Decluttering is a difficult task for anyone, even those who are relatively well-organised, there is no doubt about that. Choosing to throw out things that we still like is a tough path to tread, but one which is necessary if we are feeling stifled by our cluttered home and want to make a fresh start. Focusing on the benefits we can enjoy after we have effectively decluttered can help us to stay motivated, and can ensure we stay dedicated to the project, no matter how tough it gets! Here are just a few of the major benefits we can look forward to at the end of a de-cluttering project, which will hopefully help you to complete the job. By focussing on these benefits it will help you to get the task done as quickly and as thoroughly as possible:

• Use your furniture as it was intended: If your dining room table is more often used as a dumping ground than a family meal, then a good declutter is likely to bring your family back together at meal times by giving you a pleasant space where you can eat, chat and relax together.
• See your treasures: When you shelves are so cluttered, it is difficult to pick out the beautiful objects from the junk and the everyday objects. Decluttering will enable you to give your very best possessions pride of place, so that everyone can see them and enjoy them.
• More help: When the house is relatively easy to tidy, and everything has a place, children and other family members will be more inclined to help you tidy up. Because the house will spend more time tidy, you will also find people more inclined to do a bit of cleaning now and then, because they haven’t got to move a tonne of stuff first before you can dust or vacuum.
• More time: Because your home will be more orderly, it will be much easier for you to stay on top of things like cleaning and washing, leaving you more time for the things you really enjoy or simply to put your feet up and relax. Because everything in your home has its own place, you’ll know where things like your keys, wallet, passport and other important items are straight away, thereby eliminating the typical searching time required to locate these objects.
• More fun: When your home is clean and tidy the majority of the time, you’ll be able to have visitors over more often and at shorter notice, helping you to enjoy a better social life all round.
• Better health: Living in a clean and tidy environment has been proven to have certain health benefits. These include:
• Better sleep
• Reduced stress
• Less colds and flu
• Less depression
• More motivation
• More resilient to other stresses

No matter how hard you think it will be, decluttering has so many remarkable benefits on you, your family and your home, you’ll be glad you did it. There may never be a good time to make a fresh start so forget the delaying tactics and just get started because now is as good a time as any to sort out that clutter. And remember that if you really can’t bear to part with certain possessions but they are just taking up too much of the valuable space in your home then why not rent a self-storage unit and use it as storage overflow?

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De-cluttering is such a popular idea that there is even a “De-Cluttering Week” every year. But often it is just that – an idea – and the thought of getting round to sorting out our possessions and clearing out anything that we don’t need or want any longer is often too daunting a task for us to know where to begin.

But why do we all have so much clutter in the first place? Well, part of the reason is that we are a nation of shoppers. Shopping, which used to be a necessity for items we needed, is now one of the nation’s favourite pastimes. And stores are so good at tempting us to buy that we often return home with things we haven’t really got room for. Add to that the instinctive human desire to hoard and very soon our houses start to fill up. Lofts and garages become extended storage space that we fill with items we often forget we even own.

What is de-cluttering?

It is simply getting rid of anything that we no longer need. Apart from seasonal clothes and seasonal items such as Christmas decorations or gardening equipment, anything that is not regularly used or on display is potential clutter. Other exceptions are photographs, CDs/DVDs and books, all of which may not be used or viewed frequently but which form a collection of memories and cultural enjoyments. De-cluttering is not about throwing out our memories but about throwing out everyday items that are no longer useful. So if we know what our clutter is, why is it so hard to de-clutter?

The benefits of de-cluttering

It is often only when people are moving house that they are forced into sorting out everything they own. But why wait until you are moving? Clearing space in your home can help create a peaceful environment that will calm your mind after a busy day. And if your home is organised and clutter-free then that will lead to an organised, clutter-free mind that will view daily troubles in a clearer, more serene way.

Your home is after all a place of sanctuary from the world outside and having control over your private space can be the first step to having control over your life. But in order to embark on the arduous task of de-cluttering we need to feel motivated that a clutter-free home will be worth all the effort. If you cannot appreciate the advantages of de-cluttering then you will never do it. We also need to understand that de-cluttering is absolutely not about throwing away items with any sentimental value, however small, but it is about knowing the difference between clutter and things with sentimental value. Many people never embark on de-cluttering because they don’t understand this difference but there are options such as self storage units if you really can’t bear to part with some possessions but no longer have room in your home for them (you can compare storage prices here).

