When it comes to de-cluttering your house or unit, there can be quite a few problem areas that need your attention. De-cluttering is a good idea as it will make your home a more livable space and provide more room for you to enjoy the things you love. If you are thinking of selling your home, clutter-free open spaces are always more appealing to potential buyers. But where do you put all the things you want to keep even though they are no longer in use? A de-clutter does not mean you are simply throwing everything into a skip bin. It means removing things that are not presently in use such as items of clothing, toys, papers, etc. These things are still valuable and just need to find a new home. The answer is to put all of these things into a secure storage unit. AAA Storage Ballina and Goonellabah is the ideal storage facility if you want to have easy access to your belongings day or night. With 24/7 access and state of the art security, you can relax knowing everything is safe and secure and within easy reach. To help you get started on your de-cluttering mission here are a few ideas to get you motivated.
Benefits of De-cluttering your Home
The first obvious benefit is that there is a lot less to clean! When you have less stuff, cleaning is not so much of a chore. Cleaning around lots of stuff makes the whole process of cleaning so much more stressful and labour intensive. Even worse, you could be cleaning around things you have zero emotional attachment to or perhaps even dislike.
De-cluttering means getting organised. You will find things so much easier to find once you have a clear out. Do you often have trouble finding your keys? Chances are you just have too much stuff and don’t have an obvious place to put your keys down when you get home.
Just living in a cluttered environment is stressful. We already have enough stress in our lives and it’s nice to come home to an uncluttered organised home and relax. Having a clean organised home can lead to success in other areas of your life too.
We need to spend less time shopping, adding to our material possessions, draining our bank accounts, and filling our homes with costly items we sometimes don’t use but just end up keeping out of fear they can’t be replaced. Many of these items are valuable and worth keeping. At least identify those items that are not in use and put them into storage. You won’t have to go shopping again to find a replacement. Everything you need will still be close on hand should you need it again. At AAA storage Ballina, Goonellabah and Lismore, we have a secure storage space that will suit your needs.
We often buy things a second time simply because we don’t have time to search through everything, turning everything up side down in the process! This is usually due to not having a system in place to store your items. You end up having to waste time searching through all the possible storage spaces in your home. It is better to be organised and use a dedicated storage space such as a storage unit with AAA Storage Ballina located on the north coast of New South Wales.
As we get older, we tend to accumulate a lot of things. It’s a good idea to have a clear out every now and then because you don’t want to burden the next generation with all your collections. These days a lot of millennials are not that interested in keeping family heirlooms no matter how sentimental they may be to you. They want to live minimally, tend to move around a lot and often travel. Some of these valuable heirlooms can end up being surplus to your needs but still too good to dispose of even if they are no longer in use. Storage is a good solution if you have valuable collections or such things as heirloom furniture which are not only creating clutter but probably collecting dust. A storage unit at AAA Storage Ballina, Goonellabah and Lismore, is perfect to store your precious family heirlooms until such time as they are needed again or you decide they should be disposed of by way of sale. Putting sentimental items or personal collections into storage gives you and your family time to think about whether or not you want to keep some things or which is the best way to dispose of or sell them.
Kitchens
When it comes to de-cluttering, the kitchen is a good first place to start. Do you have trouble keeping your kitchen cupboard doors closed? Are all your drawers full and you have trouble closing them? Do you have so many appliances that you forget to use them? Cups are one item that seem to accumulate. We might have a collection of souvenir cups, cups from sporting events, promotional cups, or cups that were a loving gift from friends, family or work mates. Usually, these cups are quite durable so we don’t ever throw them out. Before you know it, your cupboards are overflowing!
If these items are still valuable or sentimental look at packing up some of your kitchen items into storage boxes. Label the boxes clearly with the contents. Some people even purchase whole new cutlery sets and kitchen utensils just to make everything in your kitchen new again! If your old stuff is still in good condition, box it up and save it for when you really need it later on. This could happen when teenagers move out of home for the first time or you decide to go camping. You won’t have to look for spare kitchen supplies again! Use what you already have and save money! Once all your kitchen items are boxed up and labeled they can be put into storage for safe keeping and used at a later date. Storage units at AAA Storage are close to Alstonville, Ballina, Goonellabah, and Lismore which means you will always have easy access to all your items at any time.
Wardrobes
Even the largest of walk-in-wardrobes can start to overflow with clothing. If you find yourself running out of coat hangers and drawer space, then it’s a pretty good indication you have way too many clothes! It might be time to run a close eye over your clothing to determine if items you haven’t worn for a long time can be thrown out or put into storage. Clothing that is out of season can be easily stored away. If you are unsure you can always get rid of the clothing at a later date. This is especially a good idea with items such a snow-gear or even things you hope the kids will grow into one day. People with fluctuating weight issues may find they have many different sizes in their wardrobes. Some items of clothing can represent a large financial investment and it is possible that you will fit into these clothes again at some time in the future. Again, box up these items of clothing and clearly label them with sizes so you can pull them out again as needed.
