, your clutter could be incredibly valuable.
Some local charities will even come and collect your items – particularly if it is bulky furniture (that can definitely be classed as clutter, too).
Trying out upcycling
What if you could take some of those old items that are simply getting in the way at the moment and turn them into something brand-new?
This process is known as upcycling and it has become one of the most popular methods for revitalising old possessions and objects.
It might just be a lick of paint and new handles that’s required, or re-imagination of the item’s purpose. Whatever it is you need to do, upcycling is one of the best ways to declutter and create something new from something old.
Scrap merchants
Don’t forget – if you have anything made from metal, it can fetch a pretty penny these days.
This is why it’s worth heading to your local scrap merchants with details and photos of anything you think might take their fancy. You might be surprised by how much your unwanted stuff is worth to them.
We hope this has inspired you to give your home a proper declutter. And remember, if you need self-storage to aid the task, just get in touch with the Squab team, today!
