Garage, Basement & Storage Spaces: Tackling the Hidden Clutter Zones
We’re knee-deep in summer now. The sun is out and hopefully you are ready to seize the day. You can use some of that extra energy to shine a light on some of your home’s hidden clutter zones. Garages, basements, and other storage spaces that hibernate through the winter can create new stress during the summer as you open up everything and discover just what lurks in those shadows. This is your opportunity to declutter your space and set things straight for the rest of the year.
Make a Plan
Deciding to declutter your space is the first step towards creating a better home, and there’s often the urge to jump right in and immediately get started. When you do that, it’s easy to get overwhelmed and end up with half-finished projects all over your home. So before you jump in, pause and make a plan for what you want to tackle, when, and how. Hidden clutter zones are often large and dense, and you probably won’t get through them in one day. Once you’ve decided you want to clear out a space, decide on a week or weekend you can set aside for this express purpose. Once you’ve picked that time, decide what you want to accomplish. Are you trying to clear out space and plan to hold a yard sale? Are you going to load up the car and take items to the good will? Knowing what you’re planning to do can help you make better progress. You can also recruit help from family and friends; use this as a bonding moment and show off your wonderful home!
One Space at a Time
As tempting as it is to try and sort everything in your house immediately, doing so can easily overwhelm you and create more chaos in the long run. In some ways, you need to stay organized about your organizing! Tackling one space (or even one part of a space) at a time will give you the chance to truly work through it and finish what you started. It will also prevent burnout and ensure that you’re not overworking yourself. Once you’ve finished one space, you can move on to the next. You’ll often have a better idea of what you can reasonably accomplish and have more sound work methods to make the process more effective. Patience is key, and it will prove beneficial in the long run.
Seasonal, Or Unreasonable?
As you begin to work through your clutter, you’ll inevitably find things that you don’t use often. You might not even remember you owned it in the first place! Or it can spark excitement as you remember purchasing the item in the first place, and you might instinctually want to set it aside; you definitely will use it now that you remember it’s here! Before you set it aside to keep, however, really ask yourself why you bought it and what you would actually use it for. In some cases, there is a real need for it, even if you won’t use it immediately. Perhaps you found tools that will fix your squeaky door, or decorations for the winter holidays. These are seasonal, and reasonable to set aside for later. You might find, however, that what you’ve found disappeared to the back shelf of the garage or into the attic for a reason: you simply don’t need it. If you haven’t used it and you forgot it existed, it’s very possible that what feels like a shiny new toy is actually just more clutter. Being able to differentiate between the seasonable and unreasonable, and learning to part with what you really don’t need, will help you navigate the decluttering process with more ease and save yourself from repeating this whole process next summer.
Hidden clutter zones are found lurking in every home, waiting for the summer light to shine upon them. Recognizing and tackling these spaces while you have the extra time and energy to do so will help you create a home that is organized and refreshing to live in. Just as nature is renewed in the summer, you and your home can be renewed too.