Lose That Clutter

When clutter gets out of control in people's lives, most of the stuff they're holding on to is junk of little value. Paperwork and old bills from months ago tend to get put at the back of draws and cupboards. Ornaments that were bought and now, no longer, match anything else, Clothes that no longer fit, that we hope we will get back into one day...

All of these things take up valuable storage space, as well as clutter up work space and shelving. Another difficulty that assails people in assessing their junk is that they are forced to confront how much money they spend on things they never use. People often want to recoup some of their money by selling these unused items, but never get round to visiting a car boot sale or local antique dealer. They hold on to the junk in the belief that it will get better with age. In most cases, exactly the opposite happens.

You keep purchasing the same things over and over because you are unable to find what you need when you need it. The answer? Bin all duplicates, keeping the one in the best condition.

Charities do not want damaged or broken items - they only want items in good condition. Getting rid of bulky things and stuff that is really redundant will have a huge impact on your space.

Dispose of anything in the house that has been broken for more than 12 months. Anything that has exceeded its use-by date. All furniture that is surplus to your needs and any boxes that have not been opened since your last move.

Lots of junk, such as paper, glass, plastics and cans that have collected throughout your house, can be recycled and should be among the first to go.

If you can make the commitment to dispose of the clutter, then that's great! However, you also have to make the commitment to change your routines and take control so as not to fall back into bad habits.

If you feel that you are now ready to let things go on a big scale, then a clutter-busting weekend can dramatically improve your living conditions. The key to success in this massive effort is good planning.

Start with the most accessible clutter hotspots in your home. If you plan to use a skip or disposal vehicle and have only limited use of it, so get rid of the largest items first. This will have the greatest impact in clearing your clutter.

Below is a list of questions that you need to ask before hand, as well as some of the items that you will need.

• Do you need a skip to remove large items?

• If so, does it require a permit or special lighting?

• Do you require a van or removals company?

• Will the council come at a specified time for large item removal?

• Do you know the hours of your local dump?

• Find out what items your local council recycles, and where and how they are collected.

• Check with your local charities to see what items they are able to accept. (Some will collect furniture and other bulky items.)

• Make a list of local antique dealers who will value any hidden treasures.

• Find out where and when your local car boot sale is held. Don't forget to ask whether it is cancelled in inclement weather. What you need on the day

• Strong boxes with lids (You always need far more than you think).

• Newspaper or packing paper for wrapping breakables.

• Rubbish bags.

• Sticky labels.

• Tags to identify contents and disposal method.

To make your clutter-busting weekend a memorable experience, gather together all the people you can count on to help - friends and family - the more the merrier.

View the experience as moving out of your old life and into the new. If the clutter or problem areas are really horrendous, call in a removals crew to help you let it go.

If the thought of clearing a large area over a weekend overwhelms you, then develop your own tailor-made programme using the same planning principles and tools as required for the clutter-busting weekend, but plan it in smaller segments so that you can do it bit by bit.

Choose an area that you feel ready to deal with. This can be something such as photographs or CDs, or a scary space, such as an airing cupboard. Set aside several hours of uninterrupted time to focus your attention on reducing your clutter by 50 per cent. Don't stop until you have reached that target. If you feel ready to clear the entire area, it will energize you to start the next project.

For the two weeks after you have reduced the clutter in an area, become aware of how the space now feels. Pay attention to whether you begin to collect clutter in the same places. If you do, repeat the procedure and try to reduce the clutter again. Cluttered areas are often blanked out and become invisible. To break that pattern, you need to remind yourself of the situation on a daily basis. A good way to do this is with positive affirmation. This takes the form of a giant note that you put somewhere you can see every day - For example, 'My wardrobe is tidy' will immediately draw your attention to the condition of your wardrobe.

The most important thing is to get your brain thinking about all possible solutions, without judging whether they are good or bad solutions. Not being able to solve a problem immediately can make some people stop thinking at all about ways to solve it. This is the most common reason that junk becomes invisible.

It is unhealthy to hold on to the old, stale energy, emotions and physical reminders of things that happened in the past. They prevent you from living in the present, promote low self-esteem and can cause health problems on the physical level.

If you find it difficult to let go of certain areas of your clutter because of emotional attachments, you should try to quieten the mind and focus your attention. In this way you can get to the root of the problem and learn the necessary lessons to let go of the physical and emotional clutter.

As you begin to shed your clutter, you must work very hard to change the habits that you may have fallen into over many years. It is not always possible to change these habits overnight, but with small daily checks you can make it much easier.

The thing is that, not only is clutter the bug-bear of our houses, it also costs us more than we think. Moving house is a great time to reduce the things that we don't need. However, no matter the good intentions, many people either don't plan enough and end up not having the time to be able to de-clutter or end up moving it all with them, because they don't think about it before it is too late.

Did you know that you can reduce the cost of your removal substantially by de-cluttering before the move? In many cases, this could even be as much as 25% - 30% of the cost. If the removal company is packing for you, they will not know the difference between your junk and your valuable items, so not only will they pack it into a box, but they will also move it to your new home. So if you want to keep the cost of your move down, then make sure that you have sorted out the junk before they arrive and have disposed of it at the appropriate places. Depending on which company you use, they may even be able to dispose of it for you...

So if you know that you need to do something about your clutter, but do not have the time or patience yourself, then it might be an idea to hire either a cleaner who can help you or a house clearance company. Both of these can be found in your local paper or in the Yellow Pages or you can find Professional De-Clutterers on our Moving Services Page.