New Year, Fresh Start: How to Declutter Your Home in 2018
The start of a new year is always a great time to make a change! Many people feel invigorated after the holidays and enter the new year ready to try something new. In the depths of winter, we often spend a lot of time at home, so making some changes within your house is a good place to start. Do you feel like your home got messy over the holidays? Start the new year by purging unnecessary messes, freshening up, and decluttering your home to get 2018 started on the right foot. Here are our best tips on how to declutter your home this year:
Tackle one room at a time
Cleaning your entire house can seem like a mammoth undertaking at first. Take it slow and focus on one room at a time. Once that room is done, move on to the next. By doing it this way, tasks seem manageable, you won’t get overwhelmed and, once you’ve finished a room, you’ll feel energized to keep going and move on to the next!
Easily sort items
Have a set of four or five boxes that you take with you from room to room. You should have one box for items that need to be put away, one for items to recycle, one for items to throw out, one to donate, and one for items to fix or mend. Once you’ve divided up and categorized the items cluttering each room, you can tackle each box when you have time.
Storage is key
Each room should have designated storage areas. In the bathroom you may have a medicine cabinet, while in the dining room you might have a buffet or sideboard. Go through these storage areas, discard any unused, out-of-date, or broken items, so you can start afresh. Organize storage areas with most used items in the easiest to reach places, so you have no excuse for not putting things away in their rightful place!
Get your family involved
Your home won’t stay clean if you’re the only person who ever tidies up. Make sure everyone is aware of the storage space in each room and where everything is supposed to go. For small children, make tidying-up a fun task by involving them in the creation of storage solutions. For example, ask your young child how they would like to organize their closet — by colour? By type of clothing? If it’s easy for them to remember, it’ll be easier for them to keep clean.
If you’re looking for a fresh start this year and are planning to buy or sell a home, then please don’t hesitate to reach out to a member of our Royal LePage Performance Realty team today. Our dedicated and experienced RealtorsⓇ are excited to help both new and old homeowners achieve their real estate dreams in 2018.
