How to Declutter Your Home in a Weekend
Decluttering isn’t something most can easily accomplish in one weekend, so setting realistic expectations and meeting them are crucial components to successful decluttering efforts.
Keep your motivation high by taking it one room at a time. Doing this allows you to see that progress is being made while also helping prevent you from getting bogged down in one area of the home.
Start with the obvious trash.
Start with obvious trash like opened packaging or broken items you no longer require, such as empty food containers, stained or torn linens/clothing and empty toiletry bottles – these should all be disposed of immediately.
If you’re having difficulty parting with something, why not donate or sell it instead? Usually it’s worth the effort if the item is no longer used and still in good condition; not only can you benefit from tax breaks and good karma by helping someone out!
Next, start working your way through your home by setting a timer and collecting items that no longer serve a purpose in two bags – one for garbage and one for items needing to be put back where they belong.
Once you’ve dealt with the trash, move on to more complex areas that require your attention. These might take longer but will leave you feeling much lighter at the end!
When it comes to clearing out, having an impartial friend assist with decisions about which items to donate or sell and where. They will also ensure nothing returns into your house accidentally.
An extra trash bag and basket may come in handy to make moving quickly through your home easier without spending unnecessary time searching for items.
Decluttering is often associated with decluttering rooms like the kitchen, living room, bedrooms and bathrooms – but these may not be the only places that accumulate clutter. Go through closets, offices and any other places known for being disorganized to remove all possible sources.
It is key to successfully organize and declutter your home to get rid of anything unnecessary while finding homes for everything that remains. By doing this, your space will become much less cluttered – and coming home to an organized, uncluttered atmosphere will feel wonderful! Be sure to follow my guidelines for this weekend-long purge so you have maximum success in organizing!
Donate or sell.
Decluttering can be an arduous task that takes much thought and consideration to complete successfully. Each item must be assessed for necessity before either being given away, donated, or stored away for future reference. If an item no longer serves you then its time has come for it to leave your life!
Decluttering in one weekend is easier said than done! Making any errors that lead to discarding something important will likely prove costly later, making it hard to locate when needed again!
Doing the latter might be best. Consider both how much time selling or donating might consume as well as your goals when making this decision.
When going through your stuff, it’s a good idea to set up a system for tracking donations and sales. That way you will have a clear idea of your efforts, making progress easier to measure. An automated donation tracking software such as It’s Deductible will also make things simpler at tax time!
Notably, eBay and Craigslist both allow sellers to list items for sale; however, each site has its own rules about selling your item there – such as photos and descriptions being required before beginning. Therefore it’s advisable to do your research first before beginning this venture.
Some websites accept both cash and credit cards for you to get cash back for any unwanted items that you sell them online. This option can be particularly useful if you own multiple items at once or are trying to reduce debt.
Depending on the site you use, shipping items out could cost extra money – this can be particularly burdensome when shipping to distant locations.
Donating items is an excellent way to give back while simultaneously relieving yourself of clutter. In many cases, you can drop your donations off at local charities or schools near your location.
When it comes to selling or donating your items, there are both advantages and disadvantages. Donating may provide instantaneous relief while selling can take more effort – not everyone finds selling suitable.
Put it away.
Put away is defined as placing items in their appropriate or designated places for storage. This could involve throwing something away, donating it, or keeping it for future use.
Finding a place for things can sometimes be challenging, particularly if they haven’t been used recently. Fear and scarcity mindset often cause difficulty when trying to declutter, which is why seeking assistance when decluttering is essential.
Assign someone else the task of going through your home and suggesting which items you should keep, donate, or sell – someone other than yourself can offer impartial advice that could save time. A family member could also go through with you but only with permission and someone who supports your decisions.
Label everything that you are storing away to make it easier to find when needed again. Labels or post-it notes can make this task faster and less time consuming in the future, saving both time and hassle in future searches. This step is sure to save both time and hassle in future searches!
As you work to clear away clutter in your home, take it one area at a time. Doing this will prevent yourself from feeling overwhelmed while helping establish the habit of putting away things quickly.
Clean out your trash first, and then sort through anything that might be donated or sold. If you need assistance disposing of your unwanted items, renting a dumpster might be best.
Once this step has been accomplished, the next step should be sorting through any remaining belongings you still own. Divide them into four piles: Recycle, Shred, File and Urgent.
Although it may seem overwhelming, you’ll be amazed at just how quickly your piles will vanish – in just one weekend you could make your home clutter-free!
Organising your home over one weekend may seem like an impossible task, but doing it properly will pay dividends in the form of more time spent doing what matters to you and less stress overall.
Take a break.
Clutter can be a source of immense anxiety and stress for many individuals. By clearing away clutter, people may enjoy better sleep, higher productivity and reduced levels of anxiety and stress.
But decluttering can be a lengthy journey! Therefore, taking regular breaks when feeling overwhelmed will keep your focus and ensure you don’t become mired in an endless cycle of decluttering.
Decluttering is achievable on an ongoing basis; just don’t expect your entire house to be decluttered in one weekend! Depending on the size and layout of your home, a quick purge might be more practical every few weeks.
Organization expert WeThrift advises tackling obvious trash first before turning your attention to things you know need storing or donating – this helps avoid being tempted to hold onto something which won’t quite qualify as trash yet but could become such soon enough.
As you travel through each room of your home, ask yourself this question: Does this item bring me joy? If the answer is no, dispose of it immediately!
If you have an old kayak that no longer serves its intended purpose, sell it now – you will thank yourself!
Set aside some time to sort through and organize the kids’ rooms and closets as well. Take this opportunity to get rid of toys that no longer fit, clothes they no longer wear and any items they no longer require.
Start off your week right by surface cleaning the areas. Doing this may give you momentum for the rest of the week and help you complete everything faster!
After you finish decluttering your home, you’ll feel lighter and have less to do around the house! Not to mention feeling happier and healthier overall! Decluttering is also an excellent way of returning to a more organized lifestyle for the whole family; so take this as an opportunity to live more simply!