If it is time for the big declutter, and you are trying to navigate the busy waters of tidying, donating, and what to keep, here is a short guide to maximise what you can do. 

These five tips can work in almost any room and give you a chaos free home.

What do you want?

Perhaps one of the essential parts of decluttering is asking yourself what you want from that room? Usually, the bedroom is a relaxing space with less 'stuff' in it. You might be looking for less to clean for other rooms like the bathroom or kitchen. 

Think about what you need to keep in the room and what you can do without.

The reason for the decluttering will play a role in what you need to store, keep, and discard. 

Tag things up

One of the most important things you can do is have a confirmed list of what you want to keep, what can be donated and what needs to be recycled or taken to the tip. 

Remember that what is important is that you dispose of things during your declutter as responsibly as possible. 

The easiest way to do this is to tag the furniture you want to keep - and, if possible, ship it out to storage for a short while. This gives you time to donate and sell what you don't want, then give each room a deep clean. 

If you are pondering over a specific piece for a while, it might be a sign that it is time for it to go. 

The same goes for clothing, electronics and anything else. Be ruthless and leave yourself only with what you need. 

Take it slowly

Most people are impatient when decluttering because they want it to be done as soon as possible. However, if you're going to make the most of it and stay on track, it is more beneficial for you to take it slowly. This allows you to process all of the items in the room easier and make better decisions. 

Not often

If there are things that you don't use often but you still need, rather than keep these in the limited home storage, it can be better for you to put these items into low-cost storage. 

Getting the item and using it only when you need to. 

Tools, equipment, trailers, documents and items that you want to pass down to your children but don't have room for are all prime candidates for putting in storage. 

Good as new

One of the biggest mistakes people make when they are decluttering is putting things in their 'new home' before the rest of the items have been discarded. This is why it is recommended that, where possible, you make use of storage options as you are reorganising. 

Make sure that everything has a purpose and a place - because that will make the most significant difference to your decluttering efforts. 

Self-storage is the unsung hero of a good declutter and can make the process easier and more efficient. There are many different options that you can use, from large containers for things like trailers and smaller ones for storing those all-important documents. 

If your big declutter is part of your mission to move house, here are some handy tips about protecting those breakables: How to organise a house move (electricals, mirrors, fragile items).

For any information about self-storage, the best size container for you, or any storage questions, get in touch - we'd be delighted to help! 

Gornal Self Storage is part of the well-established Havant Self Store company, which offers storage solutions for customers across Hampshire and the West Midlands.

If you are looking for self storage or container storage in Lower Gornal, Upper Gornal, Stourbridge, Oldbury, Dudley, West Midlands & Hampshire - you can rest assured that we will provide competitively priced and professional services.

All you need to do is give us a call and we would be delighted to help.