The 4 main advantages are:

1. A calm, organised living space will lead to a calm, organised life.
2. The satisfaction of supporting a charity close to your heart
3. Making money from selling your unwanted goods
4. Recycling and doing your bit for the environment

Avoid excuses

Once you have convinced yourself of the benefits of de-cluttering and motivated yourself to embark on the task, watch out for the typical excuses we all make to ourselves for not assigning an item to the clutter pile:

1. You might need it at a later date – in a cluttered home, you are unlikely to find the item at the point when you need it so just get rid of it now or put it into a self storage unit.
2. It was a present from someone you are fond of – they will probably never notice it has gone so don’t hang on to it to avoid hurting their feelings.
3. You hope an item will appreciate in value – if you genuinely think it might then consider a self storage facility (many of which have excellent security for valuable items).
4. It reminds you of a particular person or place – whilst de-cluttering is not about throwing away precious memories, it is about clearing out items with little significance in your life now. Keep photos of the person or place if you wish to relive the moment.
5. I will still have too much stuff even once I have cleared out the things I no longer want – You just have to be more ruthless!.

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The task of de-cluttering a home can seem so overwhelming to many people that they never even begin tackling it; others start the job but then it all becomes to much for them and they quickly abandon the chance of living in a clutter-free environment. But if you tackle the task of de-cluttering one step at a time it can become manageable enough to encourage you to begin and will also ensure that you complete the task so that you have some rewards for your efforts.

Of course, there are other, emotional reasons why we might be reluctant to begin or finish the de-cluttering process, most particularly the fact that many of us tend to become unreasonably attached to our belongings and find it almost impossible to part with them. And by this I don’t mean the possessions that have genuine sentimental value. Decluttering is not about throwing out your memories and treasured possessions but simply about getting rid of the trivia we can surround ourselves with; trinkets and ornaments, piles of out-dated magazines, old clothes and shoes, broken electronic equipment etc. etc. It is these items that need to go.

So follow these easy steps to help you achieve that clutter-free, calm and relaxing space you have always wanted:

Where To Start

Begin in the least cluttered room in your house, for instance the bathroom, spare bedroom or study so that you are not overwhelmed before you even start. Tackling just one room at a time and started with the easiest will encourage you to continue.

Taking Stock

Look around the whole room before your start: on the shelves, in the cupboards, on the floor, under the furniture. Look for particular items that do have importance in your life, or that you use regularly then look at what else is there and see how those items make you feel – if you feel nothing (or possibly anger, frustration, stress) then these items are clutter that has to go.

Making A Start

Gather some cardboard boxes and label them “Charity”, “Recycle” and “Rubbish”, and you are now ready to start on the hard work. De-cluttering is hard work but the effort will be worth it when finished. Much like gardening is hard work but the delights of spending a sunny day in a lovely garden make the effort worthwhile.

Start working your way systematically through every item, being as ruthless as you can and placing as many items as possible in your 3 boxes. It is important to recognise that probably every item you own will trigger a memory but you need to ask yourself whether the item itself is necessary for the memories you will continue to hold. It can be helpful to imagine that you only have 5 minutes per room to grab those items most precious to you – you may be surprised at how little clutter you could live without
Cleaning Those Forgotten Corners
Once your room is clear give it a really thorough clean, including the inside of cupboards. It is a much easier task to clean a room when there are only major pieces of furniture in it so you will find it takes very little time as there is no need to move things off surfaces before they can be dusted or wiped. If you had stuff piled on the floor or under furniture there will probably be areas of your carpet, tiles or wooden floor that have not been properly cleaned for a long time!

Storing Everything You Are Keeping

Once you have boxed up and removed everything that you are not keeping then it is time to find a storage space for your precious items. Try to keep surfaces as clear as possible – this makes it easier to keep your home clean and don’t overfill drawers and cupboards, otherwise, you will not be able to find the things you want when you need them. Your room should now be uncluttered and functional with everything in an allocated space. If you need to, buy more storage units to make sure it stays that way.

