Home Decluttering Hacks
If you’re closing on one of the new homes in Woodbury MN and want to make sure your new home doesn’t end up with old junk, it’s important to start decluttering now. Plus, if you have a home to sell, decluttering will make your old home look bigger and more appealing to potential buyers. Add in that you’ll have less to move if you declutter now, and it’s a win situation all around! So to get you started, here are some helpful hints and hacks.
Closets are always one of the best places to start, whether it’s clothing, linen, or that front hall closet that is filled to overflowing. Take out each item in every closet and cupboard (though do one at a time so you don’t end up in an overwhelming mountain) and start being realistic. First off, does the item still fit? If not, toss it. It’s really not worth holding onto, whereas you could donate it to a shelter or sell it on consignment if it’s still in good shape. That goes for clothes that you’ve bought and rarely or never worn. Why waste perfectly good closet space?
Get rid of anything you know you’re truly not going to wear, anything that is past its prime, anything that doesn’t have it’s matching half, be it pillowcases, socks, etc. Don’t forget those towels and sheet sets that have seen better days. However, those you may want to hold on to if you haven’t moved yet, just for use as packing material. Then toss them when you get into your new place or cut them up to use as cleaning rags.
Next up, it’s time to go through the kitchen. Do you have kitchen tools and appliances that you just never use, no matter your best intentions? Go ahead and give them away or sell them if they’re still in good use, especially if they’ve never come out of the box after more than a year! TV chef/personality Alton Brown always recommends that each item in your kitchen serve multiple purposes and it’s not a bad philosophy to live by. Try to scale back on certain tools if you already have something that can do the job and take care of other tasks, as well. Don’t forget to go through all of your storage containers and make sure they have matching lids or are worth keeping if they don’t. If you find tools that you just never use, go ahead and get rid of them. Your drawers, cabinets, and pantry will thank you.
It’s an electronic gadget world and has been for a while, so you probably have a lot of random cords, chargers, extensions, etc. Go through them and make sure you can match them to their appropriate electronics. If they’re frayed, or belong to something you no longer have or use, go ahead and get rid of them and the out-of-date electronics. Test out all extension cords to make sure they work, and in order to keep things neat and orderly, label each and every cord so you know what it goes with, rather than having a jumble of cords just gathering dust.
Finally, look at all of your decorative items. Do you even notice them any more? If you’ve grown tired of some of your dust-collectors, consider either moving them to another part of your home to give them new life, or simply get rid of them. Plus, if you’re moving into a new home, you’ll probably want to update your home decor. Give yourself a chance to find something new that fits with your new colors and home design. This goes for everything from artwork to vases, to figurines. Make sure it really does spark joy in you and isn’t just something else to be dusted or awkwardly wrapped up for moving.
Moving is a great time to be ruthless about getting rid of duplicates, things that are out of date, worn out, or just not your style now. Don’t forget all of those piles of papers, too. Be realistic about what you need, what you truly want, and what you know can be replaced easily if you change your mind. The result will be neater existing homes that appeal to buyers, less to move, and new homes in Woodbury MN that give you a fresh, uncluttered new start!
