From time to time, we all feel the need to declutter our spaces and, to some extent, our lives. According to studies, in fact, “keeping your home clean and engaging in the cleaning process is good for you” and can have a direct impact on your mental health. This guide to self storage as a way to declutter your home may provide you with a different perspective.
Firstly, how can we turn a sporadic decluttering session into a log-lasting solution for a tidier home?
Regular upkeep is the most obvious solution to clutter, however, there are things you won’t be able to get rid of that are still taking up valuable space. We’re talking about items you might need on a seasonal or sporadic basis. Things like winter clothes, Easter decorations or summer garden accessories are left lingering around your house for months on end, only creating more clutter.
While some might be lucky enough to have a cupboard or room to dedicate to storage, it’s common for most to resort to alternative storage solutions. One that’s particularly useful is self-storage, designed to be flexible and cost-effective and offering the great advantage of additional storage space outside of your home.
Deciding what should go into storage might be a challenge so, to help you with that, we have put together a brief guide to self-storage to declutter your home.
How to get started decluttering your home
The wisest way of going about decluttering your home is by breaking it down into more manageable tasks.
The kitchen is often then best place to start, as it should be relatively easy to sort through items which we are usually not emotionally attached to. Identify any pots, pans, or cups you never use and start creating piles of things you want to throw, sell, or donate.
In some cases, you might find yourself with items you want to keep but don’t use on a regular basis, and that’s when domestic storage comes into play. Pick out any trays or dishes you only use for your Christmas dinners or birthday parties and carefully place them into storage boxes. Depending on the amount of storage space you have at home, you can decide to keep these neatly organised in boxes or take them into a storage locker, which you can access whenever needed.
Once the kitchen is done and you feel confident you have removed all the clutter, it’s time to move onto the next room and repeat the process!
Try on your clothes
A fun room to declutter is your bedroom, as this will not only give you a chance to reorganise your wardrobe, but you will also get to try on your clothes and shoes!
Unlike the kitchen, however, saying goodbye to a jumper that’s been in your wardrobe for years might prove trickier than getting rid of an old pot. For this reason, it’s important that you get in the right frame of mind before you declutter your bedroom and keep an open mind as to what you’re willing to get rid of. There are various ways of tackling your clothes, some suggest limiting yourself to a number of hangers, forcing you to make a drastic selection of clothes you really want to keep.
If, however, you don’t want your decluttering session to be as ruthless, you can consider creating a “maybe” section in your wardrobe to give some clothes a trial run. If after three months you haven’t worn any of those clothes once you might feel better about throwing, selling, or donating them!
To sell or to donate?
As people are moving towards a more sustainable way of living, the opportunities that come with it are endless. Whether it’s an old pot or a jumper, simply putting it in a rubbish bag and throwing it away just doesn’t feel right anymore!
Donations are a great way to declutter your home; knowing that your old items will go to someone who needs them is the perfect motivation to complete this exercise. And if you want your donation to be even more meaningful, opt for a charity shop supporting a cause that’s close to you – from children’s health to cancer research, the options are endless.
And, if during your decluttering process you have picked out clothes, accessories or even furniture you no longer need, there’s a good chance you can sell some of these and make a pretty penny too! As the shift towards second-hand or “pre-loved” continues, you will find plenty of apps and websites that allow you to sell your unwanted items with no hidden costs or frees. Talk about a great motivator to start decluttering your home!
Use functional storage solutions
Once you’ve sorted through all your belongings and decided what to declutter, it’s time to organise the things you’ve decided to keep. If you have decided to place some of your seasonal items into storage, then Vanguard Storage’s unit size finder is a great tool to work out the size of unit most suitable for your needs!
Whether you opt for a storage facility or for a small room or cupboard in your home, storage boxes are a great organisational aid, available in all shapes and sizes. Storage baskets, “lazy Susans” and caddies are perfect to organise all your belongings, making it easier to maintain your new-found organisation.
When looking for the perfect storage solution, it’s good to remember that you will move these boxes eventually, so avoid using any boxes that are too large or impractical and instead opt for medium-sized ones. Accessibility is also a crucial aspect of storage. If you’re storing away items you need to access regularly, it’s good to use smaller, clear boxes, which make it easier to sort through their contents.
We hope you found our guide to self storage and decluttering useful. Finally, remember that when using storage boxes remember: labels are your friends!