All you have to do now is repeat the process for every room in the house – that might take you days, weeks or months but eventually you will have an uncluttered living environment that will make your life calmer and less stressful. If you can’t handle throwing away, donating or selling too much stuff at once then try renting a self-storage unit on a temporary basis for storing the items you would like to dispose of but aren’t quite yet ready to do so just yet (you can compare storage prices here). After a few months without them in your home you will probably find your attachment to them has gone.

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If you desire to live a more minimalistic life, keep a cleaner and more organised home and to free yourself of all the ‘stuff’ that you seem to possess, de-cluttering is a worthwhile process that can help you get your life back to where you want it to be. You may look around your home and think that a life clear of clutter is an impossible mountain to scale, but with some help from our top tips for clearing your clutter, you can start to make progress up that mountain, one day at a time.

1. Little and often. Nobody relishes the prospect of an entire day of clutter sorting, but if you set aside just 15 minutes each day you will be surprised at how quickly you start to see the light at the end of the tunnel.
2. Stop bringing it in. There is a reason you have a cluttered house right now, and that is a habit you are going to have to break. Your home is like a sinking ship – you can bail the water out as quickly as you like, but if you don’t fix the leak you’ll end up right back where you started.
3. Be charitable. Your clutter is not just junk. In fact it may be of great value to someone else. Donate your cleared out items to a charity shop, or give them away locally to achieve a sense of empowerment and pride.
4. One in, two out. If you want to bring something new into the home, you have to get rid of two things that are already there. To start with you will probably cheat, throwing out some papers or a dead house plant, but soon you will need to move on to bigger and more challenging stuff.
5. Make a ‘one year’ box. Anything you think you will miss if you throw out, but don’t have a specific use for right now, put inside the box and seal it. Date the box, and one year from the date you have made it, if the box is unopened, donate it. You probably won’t remember what was inside that box anyway.
6. Cluttering clothes. Anything you haven’t worn for 6 months, unless it is seasonal clothing or footwear, should be sold or donated.
7. Get help. Get a trusted friend or relative to help you go through things. This will help sort the wheat from the chaff with a fresh pair of eyes.
8. One room at a time. Aim to de-clutter one room entirely, including all cupboards, drawers and shelves. Spending time in this minimal and refreshing space will be so good you’ll be inspired to continue with the other rooms in the house.
9. Remember, it’s just ‘stuff’. Work on your self-esteem to believe that you are worth more than just the sum of your ‘stuff’, and share your belongings through donations and gifts.
10. Store sentimental items. Everyone has a ‘treasure box’ or a collection of things that they could never bear to part with. Things like children’s artwork, old photos and other treasured memories don’t necessarily need to be thrown away. Cheap self storage can be a good way to put aside a couple of boxes you probably don’t need access to on a regular basis, but without the need to actually bin them (compare storage prices here).

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Updated 30 August 2022

When you enter your home, you want to come in to a place that promotes peace and calm after a busy day. Whether you are returning home from work, a school run, or shopping, when you enter a house that has had a good declutter you will find it is easier to relax and enjoy the space that you live in. When your house is untidy and cluttered, it can make you feel on edge as you are surrounded by things that you may not really want and need. Even if you have a cluttered house that is actually tidy (with lots of clever storage units), there is still the dreaded moment of opening the cupboards to try and find something that you are looking for that is buried beneath clutter. One of the key benefits to decluttering your home is to make life less stressful because it becomes easier to find things – there are many ways this can be achieved. Let’s take a look

1. Focus your mind

Firstly, you need to have a focussed mind. It is no good starting on decluttering, only to get sentimental about every item that you come across, as this doesn’t help. There needs to be an end goal in sight, and the reasons you are doing this must be kept at the forefront of your mind. Do you have items in your cupboards that have been packed away and not looked at for years; maybe not since you first moved to your new home? Perhaps you are one of those people that has kept every single workbook that your child has written in from the age of 3 to 18? Or odd pieces of wood that might come in handy one day, or a spare pack of porcelain tiles from when you tiled the bathroom 10 years ago “just in case”. Whatever the reason for decluttering, it is important to take the emotions out of it. Yes, it may be nice that you have all the pieces of artwork that your child has created since the day they picked up a pen; however, if you take a photo of your favourite few on your smart phone they can be stored virtually and the space of a box of artwork freed up. There are actually many apps and services such as Keepy that are set up for just this type of problem. You’ll still be able to look back on all the hard work your kids have put into their schoolwork and pictures for you but that space can be used for more useful current items that need storing, or indeed for items that don’t currently have a place to be stored. When you starting your decluttering mission, remember why you are doing it and if you find yourself wavering, take a break, focus back in and start again or continue tomorrow!

