Whenever it is time to get on with decluttering, you might find it hard to get rid of some things. It is hard for a lot of people to rid themselves of items they have owned for some time. It is understandable since people tend to develop sentimental attachment to objects. As soon as you start going through the stuff that has been cluttering your space, you begin hesitating about what to get rid of and what to keep. In this article we are going to talk about a few “rules” that keep you from getting rid of unnecessary items, as well as a special method that might help you get rid of whatever you feel like is too dear to throw away.
- You spent good money on it. – It is a misconception that you should keep something just because you spent money on it. Yes, maybe in the past it was worth it for you and you really really wanted it but it has probably served its time already. Do not forget that you do not have to lose the money you once paid for it. You can sell it, give it to someone who would enjoy it or donate it. Do not let money stop you from getting rid of something that is taking up space, know it was worth it if you once enjoyed having it. If it is an expensive item in good condition but you do not use or need it, keep the good memories with it and give it up for donation.
- Sentimental items – maybe some of the hardest things to let go of. Decluttering, in general, is quite the psychological endeavour. If you have dear memories with the person who gave you the thing, or with the particular object, it is going to be extremely hard to get rid of it. Make sure you understand there are two types of sentimental items. The ones that you do not enjoy having around or take up storage space, take pictures of and find a better purpose for them. The ones that you truly love and enjoy having in your house, definitely keep.
- You might need it later – You always have that little voice in the back of your head telling you “ Don’t get rid of it, what if you need it later?” We know it is hard to fight against it but think about that – if you have not used this item in a while, what are the chances that you will all of a sudden need it in the future? If you have a bunch of things that you never use, taking up space in your storage unit, get rid of them. Next time you need the item you can buy or borrow.
- You must keep all your books – Who doesn’t love having a big library? Most people certainly do. However, keeping too many books will not benefit you in any way. Instead of piling them up around your house and letting them gather dust, you can pick the ones that helped you in any way, ones that inspire you or those which you can read again and again, and keep them. The rest, you can sell, give away or donate to a library. Make up more space for new books and know that your collection only has good pieces on display.
- Kids art – KIds art is usually cute and we often find ourselves tempted to keep it. However, people with children know that it is far from practical to keep all art projects of your child. You need to understand that it is not rude to get rid of kids’ art. Also, keeping a lot of projects will cause the ones that truly deserve to shine to get lost and not show their full potential. Instead of piling drawings around the house and never seeing them, pick the best ones or your top favourites and frame them. The rest, you can take pictures of and print them into a photobook. That way you will have all of them into a beautiful memory without losing so much space.
- Manuals – Thinking that you need physical copies of your manuals is not going to benefit you at all. Nowadays, you can find PDF files of manuals for literally any appliance on the internet. Clear up your storage space of those and only keep personal documents, bank and property papers.
While we are talking about getting rid of unnecessary items, we would like to present you with this amazing Limbo Box method. It is something that will help you get rid of things that you truly do not need. If you are interested in trying it out, keep reading.
Letting go is not easy, unlike keeping clutter. Unfortunately a lot of people feel way too attached to items to get rid of them, even though an end of tenancy cleaning has to be performed. Even when you are sure that you will not need a particular item, there will be something to prevent you from getting rid of it. This method will help you, especially if you are scared of getting rid of stuff because you think you might regret it later. It is a way of tricking your brain into understanding that you do not really need all these things. Here is how it works:
Gather all the things that you would like to get rid of and place them into boxes/containers. Store those away in your attic, basement or anywhere with some extra storage space. Leave them there for a month or two but no longer than three and see how often you think about these items while they are on hold. You will be surprised by how quickly you will forget about them. In two months, you can get rid of the ones that you did not think about, since that will mean that you will not really need them. The best part? They are already packed and stored so you can easily get rid of them.
If by any chance, you are still having a hard time getting rid of some items, allow yourself to keep some of the Limbo boxes. Let them sit there for about a year and this time will let you make a final decision.
We hope this article was helpful and you manage to get rid of all these items that sit around your house, taking up precious space. Do not be scared to get rid of things, enjoy your clutter free house and get yourself some new, useful items.