Do you suffer from Clutter Paralysis? The quick non-minimalist way to declutter your home.
Are you so overwhelmed with the clutter in your home that you suffer from Clutter Paralysis? You don’t have to take it on all at once, and you don’t have to remove everything. It took me years to find a system that worked for me, and I’m ready to share it with you. My quick non-minimalist way to declutter your home will get you started and build the momentum to keep going.
Full Disclosure: Non-Minimalist Here
I’m going to start by saying I’m not a minimalist. So, if you’re looking for minimalist solutions to your clutter, I’m not your girl. I love “things.” I like pretty things sitting out and around my house. If there’s a flat space, it has something on it and not just one thing. It needs at least 3.
I tried a minimalist approach once. I can’t do it. My brain freaks out, and I don’t get that warm and cozy vibe from it—no offense to the minimalist out there. I did try, so I obviously was open to it. It’s just not for this girl, and it may not be for your either. That’s okay.
My love for “things” also means I have to be extremely intentional about my space, or it gets out of control. QUICK. The “things” begin to take over my home. In fact, they are currently STILL taking over behind closed doors. “I’m working on that.”
Do you remember Monica’s closet in “Friends”? OMG! That’s totally me! But it’s not a closet. It’s my attic!
So, if you want the visually declutter look. A home where you feel it’s not cluttered. A home that people ask you how you keep everything so tidy all the time. Then you’re in the right place.
The Revolving Door
It’s a never-ending revolving door with the things that come into our homes. So, it’s important to have a system for new things you bring into your home once you have things visually decluttered.
It’s taken years to find a system that works for me. I’ve read so many books & articles on how to de-clutter. Which, just in case you have been hiding under a rock, like myself, is now referred to as editing.
But, here’s the thing I struggle DAILY with clutter! DAILY. I’m not a minimalist. I’m an organizing fanatic. Seriously, I organize to the point that over the years, during 3 different moves, they’ve had to bring in an extra truck because our “stuff” was underestimated that much.
The Truth
Here’s the deal. I believe that everything should have a home and a purpose. As long as it has a home and serves me a purpose, then it’s not “clutter.” At least it’s not in my mind, and I’m sticking to it. I mean, that’s really all that matters. Right?!
It’s all that should matter to you too. So, if your home has you so overwhelmed with clutter that you don’t know where to begin. Keep reading. I want to share with you the system that has worked for me. I use this system every time I take on a new space.
Using my non-minimalist approach, you’ll finally be able to get started with decluttering your home, and you’ll build the momentum to keep going.
Let’s Declutter!
So if you’re ready, let’s do this! I’m so excited to help you tackle the overwhelming clutter in your home…..well, the stuff you can see, that is. This go around, we’ll just be focused on the visible clutter. We’ll save the hiding clutter for another post.
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Break Your Clutter Paralysis with a non-minimalist way to declutter your home
It took me years to find a system that worked for me. It was all too much! Everyone wanted me to eliminate everything, not my style. After years of struggle, I finally figured out how to get everything looking pristine. The behind closed doors clutter is still a work-in-progress. Baby steps.
If you’re tired of looking at all the clutter daily, I want to share with you what finally worked for me. The steps I took to tackle the visual clutter, the clutter you and everyone else who enters your home sees.
I’m not going to tell you to get rid of all your things. Like I said, “I love my things.” I will share with you the non-minimalist way to declutter your home. Plus, help you develop a system for the revolving door of new things that come in. That way you don’t end up right back where you were.
So take a deep breath, and let’s dive right in.
Supplies Needed for Decluttering
To start the process, you’ll need:
- Boxes (4 or more depending on how much you feel will need to be donated or sold)
- Sharpies or markers
- Trash bags
Label one flap on each box with the following:
- Keep – Items you want to keep. You love it and can’t bear to part with it.
- Sell – Items you want to sell. You can do this via a yard sale, but a more popular option these days is FB marketplace, craigslist, or eBay. Selling items takes time. So, make sure you’re willing to take the time to sell these things.
- Donate – Best option to get things out of your home quickly. There are plenty of different organizations you can donate to. If you live in a neighborhood, I’ve had great luck simply posting the items for free in our neighborhood FB group. People will gladly come to collect the items from your porch or driveway.
- Doesn’t belong here – This is everything that belongs in a different room, or it’s something you’ve borrowed and needs to be returned.
Map out your declutter process
Next, determine if you have a room you can use as your hub. Your hub is where everything will go while it’s being processed. If you have a space in mind and it’s cluttered, start there. If not, ask yourself the following questions to help you decide which room you’ll start in and where you’ll go next.
- Which room do you use to relax?
- Is your bedroom cluttered?
- What room really drives you crazy?
- What do people see when they walk into your home?
If your established hub isn’t your starting area, I would begin with one of the first two options. These are the areas we relax in, and having this space complete will boost your productivity, mood, and motivation. It’s instant gratification having a place you can retreat to after a long day—a place to get away from all the daily stress. But, if you have a space that bothers you more, then go for it. The most important thing is to find a place with the most impact and get started.
Ready…Set…Go Declutter!
It’s go-time! You have your boxes. You have a room picked out. Now it’s time to take action and get started.
Setup
As soon as you walk in, put your boxes against the left or right wall. Whichever you go with, that’s where you start.
