As life happens, we cycle
through different necessities, wants and uses of space. No matter where you are
in life, at some point you may realize you've ended up with too much stuff. And
the idea of going through it all to decide what should stay and what should go
can be frustratingly stressful. You can simplify the task of sorting through it
all by taking it one step at a time with the tips below:
Wardrobe
Inventory your clothes,
shoes and accessories by trying on as many pieces as possible. Don't just guess
that it fits and keep it. If you don't fit in it anymore, can't remember why
you bought it, or haven't felt like wearing it for the past year, it needs to
go.
Appliances
A collection of
appliances aren't handy if they're collecting dust or never
leaving the box. If you can't remember the last time you plugged something in
or you know you haven't used it in the last year, it's taking up space for
something you may find more useful.
Media
When was the last time
you read that book, watched that DVD, or displayed those old photos? Just about
everything can go digital, especially if you haven't read or watched it in the
past year. To keep your media from taking over your place again in the future, decide
which digital streaming accounts or electronic reading services will work best
with your needs. You can find almost all of your favorite books and movies digitally.
Your photos can be digitized and uploaded to cloud storage to create space as
well.
Furniture
Look at all of the
furniture in your home, one piece at a time, and ask yourself two things: is
this a piece I use regularly, and is this a piece that easily contributes to
the room's ambiance and style? If you can't answer "yes" to one of these
questions, the furniture is likely not useful to you and should be sold or
donated.
Cars
If you or a loved one
you care for is not driving anymore or otherwise find yourself with more cars
than people, you'll want to start thinking about selling. If one or more cars
are just sitting in your garage or on your property taking up needed valuable
space, insurance and maintenance fees may begin to stack up without much
benefit. Deciding to sell or donate the cars can be a great first step to reclaiming
space that will help you streamline.
Off-Site Storage
Storage units can add up
monthly. Ranging on average from $75 – $250 monthly per unit, some units can
cost thousands of dollars to maintain annually. Anything in off-site storage should be assessed,
and in most cases, automatically sold, gifted or donated. If it doesn't fit in
your home, then there's no reason for you to keep it. There's a reason you took
these things out of your home in the first place. The general rule here is if
it wasn't important or essential enough to keep in your home, then it's not
important or essential enough to hold on to.
Streamlining your possessions can be simple once you know
what to look for. Invest the time to go through everything and always keep your
desired end result in mind. If you feel overwhelmed by the labor or
decision-making process, remember there is always expert help available. Caring
Transitions and one of our friendly, knowledgeable professionals can help ease
the stress by simplifying the streamline process for you.