2. Start small

The thought of decluttering the house may seem totally daunting, understandably so. The task ahead isn’t something that is meant to be done in a short space of time. If this task seems like an uphill mountain that is difficult to climb, take it in small steps. Start with ten minutes on a particular shelf in a room. Once you have done that ten minutes, leave it and reward yourself with a cup of tea, or simply the joy that you have started. When you are feeling ready, go back and do it again. This time, if you can for a bit longer, but if not just stick to small ten minute bursts. Before you know it, the whole bookshelf will be done, then the room and slowly the house will be decluttered. This isn’t something to be taken as a quick fix that can be done overnight. Taking your time and completing it purposefully is far more achievable that trying to do the whole house in a day!

3. Make a mess

When you declutter it is useful to start a room at a time. By doing this, you can contain yourself and concentrate on the task at hand. With decluttering you have to expect mess, as you are emptying out cupboards or going through boxes and shelving. This can seem counterproductive, however it is totally necessary. To truly declutter you will first end up making a mess and then as you put stuff away that you are keeping, the tidiness will reappear. If you are working in one room, make sure that you can close the door and leave it when you have reached your limit; but, always go back to it the following day! It isn’t a quick job to properly declutter your house, and accepting that it may take time will help to get it done thoroughly.

4. Be ruthless

Once you have embarked on this mission, you must remember to be ruthless. It is no good spending time and effort on doing this, if you aren’t going to actually declutter what is there. Simply rearranging the clutter so it fits better won’t help. It may be easiest to make piles of things; a keep, throw, sell and charity shop pile could work quite well. If you keep pile doesn’t change drastically in size, then you know you need to get rid of those emotions, refocus and get ruthless! Obviously, getting rid of items you are going to want in the future is not the objective, but carefully considering what is, and isn’t necessary to keep is what you are trying to do. By having a ‘sell’ pile, you can even make some money out of items that are in your home. What may be sat in your home without a purpose could make someone in another home very happy! You may have a wedding present from 25 years ago, that you have never one used or looked at. Whilst it is great to have reminders of your wedding day, that object in the cupboard could make you a bit of petty cash to spend it on something more relevant that you need now.

5. Reorganise what you are keeping

If you have items that should be in the kitchen in the dining room, or items from the lounge in the bedroom then you will never find what you are looking for. Once you have decided what you are keeping, make sure you put all similar items together. Why have plugs and chargers stored in different places and different rooms? If you have a particular place to store all your plugs and chargers (only the ones you currently need, of course), then when you need one for the device you are using you save time and energy going to one central place to locate it. You don’t have to waste your timing moving from room to room, trying to find what you are looking for. By placing items in the room that they belong, and are most used, it means that things don’t get lost and everything that is needed is easy to locate. In addition to this, why not cleverly label each wire and organise your chargers and adaptors properly so they’re easier to pick out when you need them.

6. Get the family involved in the declutter

When decluttering it is important not to just dive headfirst and throw out someone else’s items whilst keeping your own! This could end up in disagreements and obviously isn’t a productive way of decluttering. If you are the main person doing the sorting, after an initial ‘filter’ of items that are going to be kept and removed, you may want to ask your partner or child whether or not it is something they want or need. What may seem like an item destined for a charity shop or the bin may be something that had gone missing the in ‘black hole’ of clutter and could be restored and used again. By getting everyone involved it means that the ownership of everything is shared, as is the ultimate aim of keeping the house clutter free. Kids can find helping out fun, but remember to stick to short bursts with kids as they do get bored easily.

