Throughout the years, we all accumulate “stuff”. For many of those items, “stuff” is probably not the correct term since they have so much sentimental value.
There are photo albums, old records, recipe books, that old snow globe you picked up in Portland. You still have your daughter’s dresser from her first bedroom. There’s even a bicycle in the basement you haven’t ridden since 1997.
Of course, these types of things vary from home to home and family to family and area to area but the idea remains: we accumulate items throughout our lives and sometimes they can end up being a bit too much.
Now, you don’t have to be a “hoarder” to still have a lot of stuff! We’ve seen some of the most well-organized and clean homes have more stuff than you could imagine.
As we age, however, these items can become more of a burden than the sentimental vehicles they were perhaps originally intended to be.
Downsizing, however, can be something that not only rejuvenates your years by allowing you to not have to worry or carry around as much stuff as you once did.
But, how do you do? Here are a few tips to get through the first process of starting to get rid of your clutter.
The first two come from the famous organizer, Marie Kondo.
1. Make sure everything has its place
Kondo’s daily after-work routine is extremely methodical. Everything she owns has its own designated space. Though no one is expecting you to place your bag in the same spot every evening, organizing hard-working areas like entryways makes evening routines much easier. Label cubbies and baskets so that everyone knows where their lunch boxes and bike helmets should go.
2. Get rid of papers
We’re all guilty of opening bills and shoving them into a drawer. That credit card bill? You don’t need that. Old warranties? You don’t need to keep those, either. Kondo argues that these stacks of papers often end up sitting, forgotten, in an accordion file. Since most paperwork is now available online, hanging on to those creates useless clutter.
3. Take a Serious Look at What You Have
The first reaction to getting rid of some items is to get defensive or possibly even upset! Why should you have to get rid of something that you’ve had for so long? But, take a good look at those items and ask yourself, do you need them? Do you really need to keep that item? What does it do for you? These decisions are not easy, but they can help.
4. Store It
Not everything you get rid of needs to be sold or given away. You may want to keep that old dresser from your daughter’s room for her own daughter, but you might not want to keep it in your new, downsized home. You can always rent a storage space to keep some of these items if you do plan to use them again. Of course, there is a cost of storage that must be taken into consideration.
5. Ask Your Friends and Family
If you’re still having some issues with getting rid of items, why not open the invitation up to friends and family? Not only would they already be familiar with some of your “stuff,” but if you ever wanted to see it again, you’d know where to find it!
When it comes to Lehigh Valley PA new home builders, Nic Zawarski and Sons® is the premiere Lehigh Valley family owned and operated home builder since 1960. We’re building New Fashion Homes that offer real value and we’re doing it very well. We’ll show you that downsizing in home size may be upsizing in life!
