As we head into 2023, people around Summerville and beyond will resolve to do things differently, find a better work/life balance, and focus on the things that really matter. If you are living in a home that is teeming with “things,” then finding the calm that you need to unwind and find your inner chi might not be easy. These are tips from our real estate Summerville experts to declutter, refocus, and find your serenity by reducing “chaos.”
Tackle It One Room at a Time
We all have a collective unconscious that works like a habit, which is why come January every store is lined with baskets and bins that will inspire you to get everything cleaned up and organized. What most of us end up with, however, are empty baskets, less money, and more things in the house instead of less. The key is to break it all down to make it manageable. Sure, you have ten rooms that need to be cleaned out, but just focus on one at a time and you will see how much easier and more manageable it all will become.
Don’t Buy Until You Know What You Need
The first step to organization that people usually get wrong is to get bins, containers, and holders before they even know what they need. Any organized home needs to have the right organizational tools to make things easier to access, but if you just buy random bins and boxes, you’ll find ways to fill them instead of perhaps evaluating what you have and deciding what you want to organize at all. Before you get anything, you need to have a place for everything and everything in its place. Figure out what you actually need, and rid yourself of the rest.
Find a Voice of Reason
All great clean-out efforts are usually overseen by a third-party voice of reason. It can be so easy to get wrapped up in the sentiment of why we have certain things instead of examining whether we need them. Sometimes it takes a voice of reason to remind us that the napkin that we are saving from 1987 because we had a great time at a concert doesn’t take the napkin to remember it at all. When you leave this earth, you aren’t going to take a dirty napkin with you – but nothing can ever take the memories that you have, even if the napkin no longer remains! Find someone who will challenge you about why you have things and whether you need them!
Donating Feels So Much Better Than Throwing Out
One man’s trash might be another’s treasure, or it may really just be trash. Often, we hold onto items because we know how much we spent on them. If you have something that you bought that was lavish and perhaps an impulse buy, it can be difficult to admit that you overspent and get rid of it. If, however, you reset your mind to consider how much it can help a family in need if sold at a thrift store, or how much someone will actually enjoy it instead of it being in some closet unseen, it makes it much easier to stomach your buyer’s remorse. Freeing yourself of the guilt of spending money you didn’t have to comes with letting go of it, instead of carrying it around like an item of shame due to a poor decision.
If It Can Be Replaced, It Can Be
If you remember one thing, make it this: if you dispose of something that you need somewhere down the line, it can be replaced. If it can’t, then it might be worth hanging on to. One of the biggest problems that most people run into when they go through a great “purge” is that they often get overwhelmed, worn out, or both and start throwing things out at will just to get it over with. If you have something that you aren’t sure you need, it is probably worth it to hold on to; but if it can be replaced, go ahead and toss it. If you guide your decisions wisely from start to finish, then you won’t kick yourself for getting rid of something you actually did need!
As we roll into a new year, now is a perfect time to find serenity amidst the chaos. A home that is overfilled with “things” is not one that you can be very productive or comfortable in. Taking the time to organize before you organize is the best way to ensure that it gets done correctly. For more tips, tricks, and advice, check out Sea Turtle Properties’ blog throughout the year!