7. Do you really need it?

Once you have gone through items had got your keep pile, the next step is to ask yourself ‘do I really need it?’ Whilst it might be nice to have 50 pairs of shoes, by looking through what you have, you may be able to halve this amount by getting rid of shoes with similar styles or colours. One good tip for clothing is to turn all the hangers around at the start of the year; when you have worn an item and you place it back in the wardrobe turn the hanger around. At the end of the year, you will clearly see which items you have worn, and therefore need. Those items that have been neglected can then go to a charity shop or be sold, as they have no purpose in your home. Similarly, if you open a drawer to find five old mobile phones that you haven’t even switched on for at least a year, then really they don’t need to be there either.

8. So you have decluttered, now what?

Firstly, enjoy your clutter free house. Take your time to look around the rooms, enjoy the spaces you now have, and recognise that the time and effort you have put in has made a big change to your home. Keeping your house clutter free is actually easier than you think. In the process of decluttering, everything will have been put away in a ‘place’ or an appropriate storage unit (compare storage prices here). To keep your house tidy and clutter free you must make sure that everything is returned to this spot once it has been used. It is no good getting an item from one room in the house, using it in another and then not putting it back where it belongs. Otherwise, over time, the mess will build up and clutter will start to reappear.

When you are out shopping if you feel the twinge to buy something for you home ask yourself ‘do I really need this in my decluttered home?’ Remember that extra ornaments mean extra dusting; bringing more items in to your house will mean you need to find space to store it. If you buy some new clothes, shoes or even handbags, think of it as a replacement and get rid of a similar item. This will stop the build-up of possessions in your house and make it much easier to keep on top of it all.

Of course, there are times when it does make sense to buy things you might not immediately need because you can make a huge cost-saving. For example, buying goods out of season when you know you will need them in the coming months makes financial sense. Just make sure you have somewhere to store them until they are needed. For instance, use a garden shed for garden equipment and outdoor furniture or store winter sports equipment in your attic.

With a clutter free house you will find that you have a lot more time on your hands; you won’t be searching for items that were previously buried behind other objects; you won’t spend as much time cleaning and dusting; you won’t be stressing about where to put something you have bought. Reward yourself by inviting friends round to enjoy your home; there is nothing more satisfying than knowing you are living in a clutter free space and sharing that with friends is a great way to keep your motivation levels high for keeping your house like this.

Once you have taken the time to have a full declutter, try and keep on top of it regularly. Don’t let the clutter build up again and if you feel that a room is becoming a designated room for clutter, stop cluttering it and clear it! It is so easy to place items in a room and close the door, but whilst you will forget about it in that moment, it will still be there the next day. Instead, remind yourself of the question ‘do I really need it?’ and if you do, find it a place to be stored. By taking these simple steps your house will be free of all the items you no longer need, and the sense of achievement from doing this will be shared with everyone living in the home. Maintaining a decluttered home is easy to do in small steps if you designate a point in time where you will just reassess the rooms in your house and check for any clutter. Keep looking forward, and remind yourself of how great it felt when you first finished this decluttering mission.

The post How to Declutter your Home – The Ultimate Guide appeared first on Twits Guides.

Autumn is a beautiful time of year with oranges, yellows and red in the fallen leaves and then come winter it is frosty, snowy and blustery outside. Naturally, despite autumn and winter being so beautiful and exciting, we want to cosy on up at home. We spend less time outside and more time with a hot chocolate inside whilst the storms rage on.

When you add the natural want to nest during the colder months with the many months of neglect the home has had whilst you enjoy time outdoors during summer, it makes perfect sense to get some vital cleaning done at this time of year.

To help you, here’s a checklist for autumn/ winter cleaning so you don’t forget these important tasks:

Declutter Your Self Storage Unit

If you make use of cheap self storage now is the time to declutter your space. During your visit you can:

• Take your winter clothes out for your seasonal wardrobe swap
• Remove any items you no longer need or want
• Check stored items
• Give it a sweep and a vacuum
• Perhaps move to a smaller unit if you have decluttered enough to leave more space
• Put summer furniture and tools into the unit

Clean & Store Summer Furniture & Toys

Now is a great time to clean all the furniture you want to keep in cheap self storage or the garage over winter. Doing this protects it from the wild weather of autumn and winter so come spring next year, it’s clean and ready to get back out again for more fun. You may want to do the same with summer garden toys, camping gear, summer sports equipment and even large garden tools and equipment.