Get the Marie Kondo book to help you reduce the amount of clothing you have and adopt some smart storage strategies. Items of clothing that need to be put into storage, should be well packed using such things as a “storage wardrobe” which will ensure your clothes are persevered in good condition when in storage. If you have clothing in storage with AAA Storage Ballina, Goonellabah and Lismore, we recommend using mould preventatives such as a moisture absorber. Your clothes should be well packed in a clothes wardrobe with a container of moisture absorber to dry up any dampness and remove unpleasant odours. This will also prevent mould and mildew. Vacuum sealed bags are also a good idea for storing out of season clothing.
Home Office
Most homes have a home office and paperwork just seems to pile up everywhere! Sometimes when you get home after work you head to the mailbox, grab whatever was inside, and then toss it on the counter as you make your way to the bathroom and change into more comfortable clothing. Then you settle down to dinner and family time forgetting all about the mail. The next thing you know, you have one or two week’s worth of mail, accumulating on the counter. Then you’re behind with your bills! Prevent getting bill reminders, by taking care of the mail as soon as you bring it in. Sort the mail, while you are walking inside, and instantly throw out any junk received. If you really want to ditch the paper clutter, sign up for electronic alerts through your email.
The reality is that document storage is part of our “life administration”. We need to store everything from insurance policies, phone bills, rates notices, tax returns, medical records to kids’ school reports. They all take up valuable space in filing cabinets and drawers. We also need to keep bank statements and credit card statements not to mention receipts for purchases, user manuals and warranties. Most of this paperwork is bulky and very rarely ever referred to. However, they are a must to keep when the times comes that you actually need them! It is a good idea to empty out your office drawers, sort your paperwork into different boxes, preferably plastic boxes with a lock-in lid. Each box should be labeled so you can easily see what you have inside. A storage unit at AAA Storage can be fitted with shelving to store archived paperwork. The extra free space in your home office will feel like a weight off your shoulders. Should you need any important documents in the future, they will always be accessible at any time by visiting your storage unit with AAA Storage Ballina. In times of crisis, storing important documents away from your home can be a good decision too.
Toys
As kids grow and change they accumulate many toys. Much-loved toys that were once used every day are no longer of interest to your growing toddlers or children. Toy boxes seem to be overflowing with toys that are no longer even looked at. If you find your children have outgrown a lot of their toys, then it might be time to box them up and put them away. Keeping toys out of sight for some length of time often renews kids’ interest and curiosity when those toys are “re-discovered” again, months or years later. Most kids only play with their toys for one or two weeks before they are abandoned to the toy box. Then these toys start to overflow not only in the toy box but to their bedrooms too!
In order to de-clutter, go through the toy boxes, play areas and kids’ closets and pack away those toys that are no longer used. You can use this opportunity to throw away broken toys and work out what you would like to give away or keep.
Those toys you want to keep should be cleaned and packed away into plastic storage crates and put into storage. You can always bring them out again later and it will be like everything is all new again! Another bonus is you won’t be accidentally throwing away a much-loved toy a child may be looking for even though you thought they no longer used it.
Put your children’s toys away in storage with AAA Storage Ballina for safe keeping until they are needed again. Our easy access storage units are located within a short drive from Alstonville, Wollongbar, Goonellabah or Lismore, so your items will always be close at hand.
How to get Started
Getting started with a de-clutter is the hardest part. It is bests to break down the process into small goals. No matter how many rooms or how much clutter you have to get through, starting with specific goals in mind will help you create a plan that will reduce any frustration as you go. Here are a few ideas to get you started with de-cluttering your home:
- Make a list of each room that needs a de-clutter or even use a map of your home.
- Grade each space on the severity of the clutter (eg 1-3 with 3 being the most cluttered). This will help to priortise and plan your time.
- Only do one room or one space at a time. For instance, you could aim to do one room each week.
- Set a completion date for each clean-up project. This makes it more challenging and it will feel more like a game. You can get the whole family involved!
- Be careful to allocate enough time to large areas such as the garage which may need more than one day.
- Get in early and book a storage unit with AAA Storage Ballina, so you can start moving in boxes or items of furniture straight away, as you clear out and complete each room.
- Make sure all boxes and containers are clearly labeled so you know what you have in storage and can easily locate your items when needed again.