Minimalist living has become more and more popular. People are downsizing or even moving into tiny houses. Some of this is driven by finances—it’s much more difficult to buy a home today than it once was, but tiny homes continue to be affordable. While these small homes may be perfect for some, you don’t have to move into a 500-square-foot space to declutter and simplify your life. Many people aren’t looking to move, but they want to get rid of clutter and unnecessary things that they just don’t need anymore.

How can you accomplish this? There are a number of ways to simplify your life, and not all of it has to do with getting rid of stuff. While that’s certainly a part of decluttering your St. Paul home, it’s just the beginning of the process. Fortunately, you have help during this first step. Junk King is here to help you get rid of the things you don’t need so you can create a comfortable space to relax. Let’s look at some ways of decluttering your home and what Junk King can do for you.

What Does it Mean to Declutter Your Home?

When people think of decluttering, they usually think about getting rid of knickknacks and other things that are purely decorative. They imagine rooms with very little in them other than furniture. While that’s certainly one option, it’s not the only way to define decluttering. Just because you don’t like clutter doesn’t mean you have to get rid of everything that’s purely decorative. You can still have photos, artwork, mementos, and other decorative items throughout your home. The goal of decluttering is to get rid of the things that you truly have no attachment to or have no use for.

For example, you may have a blender in your kitchen that you haven’t touched for years. Why do you still have it? Maybe you used it a few times years ago to make drinks for a party but haven’t needed it since then. That’s clutter, and you should let that blender go. Another example could be an art print you bought at a big box store years ago just because it was on sale and you wanted something to put on the wall. If you have no attachment to it and have purchased better art over the years, you don’t really need to keep it. This is especially true if that print hasn’t hung on the walls for years. It’s just taking up space in a closet or cabinet.

Clothing, toys, electronics, hobby tools, and yard equipment can all become clutter if you don’t use them regularly. Junk, of course, can also be clutter. If you don’t get rid of junk mail regularly, it’s going to clutter up the counter or coffee table.

How do you get this clutter under control? The first step is identifying it.

Where is Your Clutter?

What’s cluttering up your home? Figuring out where the clutter is will help you get rid of it. It could easily be in your kitchen cabinets, but it could also be in your closet or spilling out of your bookshelves or entertainment center. When most people think of cluttered houses, they picture stuff everywhere. That may be true in your case: you might need to declutter just about every part of your home, and that’s okay. Decluttering does typically involve going through each room and determining what needs to go.

Don’t forget to look outside your home, too. You might have clutter in your garage, in the shed, or elsewhere on your property. Even your car could be full of clutter. Check the basement and the attic, too. If you’re going to do a full declutter on your home, you might as well do every part of it so you can truly start with a fresh slate.

Note that decluttering doesn’t always mean getting rid of stuff. You should never throw away something that has sentimental meaning to you or that you’re deeply attached to, such as family heirlooms or thoughtful gifts. In some cases, decluttering is more about curating what items you have out on display and what you have in storage. It’s about learning how to decide what to use at any given time and how to rotate through items so you get to enjoy everything that has meaning to you without your home feeling cluttered.

Keep, Donate, or Trash?

Once you’ve identified cluttered areas, it’s time to decide what to do with the stuff. Anything broken should go into the trash pile. This is what you’ll want Junk King to come get rid of once you’re done sorting. We can haul away just about anything, so don’t hesitate to mark pieces of furniture or appliances as trash. The trash pile can also include things you know no one else will ever want. In fact, Junk King can actually help you out with things that are still in good condition, too, because we sort out items that can be donated or recycled.

If you do have things that are in good shape that you know others might get some use out of, set them aside to donate them. This includes items that you want to pass on to friends or family members. Let them know that you have things they may want and that they need to come and get them. Be sure to let them know that they need to do so soon because you’re decluttering your home. In some cases, it may help to set a date to have your donated items picked up. This way, you can tell your friends and family that they have until that date to come get things. Otherwise, the items will be donated.

Finally, there’s your keep pile. These are the things you don’t want to let go of. There’s no shame in having a large keep pile, and you shouldn’t feel like you have to reduce the number of things you’re keeping to a certain number. However, you should ask yourself why you’re keeping something. Make sure you have a reason why, especially if it’s not something you’ve used recently or have out on display. Be purposeful in what you keep.

Keeping the Clutter Down

Decluttering your home isn’t the end of simplifying your life. You also need to make certain you don’t replace all of that clutter with new stuff. It can be an easy trap to fall into, especially since you may have a lot of empty drawers and cabinets.

In order to keep your home uncluttered, think about what you’re bringing into it. Ask yourself if you really need what you’re about to purchase. There are some things that you will need to buy, but there are other alternatives to some items. If you’re an avid reader, for example, you could turn to the library or start reading books on an e-reader. If you love sewing and had a lot of fabric you ended up donating, don’t buy more unless you have a specific project in mind for it. This should be a project you’re going to actually start and complete within a few weeks, too.

One of the many reasons people fall into clutter is because they find good deals that they feel like they simply can’t pass up. Buying things on sale can be a great financial decision, but you do need to be careful that you don’t impulsively buy things just because you can get a discount on them. That’s how you end up with things like a novelty waffle iron that you only used a few times.

Another way of continuing to keep your home decluttered is to deal with trash promptly. If something breaks that you can’t repair, get rid of it right away. Junk King can help with this. If you need to get rid of furniture, appliances, yard debris, or other things, call us. We work year-round, even when it’s snowing and cold out, so never hesitate to call for a free quote. We’ll haul away just about anything as long as it isn’t hazardous. If you ever have any doubt about what we can take, just give us a call or send us a message online. Don’t let clutter accumulate in your home, garage, shed, or any other space.

Ready to Declutter Your Home?

Dealing with the clutter in your home can take some work, but when you’re done, your home will feel larger, cleaner, and even brighter. Carefully curating what you keep while getting rid of trash and things you’ll never use can even have an impact on how you feel. You may be more productive at home or feel more relaxed because you’re not surrounded by stuff.

If you’re ready to declutter your home, Junk King St. Paul can help you deal with the trash. We will get rid of all the junk so you can create the simplified, organized life you’ve always wanted. Give us a call today at 1-888-888-JUNK or send us a text to 1-737-888-5865 to learn more.