If your home is overflowing with stuff, it’s a sure sign that you need to declutter. But just how do you decide what to keep and what to throw away? Not every item in our home may be useful, but some items could have sentimental value or may even be worth keeping as an investment. To help you decide what to throw away, here are a few questions to ask yourself as you sift through your possessions.
Does it bring you joy?
The KonMari method is perhaps the most famous decluttering method. It was established by Japanese organising consultant Marie Kondo. There are several principles to this method, but one of the most unique principles is to ask ‘does this item spark joy?’ when deciding what to keep and what to discard. Possessions that stir up negative memories or that you have no strong feelings towards should be parted with. It’s a useful principle to use when sorting through ornaments, photos and old keepsakes. If you’ve got a large hoard of items, consider using a skip hire company to supply a skip, and aim to fill the skip with items in your home that don’t bring you joy.
Would you want to pass it down to your loved ones?
‘Dostadning’ or ‘Swedish death cleaning’ is another decluttering method that was popularised by Margareta Magnusson. It is aimed at older people tackling clutter and looks at the value of items from a different angle: which possessions would your loved ones benefit from receiving when you die? This encourages us to get rid of items that could be cumbersome, embarrassing or useless were our family to inherit them. It also encourages us to keep items that we may not benefit from, but could be valued by those we leave behind.
Would it be more useful to someone else?
When it comes to possessions that have a practical use, it’s important to consider whether we’re actually getting practical use out of them. It’s possible that someone else may benefit from them more than us. Such items could include rarely used appliances or dusty hobby equipment. Donating and selling these possessions to those who are actually likely to regularly use them could be a rewarding thing to do and could reduce your clutter. There are many charities you can donate items to.
How much money is it worth?
The monetary value of items is worth considering when choosing whether to scrap, donate or sell. You don’t want to accidentally throw away a valuable collectible that you could have got some money from. When it comes to old books, toys, ornaments and jewellery, always get these items valued. Sometimes finding out that an item is incredibly valuable can be an incentive to part with it, while in other cases it could be an incentive to keep it. Such items could be sold to get some extra cash if you’re currently financially struggling. Alternatively, you could leave these items to loved ones when you pass away for them to sell and benefit from.
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© Copyright 2024 Antonia, All rights Reserved. Written For: Tidylife
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