Start Analyzing
Remember, you’re only looking at what is visible. Think of it this way. When looking at things, ask yourself if that’s where that item lives? Is that where you envision it living? If the answer to either question is no, remove it and sort it into its corresponding box.
Making Choices
When trying to decide what to do with an item, ask yourself the following:
- When was the last time you used it. If it was more than a year ago, do you really need it?
- Could the item be easily replaced?
- Do you love the item?
- Does it make you happy?
- Is it of any value, and is it worth the time to try and sell it? FB has made it so easy to sell online, but it takes time, and you have to deal with A LOT of flaky people. Is it worth that
- Could you give it to someone else? If so, take a pic and send it to see if they need it.
Make a choice, sort, and move on.
Moving On
Work your way around the room.
If you fill up a box, take it to your hub and keep moving. You want to get this space done as quickly as possible. The reward of having the space done will be what keeps you moving forward.
Once completed, you’re ready for the next and final step.
Don’t Forget Your Hub
I know how amazing it feels to have a de-clutter space. A place you can relax and immediately feel at peace when you walk into it. But, you’re not done. Now, you have a hub full of stuff. It’s time to take care of it before we move forward.
Items to keep
Keep items need to find a new home if you removed them from your space. Do you have a new place in mind? If you don’t have anything in mind, ask yourself again if you really need to keep it. If the answer is “yes,” then leave it in the box, close it up, and put it to the side.
Sell Items
Sell items, take your pics and get them posted. Remember, this will take time out of your day, so make sure things are really worth selling. If they’re not, donate them. Your time has value.
Donate Items
Donate items need to be taken and donated. DO NOT leave these in your home. Get them out immediately. Don’t wait for a full load. Just go ahead, load ’em up and get them out of there.
Trash
If you have a lot of trash, take it to a local dump or simply put it out with your weekly trash if you don’t have pickup limits.
That’s it! You’ve dealt with everything from the space you just finished. Celebrate, relax in your newly decluttered space and then move on the next.
Keep following this process till you’ve gone through every room.
My Mission
"My mission is to help you eliminate the overwhelm and stress of day-to-day life. Calm doesn't just happen. You create it."
Last But Not Least Finding a Home For Your Keep Items
Don’t worry. I didn’t forget about all your keep boxes. Are they still in the corner? Do you have a lot?
Now comes the hard part. You either have to find a home for those items or let them go. If they’re truly “important,” finding them a home shouldn’t be that difficult.
No home? It’s okay.
So, what do you do if you can’t find an item a home and you’re not ready to let it go? That’s okay too. Just put them in storage bins and store them away.
I personally have a couple of bins in my attic specifically for these items. Once a year, I go through these items. If I still can’t let it go, it goes back into the bin until next year.
But I’ve found that you hit a point where you’re ready to let things go, and it’s easy. There’s no anxiety or regret. It’s just time.
Only you know when it feels right to you. Until then, and as long as you have space, let it sit. Just make sure it’s out of sight and put away.
Maintenance
Now that you’ve completed the non-minimalist way to declutter your home, you’ll need a way to maintain it. Here are some helpful tips and links to additional posts for developing some new daily routines and habits.
Have an inbox
This is where you put all the “things” that need to be dealt with—paperwork, bills, anything that needs something done with it.
I have a basket sitting in our entryway, everything goes in there, and on Friday’s I go thru it and take care of everything and then put it where it goes. If it doesn’t need attention until after the following Friday, I put it back in the basket and let it wait.
One in, One out
If you bring something new in, take something old out. This keeps us from continuing to accumulate more and more.
Develop A Daily Cleaning Habits
Having daily cleaning habits helps keep everything under control. If things are being put back in their home, they’re not clutter. You can check out the 5 things I think you should do every day to keep a home company ready.
Have a Cleaning Routine/Schedule
Having a set day/days you clean and a time will help keep your home.
Repeat this process
I recommend repeating this process annually, if not more often, to stay on top of things.
That’s it! That’s the non-minimalist way to declutter your home
Hopefully, by this point, you have a fully decluttered visual of your home. You’ve gone through each room, removing any clutter. You’ve donated or sold what you didn’t want, and you’ve gotten rid of all the trash. You have the items your not ready to let go of but didn’t have a home for stored away out of sight.
To you and everyone else that enters your home, it feels clean, spacious and you can actually relax in it. If you still don’t get that feeling, you may want to reconsider what you have left out and do a little refining.
So, tell me, how do you feel?
The whole point here is to create a visually appealing space. A place that looks and feels clean. One where you can relax and let go of the daily stress. You should be able to breathe and not feel like all the “things are suffocating you.” You should love everything you see and if you don’t remove it.
I’d LOVE to hear from you!
I hope you’ve found this helpful. If you did, I’d love to hear from you. Please leave me a comment below or shoot me an email of your before and after pics.
Also, please feel free to share this post. You never know who else may benefit from it.
If you’d like to receive emails about my new posts and helpful tips, please make sure you sign up for my newsletter. I’ll be posting more later on how to tackle those spaces behind closed doors. You won’t want to miss it. I have lots more to share, so make sure you don’t miss out.
Enjoy your decluttered home!
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Really great tips! Thank you for breaking down a process that SeemS overwhelming and making it doable. I also love that you are addressing those of us that love our stuff but want a calm, organized and BEAUTIFUL home!
Thank you so much for your comment. I’m glad you found the post helpful. The decluttering process can be so stressful for those of us who LOVE our STUFF. Best wishes!