Get Your Gutters In Order

All your guttering and spouts won’t have gotten much use over summer which means plants, moss and other items could have blocked it up. By cleaning them and checking they are clear you won’t get any overspills and leaks over autumn and winter.

Deep Clean Rugs, Furniture & Other Soft Furnishings

In order for carpets, rugs and other items to dry after a deep clean the weather needs to be pretty reasonable. The wetter and colder it is, the less likely these items will dry out. For that reason, the start of autumn is the final call for these cleaning tasks and deep cleaning of these items so they are fresh and clean to cosy into for winter.

Paint Touch-ups

Water based paints dry because the water in the mixture evaporates leaving the pigment and other paint ingredients to cure and go hard. When the weather is very hot and humid, the water in the environment is able to go into the paint faster than it is leaving the paint so it won’t dry. In winter, though, the issue is going to be freezing temperatures where the water particles in the paint freeze and so they cannot evaporate and the paint won’t dry. So if you need to do paint touch-ups and you favour water-based paints you need to get them done before temperatures can reach below 10 degrees Celsius as paint dries best at an ambient temperature of around 25 degrees Celsius.

Smoke & Carbon Monoxide Alarm Checks

As you’ll be using your heating system again and likely cooking more, checking your smoke and carbon monoxide alarms is vitally important. These devices literally save lives, so a simple check and battery change can make the difference between a life or death situation. You can find out more about fire alarms here.

Your House Will Be Safe & Clean For Cosy Times This Winter

By using our tips above and paying special attention to easily neglected cleaning tasks you can enjoy a safer, cleaner, cosier home in the coming months.

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Technically at this time of year it is spring in the UK but right now we have the strange combination of blossom on the trees and snow on the ground, but that’s the UK weather for you. Nevertheless, this is typically the time of year when we are thinking of spring cleaning our homes and getting it all in order to enjoy it once the weather is warmer. It may not be a very exciting task but if we do it now we can them relax in the sunshine (or that’s the theory anyway).

While we are emptying cupboards and moving furniture to have a really good clean is also the perfect time to sort out our belongings and decide what we really need to keep, because, let’s face it, we all have far too much clutter in our homes. The only time this isn’t true is possibly when you move into your first home. Then you probably don’t have enough stuff but, trust me, it won’t take long to start filling up those empty spaces. But what if this year instead of just spring cleaning and throwing out or giving away to charity the odd item, we were to really think about a more radical approach and try to take a more minimalist view of our living spaces. Would it improve our living environment and would it make us happier?

It is a bit of a strange word – minimalism – it conjures up an image of doing without or somehow depriving ourselves of comfort but minimalist homes don’t lack comfort they simply lack clutter so perhaps the word is mis-leading. A real, comfortable living space can still be “minimalist”; it will simply contain only those possessions you know to be useful or beautiful (to paraphrase William Morris). And if items are useful but not beautiful then there will be plenty of storage space to hide them away. Better still, the items you choose to have on display, whether they are works of art, ornaments or family photos can be better appreciated because they are not hidden by a jumble of other items. For this reason it is, in fact, easier for a minimalist home to reflect your character and personality because it is allowed to shine through.

And for those of you living in period or character houses, these are just as well suited to a minimalist lifestyle as a contemporary space. In fact, the architectural details of many period homes are hidden by the sheer amount of clutter many people have so these beautiful details can be highlighted by a minimalist approach to living.

And back to that chore of spring-cleaning, it is actually much easier to keep your home clean when the surfaces are clear and uncluttered with possessions and where there is plenty of storage space for everything. But if you really can’t bear to part with all of your belongings in one go try this test: put the bulk of your possessions in a self-storage container for 6 months and you will probably find that you don’t actually need them in your home!

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Many of us live and work in environments full of belongings that we no longer use or need but are reluctant to part with. There are some people who find it easy to clear out unused possessions and live a minimalist lifestyle but the majority of us cling to items for often, long-forgotten, sentimental reasons. We make excuses about how an item might one day come in useful, but, in truth, we just can’t bear to get rid of our “stuff”.

