The first month of a new year is often a time where people want to declutter their homes and brush away the cobwebs from the previous year. A fresh start can help us to feel motivated and ready to take on whatever new challenges come our way. 

However, wanting to clear everything out and knowing where to start can be overwhelming. Making a list to break things down and forming a plan is a great way to get started.

Set a specific decluttering date.

This can really help with getting your head into the right mindset to begin decluttering. Prior to this date, make a plan of which room you want to tackle first so that you can get stuck straight in.

 Start with holiday clutter.

The holiday season is full of joy but leaves behind a lot of waste. Getting started with organizing holiday clutter and putting away what can be reused for next year, and recycling whatever you don’t want to keep. 

Assess your gift situation.

If you’ve been lucky enough to receive gifts for Christmas, they will need to find new homes within your home. Organize everything into categories based on similar items in your home and go from there.

Clear out any unwanted gifts.

We have all been there, receiving gifts that just aren’t really our style or something we would use. But instead of throwing them away, think about who you could pass them onto as a gift for someone else for a future birthday gift! Just make sure you don’t accidentally give the gift to the same person who gave it to you!

Clear out your storage space.

A great place to declutter is your garage/loft. Often we end up hoarding years worth of belongings in these spaces, whether it’s because of sentimental value and not wanting to let things go, or because it’s just easier to leave it there than do anything else with it! But getting things organized by using a storage system and finding homes for items can help massively. 

Deep clean as you go.

As you tackle each room, clean it once it’s organized- this will help you keep momentum and once you’ve finished decluttering the last room and it is clean, you are officially finished! Instead of having to go round the whole house twice decluttering then cleaning. You’ll thank yourself later!

Donate or give to friends.

While you’re sorting out your junk, see what would be of use to friends and family. Maybe you have a food blender you’ve never used and bought on a whim, but have a friend who loves to make smoothies. Or a cabinet that doesn’t work in your space anymore but someone is moving house and could do with one! It’s a great, hassle-free way to get rid of things without contributing to landfill.

Clear out the rest of your junk.

Once you’ve got the main bulk of the deep decluttering done, go back through and see if there’s anything else that could be scrapped or donated. Ask yourself whether you’ll use it in 3 or even 6 months time and let that help you make the decision as to whether to get rid or not.

Decluttering and deep cleaning can feel extremely rewarding once it’s done. Set the tone for the rest of the year by turning your house upside down and downsizing your belongings.