If it was challenging to find space for all of your holiday gifts, it might be a sign that it’s time to purge your home. We all accumulate numerous items that we don’t use regularly, if at all. The urge to keep broken or unused items just in case we may need them one day ends up crowding our basements, attics, and closets.
The minimalist movement doesn’t need to be taken to heart if you are simply looking to eliminate some of the clutter in your home. The New Year is a great time to get organized and adopt new habits. Clearing out some of your old items can give you a cleaner and more refreshed home than ever before.
Whether you throw away unused items or donate them through a Salvation Army pickup, purging some of your unneeded items is a great way to give your home a new look and feel. Let’s look at a few places in your home that you can purge this year.
Closets
Most closets end up being unorganized and overpacked with items that rarely get used or worn. Why are keeping items that are out of fashion, no longer fit, or are damaged? Most closet items are just taking up valuable space and causing you stress. Your closets are the perfect place to start your home purge. You can even make some money by selling your clothing or accessory items on online sites like Poshmark or Letgo. Here are a few closet items to start purging:
- Clothing items you haven’t worn in over a year
- Formal clothing like bridesmaids dresses that you aren’t likely to wear again.
- Any damaged items
- Any items that no longer fit
- Out of fashion items
- Shoes and boots that you don’t wear
Basement
The theory of “out of sight, out of mind” is precisely how your basement becomes the land of unused junk. It’s time to clean out that old toy box and make a donation to your local shelter. You may even find a valuable collectible in your load of old toys. Piles of old magazines and books should be sorted and donated while keeping only your favorites or those that have useful articles.
Garage
If you thought the basement was terrible, your garage is probably a place that houses many items that just never made it to the trash. It’s time to open the garage door and let out some of the junk. Old sporting equipment, unused or broken tools, and outdoor furniture that isn’t used or is in disrepair need to be purged. You may even be able to park your car in your garage after you have cleaned it out.
Drawers
Do you have two or three junk drawers hidden around your home? While you are purging your home, it’s a good idea to tackle these convenient catch-all drawers and see what items you can finally throw out. Old menus, expired batteries, and coupons can finally be trashed and give you some more storage space.
Attic
Take some time to sort through your attic items and decide what you could get rid of. If you have boxes of children’s memories, pack them up and offer them to your kids instead of storing them at your home. Dust off family memorabilia for display in your main house, or think about refinishing that antique chair that has been gathering dust in the attic.
Starting fresh in the new year can begin with a full purging of your home. You may be surprised at the valuable items that you could find and even make a profit from. Throw away, donate, or sell your unused items and get your home uncluttered and organized for the new year.