9 Steps to Help Declutter Your Space and Start Fresh Now

Do circumstances in your life make it clear you need to declutter? 

• Maybe you're planning a big move.
• Maybe you're part of a couple that's ready to merge households.
• Maybe you're going to have a child.
• Maybe you've developed a chronic condition that makes it harder to care for your home and all of your stuff.
• Maybe you're older and need to clear out a lifetime of belongings so you can downsize or move into assisted living.
• Maybe you've been left the job of decluttering after the death of a loved one.
• Or maybe you've simply looked around your home and decided you have too much and need to pare down.

Whatever the reason, you may be feeling daunted by the task.  If you're like many of us, that apprehension and nervousness could keep you stuck.  Let me help you get past your anxiety so you can get started and persevere to reach your goal.

Now, I'm not going to tell you that decluttering is easy.  I know you have pictures and papers, keepsakes and collections that (at least right now) feel so important you can't imagine parting with them.  So we're not going to start there.  I promise this process will enable you to discover what's most valuable while helping you release everything else.

Decluttering in order

This is the order I recommend as you tackle your big decluttering project:

1.  Define what "finished" looks like.

Identify what you want your life to look and feel like after you declutter.  What do you imagine as you walk through your front door and into each room of your home?  Start picturing a tidier, more spacious area, with room for the things you need and love, places for what you want to do, and nothing in the way of your comfortable life.

2.  Set a deadline.

Parkinson's Law states that work expands to fill whatever time you allow for it.  If you give yourself all day to write a work email, it will take all day.  If you give yourself a week to clean out the bathroom cupboard, you'll wind up doing it at the last minute.  But when you have a deadline, you get focused and stop procrastinating.

So pick a date, even if you don't have a "real" deadline like a move-out day.  I recommend that you choose a target from one to six months away.  Nothing inspires action like a due date.

3.  Gather your tools.

You'll need packing boxes, padding, and tape, labels or a marker, garbage bags, and cleaning supplies.  You'll also need storage items like baskets, bins, trays, hangers, hooks, filing supplies, and the like.  Use what you already have before buying anything new.

4.  Create your "must have" list.

These are the pieces of furniture, kitchen items, linens, clothing, and tools you would want to replace if disaster destroyed your home.  Start by making a list on paper, because what you come up with from memory is likely most significant.  Choose the best, and set realistic limits.  For example, you need sheets, but probably not six sets for each bed!

5.  Create your "I'd like to have it" list.

This includes favorite art and décor,  hobbies and collections.  You need to place limits here too, so start with three to five decorative items for each room, a collection or two, and the paraphernalia for a couple of hobbies.  Remember that small items corralled on a tray or shelf will "read" as one item.

The limit helps you zero-in on what matters most and what you want to be able to see or do every day.  Consider removing all of the also-rans.

6.  Take lots of baby steps.

From removing duplicates and broken or outdated items to clearing your hot spot, or from five-minute decluttering to my bite-sized minimalism game, take the steps that most people find fairly simple once they break out of inertia and get moving.

My best advice?  Begin with a thing you know you can do.  Give yourself a few easy wins to get the ball rolling.

7.  Move it out.

Now's the time to give your children and other relatives what they want, which may be a lot less than what you'd like to give them.  Sell valuables, and donate to charity.  Keep in mind that selling takes time and energy you may not have, and that the amount you can get will probably be less than you imagine.  When in doubt, choose to donate.

• Where to sell housewares and décor:  Facebook Marketplace, Craigslist, Nextdoor, garage sale, eBay, antique stores

• Where to donate housewares and décor:  Goodwill, Salvation Army, Habitat for Humanity ReStores, Buy Nothing Groups, Freecycle

• Where to sell books:  eBay, Abe Books

• Where to donate books:  public library, schools, retirement homes, Prison Book Program

• Where to sell clothes:  Poshmark, ThredUp, consignment shops

• Where to donate clothes:  Goodwill, Salvation Army, homeless shelter, Dress for Success (business), local theater company (dressy)

• Where to donate/recycle electronics:  Staples, Call2Recycle

Related article:  45+ Useful Tips to Help You Responsibly Declutter Unwanted Items

8.  Sort through paper, pictures, and other keepsakes.

From junk mail and old newspapers, which I hope you'll find easy to remove, to photos, certificates, diplomas, souvenirs, and other trinkets, this is where many people bog down.  Be sure to gather and store the documents you should keep, and learn how to recognize the few gems you'll want to keep.

If you need to do large-volume shredding, contact your nearest UPS store or Shred-it (they operate in countries around the world), or a local copy shop or printer.

9.  Clean up.

As you dig into your stash and start sorting and removing things, you may uncover areas that haven't been cleaned for quite a long time.  Take the opportunity for a truly fresh start (especially if you're planning to sell your home), and get all that lingering dirt.  You might even decide to hire professional help for this step.

You'll be surprised at how much easier it is to breathe – both literally and figuratively – once you've cleaned up.  I know from experience that you'll feel lighter and more energetic too.

Optimizing home

One often-overlooked benefit of going through your belongings is that as you handle and sort through things, you'll notice items that are particularly memorable.  You might feel like you need to keep all of your child's old possessions, but maybe it's only the best-loved stuffed animal or one special drawing that you need to make a place for.  You might feel like you can't part with your mother's jewelry, but maybe you just need to keep (and occasionally wear) her long-cherished birthstone necklace.*  I thought I might struggle to give up all the letters my grandma wrote over the years, but it turned out that one was particularly evocative, and fit perfectly in my scrapbook next to a lovely photo of her.  I was able to recycle all the rest.

* This blog is reader-supported.  If you buy through my links, I may earn a small commission.

After this process, what's left will be your most-used and best-loved possessions – everything you need and want, and nothing you don't.  You'll enjoy your home and find it much easier to care for as you move ahead with your life.

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