Not only do we want to hang on to old belongings but we are accumulating new things all the time and eventually the storage in our homes just will not cope any more. An important element for people buying new houses these days is how much storage there is. Built-in storage almost always features in new homes of all sizes and a buyer would expect there to be sufficient storage for their possessions, but just how much storage is sufficient? And even though moving home would seem to be an ideal opportunity to clear out all the old junk, this doesn’t always happen.

But can living amongst clutter really add stress to already busy lives and, more importantly, can clearing out that clutter reduce our stress?

Stress in our lives can manifest itself in many ways – we have a train to catch for work or the school-run through busy traffic all before the main part of the day starts. Then we might put ourselves under pressure to meet deadlines throughout the day but this type of stress is often there because we have chosen to live our lives in a certain way. We choose to have an extra 15 minutes in bed in the morning and are, therefore, rushing for the train, for example. But there are also the ever-present causes of stress around us in our homes that are less easy to recognise as a cause of stress and one of those is the clutter.

Stress can affect the body in numerous ways such as:

• Insomnia
• Depression
• Digestive disorders
• Skin complaints e.g. eczema

There is often no single cause of stress (it could be more serious issues like financial worries, work issues or relationship problems) but if you want to easily reduce the stress on your mind and body maybe now is the time to be ruthless with your possessions.

So when your storage cupboards are bulging, and when your loft, garage and garden shed are all full is there any alternative to throwing away your possessions or donating them to charity?

Fortunately, there is an alternative because there are numerous self storage facilities across the country so if you really can’t bear to part with treasured belongings you can still organising your possessions and store them away to get some of the stress-reducing benefits of a more minimalist lifestyle. If you only keep to hand all the items that you know you need and use regularly then you will be more easily able to find what you want. No longer will you have to hunt through stuffed drawers or storage cupboards looking for that important document. Your storage space can be well-organised because you will simply have more space for storage.

Reputable self-storage facilities are dry and secure so you do not need to worry that valuables will become damp or be stolen. In fact, most storage facilities have much better security than the average home because their reputation depends on their security. As well as storing possessions with sentimental value but little everyday use you can also store seasonal items such as ski gear that may only be used once or twice a year.

Clearing out your clutter can be liberating but if you are not ready for that yet, then storing your belongings can transform your home into a calmer environment and transform you into a less stressed person.

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When it comes to making the most of the space of our house, every nook and cranny counts. Here are some ways to maximise your space:

Create separate areas

You may face difficulty stuffing all your furniture and fixtures into each room. Use quadrants, freestanding walls and large curtains to divide the room in multiple zones. A living room is generally the biggest room in the house. People generally use it for sitting and entertainment purpose. You can use the space for dining. If you are a fitness freak, you can fill one corner of the room with treadmill or other machines.

Bedroom is a place where you relax and perform other personal activities. This is the best place for your office work. Divide the space into two sections: at one side will be your bed, reclining chairs, a small table, and the like, and the other side will be your personal computer and a cabinet to store files and other work related material. If your bedroom is very small, you should buy sofa-cum bed that you can use as a bed as well as a chair. 

Space organising means full utilisation of the open space, yet roomy and tidy. Dining rooms in the living area seems good when you have a big family and you regularly host your guests. However, it is gone out with ark in small houses. Instead, keep a small table and chairs in the kitchen to use it as a dining room.

Use furniture for maximum storage

Furniture plays a paramount role to organise the small space. Little spending in furniture will make you feel like living in a big house. If you keep everything on the floor, it appears to be unkempt. Instead, you should use panels and mounted cabinets. They serve two purposes: you could store numerous items and you will feel tidy and big room. 

If you have kids, buying them full-size beds will not be a good idea if you are running out of space. You should invest in bunk bed. It will open up a massive amount of room without compromising the comfort of your children. If you use a regular bed for any reason, make sure that it has drawers underneath in which you can store many items like blankets, quilts, clothes etc. 

Stairwells consume a lot of space. Use the room to store things that are used in rare occasions. Fix shelves to make the most of the available room.

Maximise the closet space

Your closet can store everything from your clothes and makeup kit to shoes and other accessories. Buy a cabinet to store numerous items and keep it in your closet. Fix shelves to get more room to keep your handbags, wallets, watches, handkerchiefs, and the like. Keep heavy items on the floor or lower shelf and keep low-weight items on the top shelf. 

Divide the space of drawers into multiple sections. Use plastic trays. You can glue them down to keep them from sliding. This will help you keep as many things as possible and in the tidiest manner. If you do not have enough space for a closet, use dresser, bags and other containers to keep your clothes. Use bags and purses to keep small accessories. 

Use vertical space

One of the biggest issues in small houses is to store all necessary items. This may cause frustration if you soon do not figure out an alternative. Store items high on the wall. This is the best method to declutter kitchen. Mount floating shelves on the wall and hang lightweight items like frying pans, spatulas, and so forth. 

Use a wall-mounted pot rack to keep and hang bulky items like pots and pans. This will open up huge space to keep other fragile and heavier dishes. You can use this method in your bedroom. You can have a mounted rack to store books, small electronics, figurines, and other decorative items. 

It is better if you use a professional pot rack. This may set you back a few pounds but it will last for a long time.

Declutter your space

The best part of organising the small space is decluttering. Many people keep unnecessary things in their houses. Before taking the plunge, you should make a list of things that are unnecessary. Get rid of them as soon as the list is ready. The list may include outgrown items, old books, decorative items, and other items that you have not used for years.

Keep items in drawers, racks, and open shelves. Your room will look tidier if you keep everything at the right place. Try to keep only appealing items on open-shelves. If you have got small unused space in the end and it looks odd, use a basket or plastic storage container.

Organising a small house to create more room is like an art. Aforementioned are some DIY tips. However, you can consult a professional, who will guide you on how to make the most of the space. If you are running out of space, follow the tips mentioned above.  

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Unlike people who have lived in the same house for 15 years, I luckily have not got  a vast amount of clutter, or personal belongings, but I will still, however, have to put some of my items in self-storage. Hopefully this will only be for a short- term until I am able to find myself a house and get everything shipped over. Last time I moved I found myself living in a hotel room for the four months due to there being a problem with the paper work, which was not ideal – oh the joys of language barriers. Thank goodness I had found a cheap self-storage unit, that’s all I have to say, and wasn’t paying a fortune to store my stuff while the paperwork was sorted out. Moving house and self storage go hand-in-hand in situations like this providing you watch your budget.

Moving to a new home aboard has a range of advantages and disadvantages, but you just have to consider which ones are important in your situation.

The advantages of moving aboard:

• Experiencing a different culture – the food, art, entertainment can all be quite different even for those moving within the same continent
• Exploring the world whilst getting paid – moving abroad as part of your job means your company will foot the bill for some new adventures.
• Meeting new people – expanding your horizons by mixing with different people from different cultures
• Become a world citizen – experience a different sort of life and move outside your comfort zone perhaps
• A better way of living – many (if not most) countries can offer a better way of living in some respects than the UK. Note least because the cost of renting or buying a home is cheaper or you get more for your money
• The weather- depending on where you go, of course, but for those from northern Europe there are better climates almost everywhere
• Learn a foreign language – well you can at least try and this could even open up new career opportunities as a voiceover actor for instance

 There is also a downside:

• Where is home? This can be especially difficult if you are not originally just from one country- so already you have more than one place than could be home.
• Leaving the people you love behind
• The language barrier- even though in most countries luckily they will speak English.
• Leaving treasured things behind when you move because they are too big or impractical to bring with you.

For me moving country always outweighs the downside of it. The hardest of it all is for sure leaving people behind but if you are located somewhere in Europe you can easily fly out and see them as everywhere is close enough, plus flights are just getting cheaper. Even if it is a long haul flight, of course you may not be able to fly as often but you can still go and see them at least once a year, which might not sound enough at all, but you will be so busy with your new job and life that time will fly by. In addition friends and relatives can come out and see you which most people jump at the opportunity to have an excuse to travel so really it would be a minimum of twice a year, and now there is no reason not to stay in contact on a regular basis with Skype, Facebook and all the other easy to use internet options to stay connected.

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